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While so-called 'Freedom Day' is here, there are still many challenges ahead for Europa Aircraft, and we are by no means alone.
Supply chain issues, self-isolating rules and the over-weighing desire to keep our employees safe despite restrictions being lifted, will continue to impact the business for the foreseeable future. We are doing the best we can to keep all areas of the business running despite the ongoing unpredictable and difficult circumstances we are facing. We advised earlier in the year that Europa Aircraft services would be reduced in order for us to deploy our resources as efficiently as possible, while providing flexible working hours for members of staff whose situations have changed during the pandemic. These new hours are Monday - Thursday, 9am - 1pm. Having trialled these hours, we have noticed that the company is not as productive as we would like, and the last thing we want is to reduce our high standards of service during these times. We have therefore decided to limit Europa Aircraft's telephone hours to 9am - 11am Monday - Thursday. This will allow dedicated time after to fulfil orders and deal with enquiries more quickly and efficiently. Of course, you can email at any time, but email orders and enquiries will only be dealt with during Europa's current opening hours, which remain as Monday - Thursday 9am - 1pm. Please accept our apologies if your orders and enquiries have taken longer than usual during the last few weeks; we hope the solution offered will help streamline processes and improve our services to you. Your patience and understanding on this matter is most appreciated. Thank you for your ongoing support, stay safe. Firstly, let us take this opportunity to wish you a Happy New Year, we do hope that you managed to enjoy the festive period and at least take time out to reflect on what has been an incredibly difficult year.
While we are not alone in wanting to see the back of 2020, there is no denying that it’s been a tough start to 2021 and Swift Technology Group is amongst many companies who have been affected by COVID 19 already this year. While the area of Norfolk we are located in was barely touched by the first wave of the virus, the second wave has hit the area hard and the beginning of the year saw the Swift HQ being plunged into Tier 4 restrictions. As a manufacturing facility we have been able to keep our facilities open, but we have been affected by reduced staff numbers due to those who have been touched in one way or another by the virus. We are trying to do all we can to keep every part of the business running, but unfortunately, we have had to reduce some of our services and projects for the foreseeable future. To enable us to deploy our resources as efficiently as possible, we have also taken the decision to reduce hours in some areas of the business. To this end, Europa Aircraft’s opening hours have changed with immediate effect. These hours are likely to remain in place until the end of February at a minimum, but we will review these on a regular basis and keep you in the loop with any changes. Europa Aircraft New Hours: Monday – Thursday, 9am – 1pm Please note Europa’s phone lines and email traffic will only be dealt with during these hours for the next few weeks, so please bear this in mind when you want to contact us. We are proud of the way Swift dealt with the fallout from the pandemic last year, and the feedback we have had from customers has been very positive. We pulled together to offer outstanding services throughout the Group and we want to continue to do this in the coming months. The best way to do this is to focus our resource for less hours instead of providing reduced service levels over a longer period. We are sure you will recognise why this decision is pertinent for Europa Aircraft and Swift Technology Group at this current time. Together, we will get through these difficult times, and your patience and understanding on this matter is most appreciated. Thank you for your ongoing support, stay safe. We are delighted to announce that further details will be issued about the Elite aircraft in the next few days including further specifications, price, finance deals and associated services. Watch the News page and our social media channels for more information.
If you would like a quotation, we ask that you now register on the secure area of the site – once you have completed the registration, a quote will follow within 5 working days. Registration Instructions
Since moving to Scottow Enterprise Park (formerly RAF Coltishall), the Swift Group has celebrated
the history of the site with a number of images championing its aviation past. Most recently, a timeline has been added to the main reception which displays images of key moments in the site's history from 1939 to the present date. We would like to honor 26 years of Europa Aircraft in much the same way by compiling a portfolio of Europa past, present and future for display at Europa's new head office. As much of the Europa story lies with its owners, we launched a campaign late last year asking owners to submit stories and images for this purpose. Progress is now in place for these to be displayed onsite and we hope to be able to share this with you in person in the near future. In the meantime, we'll be sharing some of the submissions with you on the website and social media channels. If you would like to be included in this fabulous initiative celebrating 26 years of Europa, there is still time. Please send your stories and images to Marketing@europa-aircraft.com with the subject line #CelebratingEuropa. It's a privilege to be located in Hangar 2; a facility steeped in so much history and honor, and we are brimming with pride to be part of the RAF Coltishall VE Day 75th Anniversary celebrations. Today the site is playing a vital role in the global fight against COVID 19, supporting the Norfolk community through the unprecedented situation; a very different time and threat to our way of life, but nonetheless significant. To all those who have served from this station, past and present, we thank you and we salute you. Europa Aircraft will be closed from from Thursday, 2nd April 2020 to Tuesday, 14th April 2020 for our annual spring break. Orders will not be processed during this time, so please order any spares and parts you may need well in advance of the closure period.
If you have any technical queries during this time, please email technical@europa-aircraft.co.uk in the usual way. We are pleased to announce that Mike McLean, Business Development Manager for Swift Technology Group, will be guest speaker at the Royal Aeronautical Society Coventry Branch event, on Wednesday 18th March 2020. The event will be held at Coventry University, theatre ECG26, starting at 7.15pm.
He'll be giving an insight into the launch of our new GA training aircraft, the Swift, the work we are doing to help revitalise the British Aviation industry and the initiatives we have in place to encourage future generations into STEM careers. More details, including how to book your place will be posted on the RAES website shortly. Students can attend free of charge. Students from North Walsham High School were the latest visitors to Swift to learn about stem careers in the workplace. #stem #stemambassors #inspiringaviation #engineersofthefuture #education #Norfok  Mary Keen, from Paston College, showed fantastic initiative by arranging a visit for herself and a group of fellow Physics and Maths students to Swift HQ last week. The group was engaged, enthusiastic and asked all the right questions - we were all very impressed.
Visits like these form part of our STEM initiatives and are valuable to both employer and employee. If you are a student and would like to arrange a visit for you and your study friends, please complete the online form - initiative goes a long way in business. A group of budding engineers from UTCN came to visit Swift Technology Group last week to present details about their Greenpower race project. Two teams of students, aged between 16 - 17, aspire to be engineers in the future and hope that entry into the Greenpower event will help make them stand out from others when moving into further education or the workplace. Both teams are looking for sponsorship from local businesses and Swift hopes that we will be able to offer them design support for the competition. Greenpower Education Trust s a UK based charity with an outstanding track record in kick starting careers in engineering. They help unlock potential and spark enthusiasm for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) through the excitement of motorsport. This is the second year running that Swift has been involved in the competition as part of our STEM initiatives. We would like to take this opportunity to wish both teams good luck in this competition. Watch this space for updates!
It’s with great sadness that we share the news of Nigel Graham’s passing. Nigel was an experienced pilot and builder; an integral member of the Europa community who shared his knowledge and passion positively and generously with the Swift group over the last decade. Nigel was a true gentleman, always cheerful and bubbly with an infectious smile. His passing at such a young age is a tragedy felt by many and everyone at Europa Aircraft is deeply saddened. We would like to offer our sincere condolences to Nigel’s family, friends and colleagues. Nigel, you will be missed, fly high.  Europa Aircraft will be closed from noon on Friday 20th December 2019 until Thursday 2nd January 2020. The last day for posting small orders prior to this break will be Wednesday 18th December 2019. If you have any urgent queries during the closure period, please email technical@europa-aircraft.co.uk and we’ll endeavor to do all we can to answer, but please note that the team will have limited access to emails during this time. Festive Wishes Once again we would like to thank you for your continued support this year and look forward to another fantastic year in 2020. From everyone at Europa Aircraft and Swift Technology Group, we would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.  As you are aware, Europa moved from Wombleton to Norwich in April this year, and as a result the telephone number changed to 01603 542525.
The old telephone number has been redirected for the last six months, however now that the transition is complete, and the new details have been circulated to all, this is no longer active. With immediate effect, please use the new telephone number for all enquiries. The new contact details can be here. Europa owners Tony Wickens and Alasdair Milne visited us at our new facility this week. It was great to see you both and wonderful to hear such positive feedback. Europa Aircraft is now based in Hangar 2 Scottow Enterprise Park (formerly RAF Coltishall). This amazing facility boasting 60,000 sq ft of production space with attached offices is also home to the Swift Aircraft, AMEL and Swift TG Solutions.  Yesterday was hailed a great day for the Swift Group, and indeed the aviation industry in Norfolk, as North Norfolk District Council granted approval for our proposals to re-open the runway at Scottow Enterprise Park (formerly RAF Coltishall).
This decision means that Coltishall will make aviation history once more as we take to the skies from the runway later in the year; a critical step toward to achieve our aviation goals. When we applied for permission to open the runway, we held a planning open day, and received support from the local residents, many of whom had fought tirelessly for the runway to be saved. The fact that this asset still remains in situ is testament to them, and they are thrilled that this will be used for the purpose it was built. As Scottow Enterprise Park is split between two authorities, both Councils must approve our proposals. Permission remains pending with Broadland District Council, however, with a unanimous vote from North Norfolk, we hope that support will be forthcoming in the very near future. Everyone at Swift is thrilled with the news, and we look forward to moving forward with flight plans in the coming months. Despite the last hurdles, we remain confident that Norfolk will become a centre for aviation, technology and innovation with the Swift group at the heart of this. EDP Article Radio Norfolk - Matthew Gudgin interviews David Stanbridge Swift Technology Group is proud to sponsor a team of students from UTCN in the Greenpower Education Trust Race. The team will take part in the Norfolk Lotus heat at Hethel Race Track on 8th June 2019.
AMEL, Swifts’ manufacturing arm, has provided hardware for the car – the UTCN team worked closely with members of AMEL to design a number of glass fibre and carbon fibre parts for their race car. TWF Solutions, the marketing and design company within the group, has also liaised with the team and supplied car decals. Swift Technology Group is a keen advocate of STEM and several staff members are STEM Ambassadors. Helping to create engineers of the future is currently a main focus for the group, and with the need for a strong engineering workforce in the near future, facilitating these local students with careers in the sector, is a very real prospect. Swift Technology Group is a technology-focused group of companies working within STEM industries, providing ground-breaking innovative solutions predominately in Aviation, Renewables and Oil & Gas. The company has invested millions of pounds into Research and Development over the last decade and will soon see its two flagship products launched commercially. The group is based at Scottow Enterprise Park and will be increasing the workforce to over 100 in the next few years. Due to this expansion, the company is looking to the college as a potential supplier of local skilled engineers. UTCN is a technical college based in Norwich for 14 to 19 year olds. It provides practical skills-based learning and real-world experiences, backed up with a strong academic grounding. Its goal is simple: to provide students with the qualifications they need to go to university or take up skilled employment. With a focus on engineering, science and maths, it aims to help fill the skills-gap in these sectors. Entering into initiatives such as the Green Power Race is testament to this as it allows the students to show off their STEM and creative skills in a practical environment. Swift is working closely with the college on a number of initiatives and look forward to strengthening the relationship even further in the coming months. Green Power Education trust offers a unique challenge: to design, build and race an electric car. Teams of students aged between 9 and 25 from all over the world compete in events across the globe, with the final taking place at the UK’s Rockingham Motor Speedway. The goals of Swift are strongly aligned with UTCN and Greenpower; to inspire young people into STEM industries, unlock their potential and kick start lifelong careers. It’s therefore been a pleasure to work alongside these STEM advocates for this project. On a final note, everyone at Swift would like to wish the UTCN team good luck this weekend, it’s been a pleasure to meet you all and be part of this exciting project. We will provide an update next week and hope to report a win! Swift Technology Group is proud to sponsor a team of students from UTCN in the Greenpower Education Trust Race. The team will take part in the Norfolk Lotus heat at Hethel Race Track on 8th June 2019.
AMEL, Swifts’ manufacturing arm, has provided hardware for the car – the UTCN team worked closely with members of AMEL to design a number of glass fibre and carbon fibre parts for their race car. TWF Solutions, the marketing and design company within the group, has also liaised with the team and supplied car decals. Swift Technology Group is a keen advocate of STEM and several staff members are STEM Ambassadors. Helping to create engineers of the future is currently a main focus for the group, and with the need for a strong engineering workforce in the near future, facilitating these local students with careers in the sector, is a very real prospect. Swift Technology Group is a technology-focused group of companies working within STEM industries, providing ground-breaking innovative solutions predominately in Aviation, Renewables and Oil & Gas. The company has invested millions of pounds into Research and Development over the last decade and will soon see its two flagship products launched commercially. The group is based at Scottow Enterprise Park and will be increasing the workforce to over 100 in the next few years. Due to this expansion, the company is looking to the college as a potential supplier of local skilled engineers. UTCN is a technical college based in Norwich for 14 to 19 year olds. It provides practical skills-based learning and real-world experiences, backed up with a strong academic grounding. Its goal is simple: to provide students with the qualifications they need to go to university or take up skilled employment. With a focus on engineering, science and maths, it aims to help fill the skills-gap in these sectors. Entering into initiatives such as the Green Power Race is testament to this as it allows the students to show off their STEM and creative skills in a practical environment. Swift is working closely with the college on a number of initiatives and look forward to strengthening the relationship even further in the coming months. Green Power Education trust offers a unique challenge: to design, build and race an electric car. Teams of students aged between 9 and 25 from all over the world compete in events across the globe, with the final taking place at the UK’s Rockingham Motor Speedway. The goals of Swift are strongly aligned with UTCN and Greenpower; to inspire young people into STEM industries, unlock their potential and kick start lifelong careers. It’s therefore been a pleasure to work alongside these STEM advocates for this project. On a final note, everyone at Swift would like to wish the UTCN team good luck this weekend, it’s been a pleasure to meet you all and be part of this exciting project. We will provide an update next week and hope to report a win! Swift TG Attending UTCN Employer Led EventSwift Technology Group will be exhibiting at University Technical College Norfolk Employer-led event. The event will take place on 4th April 2019, from 4pm - 7pm. We hope you can come along and find out about what we have to offer. Click here for more information, and to order your tickets.  Europa Aircraft Head Office is moving to Scottow Enterprise Park in Norwich (formerly RAF Coltishall). The manufacturing arm of the company, AMEL, moved to the site in 2018 and this change will bring the entirety of the business under one roof once again. Please make note of the new postal address and telephone number. All email contacts remain unchanged as will the Europa team - Karen Pool, Europa Manager, is also relocating to facilitate this move.
Swift Technology Group Head Office is already based at Coltishall and it has become the hub for all our aviation activity, so it makes perfect sense for Europa to join the party. Hangar 2 was refurbished last year and has already led to substantial enough growth for us to expand into Hangar 3, with the refurbishment of this space close to completion. Planning permission is pending to open the runway, and more aviation activity will be forthcoming over the next few months – watch this space for more details. Helping to revive the British aviation industry has been a key goal of the company from the outset and being able to do this from a site with such historical aviation value is incredible. The transition of Europa is another key part of the continued growth of the Group, and we look forward to the prosperity the move will bring. There will be disruption to the usual Spares and Parts services over the next few weeks so we ask you to please bear with us during this time. We will do everything we can to prevent downtime, however, this will be an inevitable short-term downside. Please send any urgent queries to info@europa-aircraft.co.uk and we'll do everything we can to facilitate your request as quickly as we can. Please note that this will not affect technical support, which will be dealt with as usual by the Swift Aircraft Technical team. We’ll let you know as soon as usual business resumes, but in the meantime, we hope that you will share our excitement and look towards a positive future. Visit Swift AircraftSwift Aircraft is opening its doors to some special guests, find out more about this initiative, and details of how to apply on the Swift Aircraft website.
Please note that the Builder's Manual page has been updated. CBM 29T Landing Gear has been updated with a slight revision to the nosewheel bungee instructions.
All Europa customers can view this document in the dedicated Support Area - please login or register. If you require further information, please email technical@europa-aircraft.co.uk.  Europa Aircraft is celebrating its silver jubilee, 25 years after the flight of the first production aircraft. The company has launched a range of 25 Anniversary limited edition merchandise to mark the occasion, with promises of more Europa 25 initiatives throughout the year.
Europa Aircraft is one of the only light aircraft manufacturers in the UK today selling kits, parts, accessories and modifications to customers around the world, together with providing technical support for its current fleet. Boasting over a thousand kit plane sales worldwide with hundreds of completed aircraft flying in six continents, it’s no surprise that Europa Aircraft is cited as the UK's most successful kit plane company, and one of the most acclaimed kit plane companies in the world. The Europa, described as a ‘plane for all pilots’, is still one of the most popular kit planes available, due to the superlative performance of the finished aircraft. It has a very enthusiastic, loyal and supportive team behind it and a huge following, including the Europa Club, which has hundreds of members throughout the world. There have been many highs and lows over the last 25 years, but Europa’s story is a great one, with an amazing heritage and a positive future. The underlying mission, objectives and philosophies of Europa will never change, but Europa will continue to use innovation, new technology and feedback to ensure the Europa remains the number one composite kit plane of choice for self-build enthusiasts and pilots. The story of Europa Aircraft began in the 1990s; born from a dream to build a small aeroplane capable of quiet, comfortable, high speed, low cost touring. The basic concept was to produce an aircraft that made real flying affordable and possible. The original model, the Europa Classic, achieved all of its objectives. It was easily capable of being rigged and de-rigged by a crew of two, road transportable for home storage on a purpose-built trailer, able to use short, unprepared grass runways with STOL performance, economical to operate, fast, cost-effective, simple to construct, and easy to maintain and environmentally friendly. The Europa Classic sold in hundreds, making a firm impression on the kit plane industry, and in 1993, the first Europa built by a home constructor was airborne. It was exhibited outside the Department of Trade and Industry who had invested money into the fledgeling Europa Aircraft company. The Europa Classic was by now a strong contender in the self-build arena, however, it was the launch of the Europa XS that gained the company massive acclaim worldwide. The Europa XS was available in two versions – the Europa XS Monowheel and the Europa XS Trigear. It had pre-formed hollow wings, more streamlined cowling, extended tailwheel, enlarged baggage bay and a better-balanced spinner. These developments meant that the new Europa aeroplane still fulfilled the original objectives, but now offered extra speed, extra range, extra baggage space and extra comfort. It was also designed to reduce the build time and maximise the pleasure of the build process – developments that were welcomed by builders and pilots. The Europa XS was named one of the UK's Millennium Products. These products were chosen following a nationwide initiative run by the Design Council to identify and promote products and services demonstrating British business innovation. When Prime Minister Tony Blair unveiled the products in London, he said “The Millennium Products chosen today show the range of creativity and innovation in this country. These are world-beating designs that will help improve the quality of our lives in the next century” The Europa gained fame in the 15-part TV series, A Plane is Born, presented by Mark Evans and also made an appearance on the popular Children's TV show, Blue Peter gaining itself a prized Blue Peter badge in the process! Soon after, Europa launched the Europa Motor Glider for those pilots who like to fly with their engines switched off – most impressively, the glider wings can be interchanged with the wings on the Europa XS Monowheel and Trigear, providing even more choice for the Europa customer. Unfortunately, by 2004, it looked like the dream was over – changes in ownership and management together with changes in the industry, had caused turmoil within the company and it was on the brink of closure. However, in 2008 Swift Technology Group, a company dedicated to the revival of the UK's aviation industry saved the day and acquired the company and its manufacturing arm, AMEL. The Swift Technology Group takeover caused excitement in the industry as it developed plans for further enhancements to existing design, modifications to the existing Europa XS for the LSA market, development of a brand-new plane and finalisation of Motorglider testing. Europa Aircraft HQ is now based at Wombleton Airfield, with AMEL based at Scottow Enterprise Park (formerly RAF Coltishall) – both of these locations have undergone renovation and refurbishment as part of the Group’s dedication to restoring aviation heritage in the UK. Europa will be making some exciting announcements in the next few months, so let the celebrations commence! Welcome to our new website, we hope you like it. If you would like access to the old news stories, please email marketing@europa-aircraft.co.uk.
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