01/31/2020. Remarks by
Walter van Tilborg: "During the 1950s/1960s René Damoure was chief pilot of the Aéro-Club d'Agen in the south-west of France, and in that capacity coordinated the construction of several Jodel type sport aircraft. In cooperation with fellow club members Jean Fabre and Léon Lacroix he then embarked on the design and construction of an original two-seater designated the DFL-6 Saphir.
Under the provisional registration F-WJGQ, and powered by a 90 hp Continental C90-C14 engine, the aircraft was first flown on March 21, 1960.
(F-PJGQ) (
Ron Smith Collection)
After certification the aircraft was registered to Damoure and Fabre as F-PJGQ on May 31, 1960.
Hard top canopy (F-PJGQ) (
Walter van Tilborg Memorial Collection)
In original form F-PJGQ had an all-clear cockpit canopy, at a later stage the aircraft received a hard top canopy. The streamlined wheel covers were later usually not fitted.
A second example was completed in 1968 with Fabre being involved in the construction. This second aircraft, registered to Jean Fabre as F-PPPG (c/n 02) on May 16, 1968, was also fitted with a C90 engine and featured the hard top canopy from the outset. Externally it differed from the first aircraft in having a recontoured vertical tail with a squared top and side window styles. For a third Saphir the registration F-PRIV (c/n 3) was reserved by an André Durand, but this aircraft was never built or completed. Both completed aircraft are no longer registered."
