Mudry CAP 10 / 20 / 230 / 231 / 232

The Mudry CAP family is the French answer to aerobatic excellence — a lineage of wood-and-composite machines that dominated World Aerobatic Championships in the late 1980s and 1990s and produced one of Europe's most revered two-seat aerobatic trainers. Designer and entrepreneur Auguste Mudry (1917–2006) founded the Mudry company lineage (Centre Aeronautique Apprach, then CAARP, then Avions Mudry at Bernay in Normandy in 1978, later acquired as Apex Aircraft / CAP Aviation) and built a single product line around the "CAP" (Constructions Aéronautiques Parisiennes) name that Piel had originally used.

The CAP 10 (first flight 1968, certified 1970) is a side-by-side two-seat low-wing wooden aerobatic trainer powered by a 180 hp Lycoming AEIO-360. It became the standard aerobatic trainer of the French Armée de l'Air (as the EAC 00.315 training squadron at Cognac) and for ENAC, with civil sales across Europe, Mexico, Brazil and a modest US presence. Over 280 were built across CAP 10B, 10C (carbon sandwich spar) and other sub-variants.

The single-seat competition line began with the CAP 20 (1969), a bigger, stronger solo version with a 200 hp engine, followed by the lighter CAP 21 (1980) with a new laminar wing. The CAP 230 (1985) stretched the CAP 21 airframe and dropped in a 300 hp Lycoming AEIO-540 — instantly turning the line into a World Unlimited contender. The CAP 231 (1990) refined the formula and won the 1990 World Aerobatic Championship with Claude Bessière. The CAP 231EX introduced an Extra-style composite wing. The final CAP 232 (1994–2007) combined the steel-tube/wood fuselage with a fully carbon-fiber wing, producing roll rates in excess of 420°/sec and climb rates over 3,300 fpm. CAP 232s won multiple World and European Unlimited titles in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Production ceased in 2007 when Apex Aircraft went bankrupt. There is no current OEM, though CAP Aviation (a successor support organization in France) continues type-certificate support and parts supply for European operators. For US buyers, the family is a niche but respected import — the CAP 10 trades like a premium Citabria-class trainer, while a CAP 232 sits in Extra 300 territory.

See also: aviat-pitts-s1-s2, extra-300, xtreme-sbach-342, aerobatics.

CAP 10B real-world cruise is about 129 KTAS at 75% — genuinely faster than a Citabria or Decathlon and competitive with a Pitts S-2 for cross-country work. The fixed-pitch wooden Hoffmann prop is efficient but limits climb performance slightly compared to constant-speed conversions. Roll rate is modest by competition standards (roughly 180°/sec) but crisp and honest; the airplane is famously docile in the stall and recovers from spins cleanly, which is why it was adopted as a primary military aerobatic trainer.

CAP 232 performance is in a completely different class. With 300 hp pulling an 1,300 lb empty airframe, vertical penetration is effectively unlimited for any sequence, and the carbon wing delivers more than 420°/sec roll rate — on par with Extra 300 and Sbach ships. Cruise is approximately 174 KTAS (200 mph) with 55 US gal usable and a ~650 nm range if you can tolerate the single-seat cockpit for that long. Climb routinely exceeds 3,300 fpm.

The CAP 230/231/232 single-seaters are cleared to ±10 G — the same envelope as Extra, Sukhoi Su-26/29/31, and modern Unlimited machines.

CAP 10B (useful load 498 lb):

• Two 180 lb pilots = 360 lb → 138 lb available for fuel = 23 gal max (exceeds standard 19 gal tank capacity). Full fuel + 2 pilots feasible within aerobatic MTOW.
• With auxiliary tank (39 gal total) and two 180 lb pilots, the aircraft is fuel-limited to ~30 gal for aerobatic ops (1,666 lb MTOW), non-aerobatic utility MTOW (1,829 lb) allows full fuel + full seats.
• Range at 2-up, 30 gal, 10 gph: ~3 hours / 380 nm with reserves. Cross-country feasible for short legs, but no baggage room.

CAP 232 (single-seat, ~500 lb useful):

• 180 lb pilot + 55 gal fuel (330 lb) = 510 lb payload, right at limit.
• Range at ~15 gph and 174 KTAS is ~640 nm — but sitting in a competition cockpit for 3.5 hours is a test of endurance.

• Aerobatics (9) — Core purpose. CAP 10B is a world-class two-seat aerobatic trainer for Sportsman to Advanced category work. CAP 232 is a genuine Unlimited competition aircraft with World Championship pedigree. Only reason it isn't a 10 is that the ultimate modern mounts (Extra 330SC, MXS) and the Sbach 342 edge it in snap authority and tumble energy. See aerobatics.
• Local Fun Flying (8) — Canopy visibility, light controls, and French aesthetic make the CAP 10 one of the most enjoyable "Sunday morning" aerobatic hacks in existence. Side-by-side seating is rare in aerobatic aircraft and makes it an excellent companion machine.
• Flight Training (5) — CAP 10 excels as an aerobatic and upset-recovery trainer but is overkill and expensive as a primary trainer. Many European flight schools use it for spin/upset endorsements.
• Cross-Country (3) — CAP 10B has tolerable range (647 nm) and side-by-side comfort, but 19 gal standard fuel and limited baggage cap real utility. CAP 232 single-seaters are strictly short-hop.
• Business / Cargo / Backcountry / Surveying (1) — No utility role. Not IFR, minimal baggage, taildragger on narrow gear.

The CAP family is VFR-day aerobatic from the factory. Typical CAP 10B panels have a basic six-pack, a Mode C transponder, one nav/com (often a King KX-155), and a G-meter. Many CAP 10Cs left the factory with a Garmin GNS 430 and GTX 327. Modern refurbishments commonly add a Garmin G5 or Dynon D3 portable AI, a GTN 650 slide-in replacement, and a GTX 335 ADS-B Out transponder. See avionics-pricing.

CAP 231/232 competition panels are intentionally minimalist: G-meter, digital tach, CHT/EGT, a small GPS, and a single nav/com. Competition ships strip everything non-essential for weight.

• CAP 10B → 10C wing spar retrofit — Composite carbon-sandwich wing spar to supersede the wood spar AD (see ADs below). Significant cost (€50,000+) but restores full aerobatic utility and resolves repetitive inspection burden.
• Hoffmann HO-V72 prop — Standard wooden fixed-pitch; some operators install metal fixed-pitch for durability.
• Smoke system — Common airshow addition on both CAP 10 and CAP 232.
• Long-range tank — Auxiliary 20 US gal tank doubles CAP 10 range.
• Canopy upgrades — Bubble-canopy improvements on later CAP 10s.

• Parts availability: fair. CAP Aviation in France continues to stock and manufacture airframe parts, wood fittings, and canopies for European operators, but shipping to the US is slow and expensive. AEIO-360 and AEIO-540 engine parts are universally available via Lycoming.
• Mechanic familiarity: specialist. Finding an A&P/IA in the US who has seen a CAP 10 is uncommon outside California, Texas, and Florida aerobatic communities. Wood structure experience is effectively mandatory — many shops will decline the work.
• Annual cost: Typically $12,000–$25,000 for a CAP 10B depending on spar AD cycle and fabric condition. CAP 232 annuals run $15,000–$30,000 with carbon wing inspections.
• Expensive items: Wing spar inspection/repair, fabric recovering, canopy replacement (single-piece, sourced from France), AEIO-540 overhaul (~$65,000).
• Type club: CAP Owners / Mudry Association provides parts sourcing and tribal knowledge.

See maintenance-ecosystem.

See valuation-methodology for general framework.

CAP 10B price tiers (US market, 2025):

• $90k–$130k — High-time airframe, run-out or mid-time AEIO-360, unresolved spar AD compliance burden, basic VFR panel.
• $130k–$180k — Mid-time engine, current on all spar ADs, refreshed fabric/paint, basic IFR-capable nav/com.
• $180k–$220k — Low-time engine, documented hangar history, modern avionics (GTN + G5), freshly complied ADs.
• $220k+ — CAP 10C (composite spar), low time, turnkey.

CAP 231/232 price tiers:

• $150k–$200k — Higher-time CAP 231 or early CAP 232, mid-time engine.
• $200k–$300k — Turnkey CAP 232 with mid-to-low time engine and competition history.
• $300k–$450k — Exceptional CAP 232 with documented World competition provenance, low airframe hours, fresh engine.

Engine time on the AEIO-540 is the single largest value driver on the 231/232. Roll rate authority of the carbon wing is preserved indefinitely if the airframe has been maintained properly. See maintenance-ecosystem.

The CAP 10 wooden wing spar has a long and significant AD history driven by the French DGAC (now EASA), mirrored by FAA:

• AD 98-12-10 — Install inspection panels and perform repetitive wing spar inspections for cracks on upper and lower spar surfaces. Cracking was traced to over-G events, snap rolls outside the envelope, and hard landings.
• FAA AD 2003-03-XX (EASA equivalent) — Expanded inspection method after additional fractures were found that the 98-12-10 procedure missed.
• AD 2007/2008 cycle — Additional repetitive inspection of the wooden center block of the spar after cracks from wood drying were discovered.
• AD 2010-27-XX — Further superseding AD on wing spar inspection.

The upshot: any pre-buy of a CAP 10 must include a current wing spar inspection status review and, ideally, evidence of recent compliance. Aircraft with unresolved AD status are near-unsaleable. CAP 10C aircraft with the composite spar are exempt from most of this regime and command a significant premium.

Other common issues:

• Wooden structure moisture — As a wood-and-fabric airframe, hangar storage is mandatory. Outside-stored CAP 10s rapidly develop glue-line issues.
• Fabric condition — Expect recovering every 15–20 years.
• Inverted fuel/oil system — AEIO-360 inverted oil and fuel systems must be maintained by a shop familiar with aerobatic engines.
• Landing gear stress — The tailwheel gear and narrow main gear are unforgiving of hard landings.

The CAP family sits in the aerobatic specialty category (see insurance-underwriting):

• CAP 10B hull (1,000-hr PPL, tailwheel endorsement, 50+ hours aerobatic instruction received, $150k hull): approximately $3,500–$5,500/yr hull + $1,500–$2,000 liability.
• CAP 232 hull (500+ hrs aerobatic, Advanced or Unlimited IAC experience, $275k hull): approximately $6,500–$10,000/yr hull + $2,000 liability.
• Underwriters treat CAP 232 similarly to Extra 300 — few carriers will write it, and those that do demand documented upset/aerobatic training plus a type-specific checkout.
• CAP 10B is more insurable than Pitts for low-time pilots because of its docile handling and side-by-side instructional layout.
• European-registered aircraft transitioning to N-reg incur ferry and import-related hull surcharges.