Friday, April 1, 2011

4th Set of Damage Photos from Sun N Fun 2011

I have posted FOUR sets of damage photos at Sun N Fun.  This is one of the four sets.

The links for all four damage photo sets, including this one, are:

http://jameswiebe.blogspot.com/2011/03/horrible-damage-at-snf.html

http://jameswiebe.blogspot.com/2011/03/more-snf-damage-photos.html

http://jameswiebe.blogspot.com/2011/03/3rd-set-of-damage-photos-at-sun-n-fun.html


http://jameswiebe.blogspot.com/2011/04/4th-set-of-damage-photos-from-sun-n-fun.html

You can follow James on Twitter:  @jamespwiebe
You can subscribe to Belite Aircraft here.
You can see some pretty cool takeoff and other videos on Belite's youtube channel.
You can see Belite's Flickr photos here.

The weather was perfect today; the aftermath of yesterday's storm was not.

This is the fourth set of aircraft damage photos I have posted from Sun N Fun 2011.

All photos and content (c) 2011 by James Wiebe

Photo by Gene Stratton.  Used with permission

Photo by Gene Stratton

Photo By Gene Stratton

Cleaning up at the Aircam booth

Sun N Fun Damaged Aircraft

Sun N Fun Aircraft Damage

Sun N Fun Damaged Aircraft

Sun N Fun Aircraft Damage

Sun N Fun Aircraft Destruction

Destroyed Aircraft at Sun N Fun

Damage caused by Storm at Sun N Fun

Piper and RANS meet. 

Tornado Aircraft Damage at Sun N Fun

Aircraft Damaged by storm at Sun N Fun

Old Glory is Still Glorious

Photos by Gene Stratton.  Plane Ownership:  Joe Chlup.  Pilot:  James Wiebe



You can also see Old Glory takeoff like a scalded cat (like a bottle rocket?) in this video on youtube

Belite Introduces "Water in Fuel" detection technology

Today we introduced our newer technology which alerts aircraft operators to the presence of water in their gasoline.  Unlike so many announcements on April 1 (April Fool's Day), this announcement is real.  No joke.  The announcement had been timed to the time slot given to us by Sun N Fun for our news conference earlier today. 

BTW, if you are looking for the Sun N Fun damaged airplane photos, just keep scrolling down the blog.

To follow Belite's news announcements, subscribe here.

To be first to know of what's happening with James, follow his tweets:  @jameswiebe on twitter.  James tweeted several times as the extent of the damage at SNF unfolded yesterday.

The text of our announcement is as follows:




BELITE ELECTRONICS INTRODUCES WATER DETECTION TECHNOLOGY
                                                                                                  

Wichita, KS --  04-01-11 -- Belite Electronics announces a new, patent pending technology that is capable of detecting water in the fuel tank or fuel line. Belite is an innovator in ultralight flight technology, designing both aircraft and lightweight avionics.

Through the use of a small probe, the new technology discriminates between water and fuel and provides an alarm signal to the aircraft operator when water is detected.

“While doing research on fuel level probes that were pertinent to our avionics, I stumbled across a newer technology that would help solve a decades old safety problem,” said James Wiebe, CEO of Belite Enterprises LLC.

“The presence of water in fuel has caused many significant accidents in aviation history,” Wiebe said, “and the use of auto fuel with ethanol content continues to exacerbate this problem because water will precipitate (settle) out of ethanol blended fuel as temperature drops, for instance, overnight.

“Aircraft manufacturers have worked on resolving water contamination issues over the years by providing multiple sump points and by industry wide pilot training and education.  Even so, the opportunity for accidents and anxiety caused by water contamination in fuel continues,” Wiebe continued.

The new technology provides a warning signal which may be used in simple applications to trigger a alarm on the instrument panel.  In more sophisticated applications, Wiebe noted that the warning signal might be used to drive automatic tank switching so that water is not fed to the engine.

“We believe this technology can be integrated into aircraft systems by aircraft manufacturers to provide pilots with warnings that water is present or in route to the engine from the fuel tank. Water detection probes may be placed, for example, at low points in fuel tanks, or inline (between the fuel tank and the fuel selector or in the engine compartment).

Belite is licensing this technology to OEMs, and will also offer simple water detection probes and warning displays for experimental aircraft.

Price points have not yet been set.  Usage and inquiries from non-aviation markets are invited.  Interested parties may contact James Wiebe at Belite Enterprises:  316-253-6746 or james@beliteaircraft.com.


# # # #

Thursday, March 31, 2011

3rd Set of Damage Photos at Sun N Fun

(c) 2011 James Wiebe

I have posted FOUR sets of damage photos at Sun N Fun.  This is one of the four sets.

The links for all four damage photo sets, including this one, are:

http://jameswiebe.blogspot.com/2011/03/horrible-damage-at-snf.html

http://jameswiebe.blogspot.com/2011/03/more-snf-damage-photos.html


http://jameswiebe.blogspot.com/2011/03/3rd-set-of-damage-photos-at-sun-n-fun.html


http://jameswiebe.blogspot.com/2011/04/4th-set-of-damage-photos-from-sun-n-fun.html


You can follow James on Twitter:  @jamespwiebe
You can subscribe to Belite Aircraft here.
You can see some pretty cool takeoff and other videos on Belite's youtube channel.

You can see Belite's Flickr photos here.
These pictures may be reprinted by crediting James Wiebe and linking to this blog.

Lots of long faces.

'I spent six years building this plane.'  -- overheard comment, damaged aircraft owner?

At the Aircam booth.






Gloom in skies.  Gloom in faces.  Even the planes have painful expressions.

More SNF Damage Photos

I have posted FOUR sets of damage photos at Sun N Fun.  This is one of the four sets.

The links for all four damage photo sets, including this one, are:

http://jameswiebe.blogspot.com/2011/03/horrible-damage-at-snf.html

http://jameswiebe.blogspot.com/2011/03/more-snf-damage-photos.html


http://jameswiebe.blogspot.com/2011/03/3rd-set-of-damage-photos-at-sun-n-fun.html


http://jameswiebe.blogspot.com/2011/04/4th-set-of-damage-photos-from-sun-n-fun.html


You can follow James on Twitter:  @jamespwiebe
You can subscribe to Belite Aircraft here.
You can see some pretty cool takeoff and other videos on Belite's youtube channel.

You can see Belite's Flickr photos here.




(c) 2011 James Wiebe.  Please feel free to reprint these pictures.  Just provide a credit to me (James Wiebe) and a link to this blog.  Thanks!










Horrible Damage At SNF

I have posted FOUR sets of damage photos at Sun N Fun.  This is one of the four sets.

The links for all four damage photo sets, including this one, are:

http://jameswiebe.blogspot.com/2011/03/horrible-damage-at-snf.html

http://jameswiebe.blogspot.com/2011/03/more-snf-damage-photos.html


http://jameswiebe.blogspot.com/2011/03/3rd-set-of-damage-photos-at-sun-n-fun.html


http://jameswiebe.blogspot.com/2011/04/4th-set-of-damage-photos-from-sun-n-fun.html


You can follow James on Twitter:  @jamespwiebe
You can subscribe to Belite Aircraft here.
You can see some pretty cool takeoff and other videos on Belite's youtube channel.

You can see Belite's Flickr photos here.
You may reprint these photos as long as you credit   James Wiebe  and provide a link to this blog

(c) James Wiebe


Hawker Beechcraft







Tuesday, March 29, 2011

New Dual Display Instruments

New Instruments and avionics for Ultralight Aircraft and Experimental Aircraft from Belite Aircraft / Belite Electronics.  More details later this week.  Now on sale.  Dual Display.  For instance, VSI+ASI with digital Pressure Altitude Out in one 2.25 inch instrument.  Bezels are CNC cut from Polycarbonate.  Instrument panels are also cut on our new equipment.  Gorgeous.  Featherweight.  Inexpensive.  State of the Art (an overused term).

Monday, March 28, 2011

Belite Ultralight Aircraft On Sale

Our Belite SuperLite Dragon is on sale during Sun N Fun!

$31,500 -- During Sun N Fun, this plane is offered for $7,000 discount.

This is the same plane that is on the April 2011 cover of Kitplanes Magazine!

Interested? Give us a call or drop us an email.  First come, first serve.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Fuel Tank Installation in Ultralight Aircraft

We've been using aluminum fuel tanks in our Belite for quite a while.  A challenge has been how to mount them.  After some experimentation, we've come up with the following technique for the lightest possible mounting technique.

We weld some two stubs on each side of the rear fuselage, which the tank will snug up and into.  The tank is then secured with lightweight stainless steel straps, with a small amount of rubber tubing acting as a chafe strip on each stud.  Hopefully all of this is clear by looking at the following pictures:

Rear View of Aluminum Fuel Tank in Ultralight Aircraft

View of Fuel tank from within cockpit (seat back removed)

Middle clamp around tank

Aluminum Fuel Tank in Ultralight Aircraft

It all works well and is very strong.  Three stainless steel straps, chafe bushings, and steel studs provide a lightweight fuel tank mount.