IndUS Aviation Re-Invigorates the Thorpedo T-211’s 70-Year Tradition
During World War II, before general aviation planes became accessible as a means for public transportation, the U.S. military needed strong trainers for their growing pilot fleet. Renowned aircraft designer, John Thorp, immediately began work on the Thorpedo T-211 model. By 1946, the FAA awarded the aircraft with a Type Certificate.
Since it’s original certification, the Thorp T-211 has gone through several re-engineering and modification phases, receiving re-certifications in 1964 and 1989. Shortly after Thorp Aero received re-certification in 1990, however, the company was forced to shut down production due too poor economic return. IndUS Aviation subsequently acquired the production rights and set out to re-introduce the legendary Thorpedo T-211 to the general aviation industry.
Today, IndUS Aviation combines the aircraft’s traditional elegance with the technological capabilities desired by the modern aviation community. Many of the original features that made the Thorpedo T-211 a popular trainer in the 1940s help to sustain its reputation as a go-to trainer today. The aircraft model features an all-aluminum airframe with ribbed wing design and ribbed horizontal tail surface, providing a robust structure while remaining relatively light. IndUS Aviation has two variant models of the Thorpedo T-211 available today; in June of 2005, the six-cylinder Jabiru 3300 equipped T-211 became the first U.S. manufactured aircraft to earn the Special Airworthiness certificate. Additionally, the company has re-introduced the type-certified CAR 3/FAR Part 23 Normal Category T-211 version featuring the Continental O-200 Engine and a Sensinich metal propeller.
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