Partenair Mystere

The Partenair Mystere is a Canadian two-seat, pusher configuration monoplane that was designed by Partenair Design of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec and intended for amateur construction from kits.
Two prototypes were completed and flown and one kit delivered before the project was ended. One customer-built S45 was eventually completed and first flew on 10 November 2015.

Design and development

The Mystere is an all-composite, low-wing monoplane powered by a pusher piston engine. It has a pod and boom configuration with a T-tail and a fixed tricycle landing gear with wheel pants. The cockpit has room for two occupants in tandem with dual controls and a two-piece canopy and windscreen.
The prototype S44 Mystere first flew on 16 November 1996 powered by a Rotax 912 engine. The second prototype S45 was powered by a Lycoming IO-320 flat-four piston engine and first flew on 4 October 2001.
The kit was to be supplied in three sub-kits made from primer-surfaced parts of low-odour epoxy. The construction time from the kit was estimated to have been 1,000 hours.

Variants

;S44 Mystere
;S45 Mystere
;S45 Mystere Mark II
;S45 Mark III RG

Accidents and incidents

The prototype Partenair S44 Mystère was involved in a fatal accident on 24 October 1998. While departing Montréal/Les Cèdres Airport, the Rotax 912 engine failed and the aircraft impacted the ground, killing both occupants.
This accident led to the aircraft being redesigned as the S45 with a Lycoming O-320 engine replacing the Rotax powerplant. Kitplanes magazine described the subsequent S45 as a "repowered aircraft for better overall performance and reliability".