Where to buy ultralight kits

The narrow fuselage means that the rudder pedals are on the outside of the aircraft, giving the pilot the appearance of riding a motorcycle — hence the inspiration for the Air-Bike name. Expect an inexpensive, easy to build and fun to fly aircraft. It is known for its versatility, light weight, sporty handling and rapid climb rate. The second category of ultralight aircraft is two place or two seaters.

With a two-place ultralight, you can take a passenger along for the ride. As previously mentioned, under these rules, you must register your aircraft and have a current airworthiness certificate issued by an FAA inspector. The maximum approved gross weight for a two-place ultralight is 1, pounds. To solo in a two-place ultralight, you will need at least a sport pilot certificate.

If you intend to fly with a passenger, you are required to earn a recreational pilot certificate. Hawk Ultralights have been around since when the single place classic model scored 3 prestigious awards in its first year of production and went on to scoop up many more.

The outstanding new design winner from the EAA International Air Show earned that title with high scores for appearance, design, engineering, flying performance and portability. It was the first fully enclosed ultralight on the market and has become a time-honored classic. The Arrow II builds on that legend with better visibility and modern jet-like lines. A second seat is added behind the pilot. This tandem style seating configuration minimizes the difference in center of gravity when flying alone vs with a passenger.

It is based off the Mark III Classic design with some aerodynamic enhancements to generate an extra mph cruise speed. The MX II Sprint was built with the new pilot in mind and is one of the easiest two place ultralights to assemble and learn to fly. Quicksilver made this aircraft to handle predictably at low flight speeds and to be capable of a very short take-off and landing roll.

This will walk you through exactly what to look for and what to avoid when selecting your next ultralight. Soon you will take to the air flying the best ultralight aircraft for the money.

After seeing the U-tube video, I now have to have one. Where is the best place in Mich to Learn how to fly a powered ultra-light.

I raise an eyebrow at most of these entries. Box DeLand, FL M-Squared, Inc. Elmo Airport P. Box St. Elmo, AL Quad City Ultralight Aircraft P. Box 34th St. Moline, IL Lake Wales, FL sales cgsaviation. Earthstar Aircraft Park Hill Rd. It was created for maximum simplification of control. Thanks to the structural design, there is no longer need to focus on blade adjustment. Intuitive propeller control saves you time and many other sub-tasks that you no longer have to worry about.

Flying made easy! Landing on water? No problem. This is why the Sirius with floats has become the ultimate aircraft with no limits. Rescue operations or leisure by the lake? It is entirely up to you how you decide to use the Sirius. There are other benefits to maintaining simplicity. A smaller engine needs less fuel, and therefore needs less fuel capacity; that gives you payload and performance.

A carburetor will be cheaper to own in the long run than fuel injection—simply from the parts count, to say nothing of the possibility of finding what you need in the used-equipment bin—and a fixed-pitch prop will exchange more limited performance for—again—low weight and cost.

Every one of these decisions in the simple-versus-complex thought process brings follow-on effects, some that are merely additive, some exponential. A lighter, simpler airplane also means easier shopping in the avionics aisle. Gyro system? Forget it. Um, no. The trick to building a low-cost airplane is to actively scrutinize every line item.

And then spend where safety depends on it: proper hardware, a solid even if used engine, proper restraints and thoughtful assembly. For this story, we once again reached out to check on the health of the suppliers and found some of them to be unresponsive. The unfortunate truth is that creating kits for homebuilt aircraft rarely is lucrative. Prices listed are current as of April And last, you may notice some companies that we know are vital that are simply not represented.

Same for RANS, which recently trimmed its model offerings, putting all of its models above the threshold. What does this really tell us? That constant improvement in basic kits—including more and doing more of the work at the factory, which the market has definitely responded to—has raised the price floor. With more builders demanding quickbuild options and willing to pay for them, you can hardly blame them.

The Baby Ace, a long-distance cousin of the original Corben designs of the late s, is in many ways the quintessential early homebuilt.

Top speed is just 10 mph greater, but it probably feels like a lot more with the wind rushing by your ears. Three versions, the B, C and D are differentiated by landing-gear design and the shape of the tail. Construction is a combination of CNC-cut steel-tube fuselage, some wood in the wings and otherwise conventional fabric covering. While the Baby Ace looks right as a taildragger, it can actually be built with a nosewheel.

The options list is extensive, including your choice of fully welded fuselage shell, a pile of CNC-cut tubes or tack-welded tubes that you finish; the same choices exist for the tail feathers. You can also choose from a single gallon fuselage tank or wing tanks totaling 23 gallons. The Aventura HP is among them. This single-place, Dacron-covered amphib has a max-gross weight of just pounds, which makes the most of the ish horsepower on board. A mph cruise speed will be sufficient to drop into local lakes or check out the nearby grass strip.

If you truly believe light is right, simpler is better and you have no need to take passengers along, the Merlin should be on your radar. The Czech design is largely conventional aluminum, with a cantilevered wing, single-seat cockpit and the option of either a Rotax or the new Aeromarine cc V-twin engine with 60 hp. Performance is listed as 90— in cruise, variable by installed engine power. Max-gross weight is just pounds, so it should not take much power to get the Merlin off the ground quickly.

With good handling qualities, it challenges the pilot to perfect their short landing technique, but in a friendly way that is low risk. The rugged construction should make it tolerant to the occasional mistake, and the cockpit layout is first-rate.

They follow the classic simpler-is-better approach but the designs, while appearing quite anachronistic, have more than a bit of ultralight in them. For example, the major structure is made up of aluminum tube riveted together via gussets. Three years ago, Sam Buchanan chronicled the build of an Airdrome Fokker, and his experience suggests these aircraft are really best aimed at those with previous building experience and the willingness to improvise as you go.

Kind of like the roots of homebuilding, if you think about it. Performance is modest. With the big Rotec radial, the full-sized Camel is good for 93 mph. Another option is a large VW-based engine, which does help keep the overall costs down. We as a society like to take our stuff with us.

Like camping gear.