A spectacular aerobatic aircraft, which passed airworthiness tests at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre with Boeing, has been put through its paces (week commencing Aug 22 2016) at the world's largest recreational aviation, experimental aircraft and aeronautics airshow.

The GB1 GameBird was the first fixed wing, light aircraft to undergo a full airworthiness test in the UK for more than 30 years.

It took to the air in the skies above Wisconsin, in the USA, at the EAA AirVenture annual airshow, which is attended by more than 550,000 enthusiasts from 80 countries.

The two-seater GB1 was developed by Lincolnshire-based Game Composites and designed to carry out complex manoeuvres in aerobatic competitions or simply be flown for fun.

Although GB1 was designed and built in the UK, it looked as though it would have to undergo full airworthiness testing in the Czech Republic until Phil Spiers, who heads the AMRC's Advanced Structural Testing Centre (ASTC), became aware of the project.

He was determined that an aerobatic aircraft being built within 60 miles of the AMRC ought to be tested in the UK, and sure his team had the skills and experience to help Game get its aircraft approved as quickly as possible.

The Centre built a special test rig which allowed it to carry out damage tolerance and fatigue tests at an ultimate load 19 times that exerted by gravity at 72