Flight Design

Flight Design General Aviation GmbH
Limited company
Industry Aerospace
Headquarters Eisenach, Germany
Key people
 Lars Joerges, Managing Director (2017)
Products Light aircraft, hang gliders, paragliders
Parent Lift Air
Website www.flightdesign.com
Flight Design CT2K
Flight Design CTSW
Flight Design Exxtacy
1992 Flight Design A4

Flight Design General Aviation GmbH (formerly Flight Design GmbH) is a German aircraft design company and former aircraft manufacturer, formerly based in Leinfelden-Echterdingen and now in Eisenach.[1]

History

The company started building hang gliders and ultralight aircraft in the 1980s and added paragliders around 1992.[1]

The CT series first flew in March 1996 and was put into production in 1997. The aircraft line can be flown under microlight/ultralight regulations in several countries and under the Light-sport aircraft (LSA) rules in the US. The engineering and design work was performed in Germany, but production and all assembly of the aircraft was established in the Ukraine to lower production costs.[2]

In February 2011 the company announced that it was developing a four-seat design to be designated C4.[3]

At AirVenture 2013 the company announced that it intended to open a final assembly plant in Windham, Connecticut, United States and a plant in China in conjunction with a Taiwanese company, Aero Jones.[4][5]

During the 3rd quarter of 2015, Flight Design did not deliver any aircraft.[6]

In February 2016 the company entered receivership, due to its high debt-load. Lawyer Knut Rebholz, a partner of the law firm Mönning & Partner, became the temporary administrator of the company.[7][8]

In August 2016 Flight Design accepted a joint offer by the Lindig Group of Eisenach, Germany and Aero Jones of Taichung, Taiwan. Under the insolvency plan agreement, the Lindig group took over Flight Design while Aero Jones purchased the C4 project and the CT series of aircraft.[9] Under the arrangement Flight Design will continue as a design company and Aero Jones will manufacture and distribute the CT and C4 aircraft as well as support the existing fleet with parts. Aero Jones intends to build a support facility to serve the US market in Florida.[8]

In July 2017 Flight Design was purchased out of receivership by Lift Air, a division of Lift Holding of Eisenach, Germany. The company will move to the Kindel Airport, near Eisenach. Lars Joerges is the new managing director.[10]

Aircraft

Summary of aircraft built by Flight Design
Model name First flight Number built Type
Axxess Single or two place rigid wing hang glider
Exxtacy Single place rigid wing hang glider
A4 paraglider
Stream paraglider
Boxtair paraglider
Twin two-place paraglider
CT 1997 Composite two seat, high wing microlight/sport aircraft
CT2K 1999 Composite two seat, high wing microlight/sport aircraft
CTSW Composite two seat, high wing microlight/sport aircraft
CTLS 2006 Composite two seat, high wing microlight/sport aircraft
MC 2008 Aluminium two seat, high wing microlight/sport aircraft
CTLS-Lite 2010 Composite two seat, high wing microlight/sport aircraft
CTHL 2010 Composite two seat, high wing microlight/sport aircraft
C4 pending Composite four seat aircraft

References

  1. 1 2 Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04, pages 16, 44 & 140. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X
  2. ↑ Hunt, Adam: One of aviation’s best kept secrets - Flight Design CT2K – Flight report, COPA Flight page C-1. Canadian Owners and Pilots Association, October 2004
  3. ↑ Pew, Glenn (February 2011). "Flight Design's Four Seater". AvWeb. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  4. ↑ Aviation Week & Space Technology: 60. 14 October 2013. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ↑ Niles, Russ. "Flight Design To Open Chinese, U.S. Plants - AVweb flash Article". Avweb.com. Retrieved 2013-07-31.
  6. ↑ "General Aviation Aircraft Shipment Report, 2015 Third Quarter" (PDF).
  7. ↑ Flight Design. "Flight Design Filing For Receivership For Restructuring". flightdesign.com. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  8. 1 2 AVweb. "Sport Aviation Showcase: AeroJones Expands Flight Design". avweb.com. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  9. ↑ Flight Design. "Two new investors for Flight Design". flightdesign.com. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  10. ↑ Grady, Mary (26 July 2017). "Flight Design Under New Ownership". AVweb. Retrieved 31 July 2017.


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