Beagle B . 206 The Beagle B . 206 is a 1960s British seven - seat twin - engined liaison and communication aircraft built by Beagle Aircraft Limited at Shoreham Airport and Rearsby Aerodrome . Design and development . The design of a twin - engined light transport began in 1960 and the prototype registered " G - ARRM " ( designated the B . 206X ) first flew from Shoreham Airport , West Sussex on 15 August 1961 . The prototype aircraft was a five - seat all metal low - wing monoplane powered by two Continental flat - six engines . Owned since 1990 by Brooklands Museum and recently restored by volunteers at Shoreham Airport , this historic aeroplane is now on loan to the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust Museum at Farnborough , Hampshire , arriving there by road on 10 December 2011 . The second prototype ( registered " G - ARXM " and designated B . 206Y ) was slightly larger with a larger span wing and seating for seven . Two aircraft were built for evaluation by the Ministry of Aviation at Boscombe Down and an order for twenty aircraft for the Royal Air Force followed . The RAF aircraft were designated Basset CC . 1 and were built at Rearsby Aerodrome , Leicestershire . A Series 2 aircraft ( a converted Series 1 , " G - ASMK " ) with 340 hp Continental turbocharged engines first flew on 23 June 1965 . The production Series 2 ( initially known as the B . 206S ) was also fitted with a large freight door . The aircraft was soon in demand with air taxi companies and as a light transport for companies . Three aircraft were delivered to the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Australia . A Series 3 was developed with a raised rear fuselage to carry 10 - passengers but only two were converted from Series 2 airframes ( G - 35 - 28 c / n B . 074 and G - AWLN , c / n B . 080 ) and the former was later re - converted back to a Series 2 . When the company needed the room at Rearsby to build the Beagle Pup , production of the B . 206 ended with the 80th aircraft . Operational history . The first deliveries to RAF communications squadrons was made in May 1965 . It was powered by two Rolls - Royce / Continental GIO - 470 six cylinder horizontally - opposed engines giving it a maximum speed of 220 mph and a range of 1 , 645 miles . Up to eight persons could be carried . A competition was held at RAF Northolt in March 1963 between the B . 206 and the de Havilland Devon for an aircraft to replace the Avro Anson , resulting in 20 Bassets being ordered for the RAF . The Northolt aircraft were originally based at RAF Bovingdon near Watford , Hertfordshire with the Southern Communications Squadron until the ' SCS ' moved to Northolt and became 207 Squadron on 4 February 1969 . Another squadron , the Northern Communications Squadron , operated Bassets from RAF Topcliffe near Thirsk in North Yorkshire , later becoming 26 Squadron at RAF Wyton . Most aircraft were removed from RAF service on 2 May 1974 and sold for civil use . The first civil ordered aircraft ( a Series 1 registered " G - ASWJ " ) was delivered in May 1965 to Rolls - Royce Limited at Hucknall . An unusual use for one of the first aircraft registered " G - ATHO " which was bought by Maidenhead Organ Studios Limited for transporting electronic organs . The type was sold to and operated by civilian firms and individuals in several countries including Australia , Brazil and the United States . Bassets were sold after RAF service to Paraguay .