Belite Aircraft

Belite Aircraft
Privately held company
Industry Aerospace
Founded 2009
Headquarters Wichita, Kansas, United States
Key people
 James and Kathy Wiebe
Products Ultralight aircraft
Owner Belite Enterprises LLC
Website www.beliteaircraft.com
Belite Aircraft Superlite
Belite Ultra Cub

Belite Aircraft is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Wichita, Kansas and founded by James and Kathy Wiebe in 2009. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of ultralight aircraft in the form of kits for amateur construction and ready-to-fly complete aircraft under the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules.[1]

The company was formed to produce the Belite Aircraft Superlite, a derivative of the Kitfox Lite single-seat ultralight design. Belite extensively redesigned the aircraft to incorporate carbon fibre wings, struts, spars and ribs, lowering the empty weight to 245 lb (111 kg). They "...acquired the production rights to a previously designed aircraft, the Kitfox Lite" and they "...acquired the tooling, existing parts and manufacturing rights to the aircraft in March of 2009. As a condition of the transaction, they agreed to rebrand the airplane to prevent any confusion with the larger, two-place light sport Kitfox".[2][3][4]

In 2013 the company flew the floatplane version of its new Belite Ultra Cub design, designated the Belite Sealite.[5]

Aircraft

Summary of aircraft built by Belite Aircraft
Model name First flight Number built Type
Belite Aircraft 254 2009 Single seat ultralight aircraft
Belite Aircraft Superlite 2009 10 (2011) Single seat ultralight aircraft
Belite Aircraft Trike 2009 Single seat ultralight aircraft with tricycle gear
Belite Ultra Cub 2012 Single seat ultralight aircraft
Belite Sealite 2012 Single seat floatplane ultralight aircraft
Belite ProCub Lite Single seat ultralight aircraft

References

  1. ↑ Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 32. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
  2. ↑ Grady, Mary (July 2009). "Former Kitfox-Lite Model Re-launches As Belite Ultralight". Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  3. ↑ Grady, Mary (July 2009). "First Flight For Belite Ultralight". Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  4. ↑ Belite Aircraft (June 2009). "Wichita Entrepreneurs Acquire Kitfox Lite Ultralight Aircraft Manufacturing Rights, Plan Reintroduction, Weight Savings and Improvements". Archived from the original on 3 September 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  5. ↑ Niles, Russ (17 December 2013). "Ultralight Amphib Flies". Avweb.com. Retrieved 28 December 2014.

External links

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