Landray GL.03
The Landray GL.03 Pouss Pou was a small French pusher aircraft from the early 1980s, designed by Gilbert Landray. Only one was built, though it was significantly modified over time.
Design and concept
- It followed the Mignet Pou-du-Ciel idea, using a forward wing to control pitch by changing its angle of incidence. The forward wing was mounted on four pivots, linked to the cockpit controls.
- There were no ailerons. The rear wing carried twin, straight-edged fins with rudders for yaw control.
- The aircraft had a wood frame with fabric covering and a fixed tricycle undercarriage.
- It was a tandem configuration with the engine mounted in the center of the rear wing, initially a 30 kW (40 hp) Citroën GS612 four-cylinder engine. The final design allowed enough clearance for the propeller behind the rear wing.
Wings and cockpit
- The GL.03 used wings that were originally similar to those on the GL.02, but after testing the wings were redesigned to have nearly equal spans.
- The single-seat cockpit was placed close to the nose and covered by a side-hinged canopy. A second seat was planned, but the power was not enough to lift two adults.
Operational history
- The first flight was in August 1980, and it received its Certificate of Airworthiness on 21 July 1981.
- It competed in the 1981 RSA rally and won the SFACT Cup.
- The GL.03 was later developed into the two-seat GL.31, which used a more powerful engine (37 kW/50 hp) and a larger wing, and featured a forward wing supported by inverted-V struts. Wheel spats were added, and a second cockpit could be enclosed under a separate canopy.
Later developments and fate
- The Pouss Pou was eventually re‑engined with a Rotax flat-twin engine, but it was damaged in a landing accident at Libourne.
- It remained on the French civil aircraft register in 2014.
In short, the GL.03 was a one-off, wood-framed pusher with tandem wings and a unique wing-incidence control system, which paved the way for the larger two-seat GL.31 but ended after an accident and subsequent re-engining.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 02:25 (CET).