Beagle Basset 206

Dave Eyles brightens up his display cabinet by building a handsome, twin-engine light executive plane from the Airfix Vintage Classics range

This month we build another kit from the Airfix Vintage Classics range, the diminutive Beagle Basset 206 in 1:72 scale. This handsome plane was a twin-engine light executive transport and military communications aircraft built by Beagle Aircraft Limited at its Shoreham-by-Sea base in West Sussex and held the potential of being a huge global success. However, for several reasons, it would only be built in relatively small numbers.

With the aircraft’s wide cabin capturing the attention of the RAF, the Basset entered a fly-off competition with the de Havilland Devon in March 1963 to assess which aircraft would be the successor to the venerable Avro Anson, with the Basset emerging victorious and attracting an initial order for 20 aircraft.

In RAF service, the Beagle B206R was designated Basset CC1, with the first aircraft reaching RAF communications squadrons during May 1965.