Sling Aircraft Company rises to new heights

The Sling Aircraft Company (formally known as the Aircraft Factory), based at Tedderfield Airpark in the South of Johannesburg, is quickly becoming a giant slayer in the kitplane market, exporting kits and aircraft to various countries around the world.

The Comaro CHRONICLE recently visited the factory to learn more about its beginning, the around the world flights as well as the future of the Sling.

Apart from the factory at Tedderfield Airpark Sling also has a factory in Alrode that cuts and make spare parts for the aircraft. Spares are then moved from the Alrode factory to Tedderfield where they are assembled.

The men behind Sling

The company was started by Mike Blyth and James Pitman in 2010.

Mike is a big adventurer and came from the world of microlights, even flying from South America to South Africa with a microlight a few years ago.

It was during Mike’s days with microlights that he was the distributor for Rotax Engines in South Africa, selling the engine to many microlight pilots in South Africa.

At one stage microlights started to be imported with motors leaving Mike with a surplus of Rotax engines, but this made him decide to design and build his own aircraft.

The director for Sling, Andrew Pitman said, “Mike had the idea to build a two seater aircraft that is easy to fly, can fly a long distance, as well as have a good cruising speed. My brother James, who at the time was practicing law, joined the company as a financial backer.”

In 2010 Andrew joined the company, originally as a bookkeeper but was later made a director of the company in 2013.

The company’s first plane registration number ZU-ETO was flown for 40 hours and served as a proof of concept and was even flown by the late great, Glen Dell.

Glen was a South African aerobatic who represented South Africa on multiple occasions in international competitions.

Aviation and new innovation

The first production model registration number ZU-TAF was completed in 2009 and flown to the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Airventure Airshow held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin that same year.

Since Mike and James were half way around the world they flew westwards to complete their first around the world trip.

In 2011 the company introduced a four seater version of the aircraft called the Sling 4 and it was also flown to EAA Airventure Airshow where it was an instant success with 100 being sold within the first few years of production.

In 2014 the team flew again to EAA Airventure Airshow but instead of continuing westwards they flew home around the North Pole and down Europe and Africa.

This year the company will have three of their new high wing models flying to the airshow in the USA with one staying there, Another one going to the UK and the last one will continue westward for a round-the-world trip.
Currently Sling is the second biggest kitplane company in the world after Van’s Aircraft in the USA.

Sling recently launched a high wing version with the first one flying in 2020 and, just like the four seater Sling, it was an instant success with 135 sold to date.

Looking to the future Sling is partnering with leading universities in Europe to research both electrical and hydrogen powered aircraft for the future.

Up and away

After the tour through the factory, test pilot Sean Russell offered a test flight to the journalist which he accepted and got treated to the power and gracefulness of the aircraft while Sean showed the safety features of the plane as well as demonstrating why the aircraft is very popular.

After the landing Sean just dropped off the journalist and returned to the air to complete the testing phase of the aircraft before the new owners take delivery of the amazing aircraft.

With the future of aviation open to new innovations Sling Aircraft will definitely be a company for the South of Johannesburg to keep an eye on.