Comper Streak
title: "Comper Streak" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1930s-british-aircraft", "racing-aircraft", "comper-aircraft", "aircraft-first-flown-in-1934", "low-wing-aircraft", "single-engined-tractor-aircraft"] topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comper_Streak" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox aircraft"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Streak |
| image | Comper Streak photo L'Aerophile June 1934.jpg |
| aircraft_type | Single-seat racing aircraft |
| national_origin | United Kingdom |
| manufacturer | Comper Aircraft Company |
| designer | Nicholas Comper |
| primary_user | 1 |
| first_flight | 12 April 1934 |
| :: |
| name = Streak | logo = | logo_size = | image = Comper Streak photo L'Aerophile June 1934.jpg | alt = | caption = | long_caption = | other_names = | aircraft_type = Single-seat racing aircraft | aim = | outcome = | related = | national_origin = United Kingdom | manufacturer = Comper Aircraft Company | design_group = | designer = Nicholas Comper | builder = | issuer = | status = | owners = | primary_user = 1 | more_users = | service = | major_applications = | proposals = | prototypes = | number_built = | construction_number = | civil_registration = | military_serial = | radio_code = | requirement = | aircraft_carried = | flights = | total_hours = | total_distance = | construction_date = | introduction = | retired = | first_flight = 12 April 1934 | initiated = | in_service = | last_flight = | expected = | developed_from = | variants = | developed_into = | preservation = | fate = | predecessors = | successors = | concluded = The Comper Streak was a single-engined, single-seat racing monoplane built in the UK in the mid-1930s. It was not successful as a racer and only one was produced.
Development
The Comper Aircraft Company's first product, the high wing single-seat Comper Swift sold quite well and had some race success. Their second, the low wing three-seat Mouse was a lone aircraft that won no races. Nicholas Comper had always hoped for wins in prestigious air races and the low wing, single-seat Streak was built to that end. It had a fuselage based on the Swift and its wings were scaled down versions of those of the Mouse.
Originally the Streak was intended to compete in the Portsmouth International Races of 1933 but, owing to political and economic problems of the time, these were not held. So, instead, the Streak was entered into the 1934 competition for the Deutsch de la Muerthe Cup. This determined the choice of engine, as the competition rules set a limiting capacity of 8 litres, though supercharging was allowed. Comper's choice for the Streak was a special high-compression 146 hp (109 kW) de Havilland Gipsy Major, a 6.1 litre, normally aspirated engine which left the Streak short of power compared with his competitors from France. He got through the first round at an average speed of about 187 mph (300 km/h), but was forced to drop out with undercarriage retraction problems; but the winner averaged 244 mph (393 km/h), so the Streak, the only non-French entry, was outclassed.
The wings of the Streak were built up around a pair of spruce and plywood box section spars, carrying three-ply and spruce ribs and skinned with stressed three-ply sheet. They were gently tapering in plan with rounded tips. There was 5° dihedral outboard, but none on the centre section. Mass balanced ailerons filled more than half of the trailing edge. The mass balances, not fitted for the initial flights, were conspicuously mounted on extended upward arms from near the aileron root. The tailplane and split elevators were also of spruce and plywood, but fabric covered. The rounded fin and rudder, though fabric covered had a steel tube structure. Like the elevators, the rudder was not horn balanced; it extended to the bottom of the fuselage, operating in a cut-out between the elevators.
The rectangular cross-section fuselage consisted of four spruce Warren girders, fabric covered behind the engine. The cockpit was at the trailing edge of the wing and behind there was a deep, rounded fabric covered decking. In front of the cockpit the decking was continued in aluminium, enclosing the fuel tank. Forward of this and beyond a firewall, the inverted in-line engine was mounted on a frame of square section steel members. It drove a two bladed metal propeller. Comper was an early adopter of retractable undercarriages for light aircraft at a time when the balance of advantage between drag loss and weight penalty was not obvious. The main wheels of the Streak were mounted at the end of the wing centre section, each between pairs of compression legs. Pairs of cross braced struts, joining the legs a little way above the axle and hinged at top and bottom, rotated to retract the wheels rearwards. In common with many aircraft of the time, the retracted undercarriage left a part of the wheel exposed, to give some protection in a wheels up landing. The wheels, which had brakes, were retracted manually via a heavily geared down, bicycle chain drive. At the rear there was a simple, sprung tailskid.
The Streak first flew on 12 April 1934 with Comper at the controls. Apart from aileron flutter at speed, cured by installing the mass balances, the sole Streak, registered G-ACNC flew well enough, but made no impression in the King's Cup races of 1934 and 1935. On both occasions the Streak had to retire early. Its average speed in these races was about 175 mph (280 km/h). Comper Aircraft ceased trading in August 1934 and by the time of the 1935 race their affairs were in the hands of the Heston Aircraft Company, who had their own designs. The Streak was scrapped at Heston in 1937.
Specifications
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Comper_Streak_3-view_NACA-AC-194.png" caption="Comper Streak 3-view drawing from NACA-AC-194"] ::
|ref=Flight 19 April 1934 p.378-9 |prime units?=imp General characteristics
|genhide=
|crew=1 |capacity= |length m= |length ft=18 |length in=0 |length note= |span m= |span ft=23 |span in=6 |span note= |upper span m= |upper span ft= |upper span in= |upper span note= |mid span m= |mid span ft= |mid span in= |mid span note= |lower span m= |lower span ft= |lower span in= |lower span note= |swept m= |swept ft= |swept in= |swept note= |dia m= |dia ft= |dia in= |dia note= |width m= |width ft= |width in= |width note= |height m= |height ft=5 |height in=9 |height note= |wing area sqm= |wing area sqft=80 |wing area note= |swept area sqm= |swept area sqft= |swept area note= |volume m3= |volume ft3= |volume note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil=RAF 34 |empty weight kg= |empty weight lb=880 |empty weight note= |gross weight kg= |gross weight lb=1429 |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight kg= |max takeoff weight lb= |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity= |lift kg= |lift lb= |lift note= |more general= Powerplant
|eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=de Havilland Gipsy Major |eng1 type=4-cylinder air cooled in-line inverted piston engine; a special high compression version |eng1 kw= |eng1 hp=146 |eng1 kn= |eng1 lbf= |eng1 note= |power original= |thrust original= |eng1 kn-ab= |eng1 lbf-ab=
|eng2 number= |eng2 name= |eng2 type= |eng2 kw= |eng2 hp= |eng2 kn= |eng2 lbf= |eng2 note= |eng2 kn-ab= |eng2 lbf-ab=
|eng3 number= |eng3 name= |eng3 type= |eng3 kw= |eng3 hp= |eng3 kn= |eng3 lbf= |eng3 note= |eng3 kn-ab= |eng3 lbf-ab= |more power=
|prop blade number= |prop name= |prop dia m= |prop dia ft= |prop dia in= |prop note=
|rot number= |rot dia m= |rot dia ft= |rot dia in= |rot area sqm= |rot area sqft= |rot area note= Performance
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh= |max speed mph=175 |max speed kts= |max speed note= estimate, see race speeds |max speed mach= |cruise speed kmh= |cruise speed mph= |cruise speed kts= |cruise speed note= |stall speed kmh= |stall speed mph= |stall speed kts= |stall speed note= |never exceed speed kmh= |never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed kts= |never exceed speed note= |minimum control speed kmh= |minimum control speed mph= |minimum control speed kts= |minimum control speed note= |range km= |range miles= |range nmi= |range note= |combat range km= |combat range miles= |combat range nmi= |combat range note= |ferry range km= |ferry range miles= |ferry range nmi= |ferry range note= |endurance= |ceiling m= |ceiling ft= |ceiling note= |g limits= |roll rate= |glide ratio= |climb rate ms= |climb rate ftmin= |climb rate note= |time to altitude= |sink rate ms= |sink rate ftmin= |sink rate note= |lift to drag= |wing loading kg/m2= |wing loading lb/sqft= |wing loading note= |disk loading kg/m2= |disk loading lb/sqft= |disk loading note=
|power/mass= |thrust/weight=
|more performance= Armament
|armament= |guns= |bombs= |rockets= |missiles= |hardpoints= |hardpoint capacity= |hardpoint rockets= |hardpoint missiles= |hardpoint bombs= |hardpoint other=
|avionics= |see also= |related= |similar aircraft= |lists=
Notes
Citations
Cited sources
References
- {{harvnb. Ord-Hume. 2000
- {{harvnb. Ord-Hume. 2000
- [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1934/1934%20-%200377.html ''Flight'' 19 April 1934 p.377-81]
- [http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=60&pagetype=65&appid=1&mode=detailnosummary&fullregmark=ACNC Registration documents for ''G-ACNC'']
- {{harvnb. Jackson. 1959
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