I first met Colin Chapman in 1948, and helped him from 1953-59 with the design of his cars.
Since his death I have become interested in his attempts to build a microlight aircraft using a Lotus engine, but have been unable to find out much about it.
In 1983 a Scaled Composites Model No 91 was registered in the UK with the letters G-MMLC. It was a canard. It made its first flight from the Lotus factory airfield at Hethel in Norfolk in the East Coast of England.
It was designed by Bert Rutan for Group Lotus at the request of Colin Chapman, and was to use a Lotus designed engine, the Magnum 4.5 of 50 hp.
It was de-registered in 1988 and returned to the USA.
Most of the information I have managed to obtain came from the 1985 edition of Berger-Burr's Ultralight & Microlight Aircraft of the World. It appears that it was planned to manufacture it in the UK by Aviation Composites of Thatcham, Berks., and for the US company Eipper to market it. They of course are no longer trading, having been taken over by Quicksilver.
Can any of you add to this story, or know of any article that has appeared about it?
