Chris-Tena Minicoupe

Blatchford Minicoupe

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Built by Blatchford, first flown in 1975.

I asked Ron Dixon how best to list the Minicoupe in the alphabetical index. Ron Dixon responded as follows:

"(These airplanes) are best known as "Chris-Tena" but actually about 1977 Bill Johnson (the original kit supplier) lost the right to use the name and changed it to "Sport International". The FAA usually prefaces MiniCoupe with the builders name,(i.e. "Dixon MiniCoupe") because the builder is the manufacturer even though Sport International provided the kit. It would probably be more accurate to list them as "MiniCoupe". Buck Sport Aviation ended up with the rights to produce the kit, but never sold any and is long gone. The MiniCoupe was the first of the "modern era" complete airplane material kits. There were at least 125 kits sold, but I do not know how many were finished and flown. It is a great little airplane."


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Built by Blatchford, first flown in 1975. I asked Ron Dixon how best to list the Minicoupe in the alphabetical index. Ron Dixon responded as follows: "(These airplanes) are best known as "Chris-Tena" but actually about 1977 Bill Johnson (the original kit supplier) lost the right to use the name and changed it to "Sport International". The FAA usually prefaces MiniCoupe with the builders name,(i.e. "Dixon MiniCoupe") because the builder is the manufacturer even though Sport International provided the kit. It would probably be more accurate to list them as "MiniCoupe". Buck Sport Aviation ended up with the rights to produce the kit, but never sold any and is long gone. The MiniCoupe was the first of the "modern era" complete airplane material kits. There were at least 125 kits sold, but I do not know how many were finished and flown. It is a great little airplane."