Belite Aircraft
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| 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 |
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
| 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
- ↑ Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 32. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
- ↑ Grady, Mary (July 2009). "Former Kitfox-Lite Model Re-launches As Belite Ultralight". Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- ↑ Grady, Mary (July 2009). "First Flight For Belite Ultralight". Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Niles, Russ (17 December 2013). "Ultralight Amphib Flies". Avweb.com. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Belite aircraft. |
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