By knowing the history you will know the significance of the long range England to Hong Kong cross-country flight

by the Chin Brothers.

The Beagle Aircraft Ltd designed the all metal Beagle-Pup light aircraft in 1967. A total of 200 were built and the one the Chin Brothers bought was the 14^th aeroplane rolled off the production line. The Beagle-Pup has a Rolls Royce engine similar in engine capacity to a Porsche Boxster but was sold like a saloon car for only 3,495 Sterling Pounds. The aircraft's inexpensive price, light and positive handling characteristics and excellent responsive performance made it one of the most enjoyable and rewarding machines to fly of its day. And it was capable of performing aerobatic manoeuvres. These factors, combined with its inborn safety and stability, should have created a strong demand for the type from air forces, flying schools both in the UK and worldwide.  Unfortunately, the manufacturer ran into financial difficulty and unable to obtain help from governments or air forces. The basic trainers of the air forces at that time were the antiquated fleet of canvas winged WWII and WWI Auster, Chipmunk and Tiger Moth trainers. These old aircraft were about to be replaced by a new fleet. It was very  obvious that the Beagle was the best basic trainer at that time. If only large orders were received from air forces, the manufacturer would have been saved from bankruptcy. Matters became even worse as many owners and flying schools started to sell and flooded the market with their used Beagle-Pups. Finally the Beagle Aircraft Ltd. passed into receivership ending the production of the Beagle Pup series.

Knowing that the Beagle-Pup is the best light aircraft at that time and should not be treated with such predicament, the Chin Brothers decided to save the aircraft by flying one from England to Hong Kong to prove its worth and reliability. With a meager 24-gallon fuel tank giving a range of only 485 miles at 96 mph at 6,000 feet it was difficult at surface value to imagine how this midget airplane could climb over 10,016-feet mountains, flew through wide deserts and oceans to complete the 18,239-miles ordeal from England to Hong Kong; plus the terrible hazard that one had to fly through the rocket fires and bullets of the Israeli-Arab War, the Vietnam War, the Indian-Pakistan War and the Cold War. However their successful flight, which was reported world-wide by newspapers from Scandinavia, Europe, Africa, and Japan to USA as well as published by the Readers' Digest in 14 languages, have proved the Beagle design and the excellent performance and reliability of the aircraft. Later Scottish Aviation took over the product support and sale of the Beagle Pup in its military version the Bulldog with a clear perplex  bubble canopy and a larger engine for sale to air forces world-wide.
The following chronological data will show you the significant orders from the air forces after 1971  and explain why the Beagle Aircraft Ltd. could have been saved by timely large orders from air forces as all  banks will be willing to offer loans in view of  big air force orders !
To everyone's big surprise the Swedish Air Force was the first White Knight to adopt the Bulldog as its standard basic trainer aircraft, and  the RAF was the biggest buyer in the history of the Bulldog.  Even the tiny territory of  Hong Kong bought 2 Bulldogs to replace its US-made Beech Musketeer trainers for the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force in 1977.

Very few people know the little secret that "Beagle" is not referred to a kind of  famous hunting dog. It is the short form for British Executive and General Aviation Aircraft Ltd.