Update – Mudry Cap 10

So what is a Mudry CAP 10? Basically it’s a strengthened, more powerful and updated variant of the well known Piel Emeraude (Emerald) light aircraft which has been available to home builders and in complete form from several low volume manufacturers since the mid 1950s.

The CAP 10’s history dates back to 1965 when French aircraft builder Auguste Mudry had an interest in two companies, CAARP (Cooperative des Ateliers Aeronautiques de la Region Parisienne) and Avions Mudry et CIE, the latter based at Bernay Aerodrome in northern France and the former at Beynes to the west of Paris.

CAARP at first specialised in aircraft modification and repair and, after a period building sailplane components under subcontract, took over production of the Super Emeraude from another French concern, Scintex Aviation in 1965. Three years later in August 1968 the company flew a prototype of a fully aerobatic version of the Super Emeraude called the CP. 100.

Mudry had meanwhile established his other company and between them the two organisations built various components for the production version of the CP. 100 and the single seat CAP. 20 (itself virtually a single seat version of the CP. 100) with Mudry responsible for final assembly of the two seater and CAARP the single seater. In 1978 the activities of CAARP were combined with those of Avions Mudry at Bernay, the company subsequently expanding their range of single seat aerobatic aircraft through the CAP 20L and current CAP 21 and CAP 230, the latter a full competition aircraft powered by a 300hp Lycoming AEIO-540 engine and stressed to +10/-10g.

The CAP 10 is designed for rather more modest exertions but is capable of being taken to +6/-4. 5g, more than enough to satisfy most aerobatic training requirements while still retaining two seat utility for touring and general training purposes.

Powered by a 180hp Lycoming AEIO-360-8 four cylinder engine driving a two-bladed fixed pitch Hoffmann wooden propeller, the CAP 10s structure is of the classic wooden type. The cantilever low wing is built up from a spruce single spar torsion box structure with trellis ribs, rear auxiliary spar and okoume plywood covering with a polyester fabric outer skin. Wooden trailing edge plain flaps are fitted and, in plan view, the wing is semi-elliptical, not unlike that of a Spitfire or P-47 Thunderbolt.

The fuselage is of conventional spruce girder construction built in two halves and joined by three main frames. It is of basically a rectangular section with rounded top decking, is covered by polyester fabric and the forward section has an inner plywood skin for extra strength.

The CAP 10’s two seats are side by side and adjustable with provision for back parachutes while the rearward sliding canopy is jettisonable in an emergency. Standard equipment includes dual control sticks, rudder pedals and throttles, aerobatic shoulder harnesses, a CSF 12 channel VHF radio and a ‘g’ meter.

The CAP 10 was granted certification in September 1970 and since then some 250 have been delivered to operators in 25 countries. Among the customers have been the French Air Force (56), the French Navy (6), the Mexican Air Force’s flying training school (20) and the Royal Moroccan Air Force, which received two for its Green March aerobatic team. The original CAP 10 was replaced in the late 1970s by the current CAP 1OB which features an enlarged rudder. Another version, equipped for glider towing, was flown a couple of years ago and is called the CAP 10R (for remarque). The CAP should be an enjoyable aircraft to fly and one which will be an excellent aerobatic trainer if its reputation is true – indeed, according to its manufacturer it is “the world’s best aerobatic trainer”. Australia Aviation will endeavour to publish a flight test of the CAP 108 as soon as an aircraft becomes available.