G-SEXY, SAHG's AA-1 Yankee

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The American Aviation AA-1 Yankee

Jim Bede, the prolific designer of American innovative light aircraft designed the BD-1 as a straightforward low wing, tricycle undercarriage, single-engined light aircraft seating two people in a side-by-side cockpit. This low cost trainer was intended to complete with the Cessna 150 and Piper Cherokee 140. Bede flew a prototype N6248D on 11th July 1963, but failed to take the project into production.

During 1964, the American Aviation Corporation was formed to bring new life to the promising BD-1 design. The prototype AA-1 Yankee, N888M, first flew on 2nd March 1967. The AA-1 was a little larger than the original BD-1 with a more powerful 115 hp Lycoming 0-235-C2C engine. It made use of metal-to-metal bonding of components, which was a technique not previously used to any great degree in general aviation aircraft. Also, the construction used a large amount of high-strength aluminium honeycomb material within the fuselage structure and fibreglass in the undercarriage legs.

The type went into production at Cuyahoga County Airport, Cleveland, Ohio. In all production of the AA-1 Yankee totalled 461 units plus the prototype. A further 680 Trainers and 211 Lynx were built.

The AA-1 Yankee design was progressively developed into the AA-1B Trainer, and AA-1C Lynx. The initial 4-seater variant was the AA-2 Patriot flown in February 1970. However the production 4-seaters were the AA-5 Traveller introduced in 1971, the AA-5A Cheetah and AA-5B Tiger.

The Grumman American Aviation Corp bought 80% of American Aviation in January 1973. In 1976 Grumman American moved production south to Savanna, Georgia. During 1978 Grumman’s interest was bought out by American Jet Industries to form Gulfstream America Corp who continued production only until late 1979, by which time 4879 aircraft had been produced: 1822 AA-1 series, 3054 AA-5 series and 3 prototypes.

If researching the history of one of these aircraft, be aware that the construction number sequence starts at 0001 for each sub type. For example aircraft C/no. 442 could be AA1-0442, AA1A-0442, AA5-0442, AA5A-0442 or AA5B-0442!


Adapted from an entry in ‘General Aviation Handbook Vol. II’ R.W.Simpson 1982.

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G-SEXY
American Aviation AA-1 Yankee.

An airframe history put together by Brian Jones.

The American Aviation Corporation at Cuyahoga County Airport, Cleveland, Ohio, built this particular aircraft in 1970. It was Constructors number AA1-0442, indicating the 442nd AA-1 Yankee of the 461 of this variant built. One of a batch of three aircraft shipped to a dealer in the UK during summer 1970. The engine fitted was a Lycoming O-235-C2C, with a notified Max Take-Off Weight of 680kg.

Registered G-AYLM with the C.A.A. on 21.10.70 to General Aviation Sales Ltd of Jersey, but also based at Leavesden near London. First Certificate of Airworthness not issued until 5.7.71. Soon after was sold and ownership changed to Arthur Cansick 28.10.71, with the aircraft based at Bodmin. However it did not remain long in Cornwall; on 11.9.72 ownership was changed to Eastern Aviation Ltd at Sherburn-in-Elmet near Leeds and later moved to Doncaster Airfield. A further change of ownership took place autumn 1975, but was not notified until 6.5.76 to Terence Birtles of Sheffield, but based at Sturgate, Lincolnshire. A further ownership change on 19.10.79 to a Stoke-on-Trent based partnership of Graham Thompson, Maurice White & John Hancox, with the aircraft based at East Midlands Airport.

With the next change of owners, the aircraft was re-registered on 30.6.81 with an out-of-sequence registration, G-SEXY, to Wayne Davies and based at Cardiff. On 28.11.89 ownership was changed to the Glamorgan Flying Club, also at Cardiff/Rhoose. The next registered owners, for around 5 months, were a leasing and finance company with a Maidenhead address.

After a number of years in South Wales, the next owner, notified 31.8.90 was Henry Morris, who brought the aircraft to the North West and based it at RAF Woodvale aerodrome. On 31.12.92 the total flying time is recorded as 1,159 hours. After purchase by Ian Kenyon, G-SEXY was delivered from Woodvale to Liverpool Airport 5.12.93, with the official change of ownership being recorded 10.2.94

Flying from Liverpool was short-lived, as on 10th February 1994 the aircraft was written off in a forced landing at Burscough, while en route from Liverpool to Woodvale. The forced landing tore off the undercarriage and everything forward of the firewall. The wreck was brought back to Liverpool and stored, dismantled in the Keenair hangar No.4 on the North airfield. Although a rebuild was contemplated, the aircraft was beyond economic repair to fly again, so during the summer of 1996 the airframe, now with no heavy engine upfront, was adapted with a tail wheel fitted to cater for the changed centre of gravity and mounted on a trailer. Painted in the blue and white colours of Liverpool Flying School with the Liverbird logo on the tail, it served as an occasional travelling publicity exhibit, moving with LFS in 2000 into their new hangar on the South Airfield.

Around October ’05, acquired by Roy Coates an aircraft enthusiast, restorer of a Hawker Sea Hawk fighter cockpit section and much involved in the Jetstream Club and their Jetstream 41 aircraft. Moved onto the former apron in front of the Marriott Hotel, alongside their Jetstream 41 and displayed at the ‘Jetstream Club’ open day events in 2006, 2007 and 2008. The cockpit canopy was damaged sometime 2008/2009, with a replacement impossible to find (other than at great cost) the aircraft is currently (summer 2011) dismantled and stored on the apron of the Crowne Plaza Hotel beside the Portacabins used by SAHG, Speke Airport Heritage Group, while concentrating on restoring their Prince G-AMLZ. Although occasionally moved around she remains dismantled behind the Group's storage containers in 2021.

I can find no reference in our visitor logs of this aircraft visiting Liverpool while G-AYLM, although others imported in the same batch G-AYLN, G-AYLO and G-AYLP all visited, some quite frequently in the 70s. It would appear that she has visited Liverpool only as G-SEXY.

Note: majority of dates quoted are CAA paper-work dates, so can be weeks, even months, sometime years after the actual hand-over delivery.
Compiled using information from Air Britain News, North West Air News magazines and www.caa.co.uk/GINFO.

[Cityflyer]

An Image


As a footnote I have only flown 1 AA-1 "Lynx" G-BEXN in the 1980'S @ Prestwick.

It fule gauges being Plastic Pipes in the Cockpit, with Fuel in them was quite disconcerting!

A'h Happy Days