20 Pound Carbon Fiber Float?

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Hey Eugene:

While nosing around in the Belite shop earlier this evening, I noticed that they were preparing to pull the wraps off their new aircraft floats.   It is clear they plan to announce at Oshkosh:  but at what price?

I was able to gather some basic technical information, and also take some pictures, which I've pasted below.

The note said:

  *  19 pounds, 13 ounces as shown (still missing a couple of attachment hardware fittings)
  *  Up to 3 layers of Carbon Fiber cloth overall
  *  Carbon Fiber over foam construction
  *  Pre-cut foam pieces
  *  Inexpensive
  *  Final all up weight estimated at 22 pounds (straight); 35 pounds (amphibious)
  *  Superior to earlier Belite and other aluminum floats (much easier to construct; inherently more waterproof due to foam design)
  *  620 pound maximum gross weight
  *  Belite will be selling float kits for a special price during Oshkosh and shortly thereafter

These are clearly a significant product offering for experimental aircraft... looks to be a game changer for anyone who wants to fly off water.  If Belite has truly pulled off a carbon fiber composite float which sells for a reasonable $ amount...  wow.  That will be so cool.

The float in the following pictures was not quite complete.  It needed some sanding and some other stuff, but it sure looked like a float to me.

Your Friend,

Billy Bob.

P.S.:  Have a look at these pictures:

Carbon Fiber Float from Belite

Carbon Fiber Float from Belite

Carbon Fiber Float from Belite

Carbon Fiber Float from Belite

Carbon Fiber Float from Belite

Special note to Mickey:  thank you for encouraging me to think outside the box.

Floats For Ultralights, Explained

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Really cool, really good video, filmed at Sun N Fun, all about our sort-of-unannounced amphibious floats:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvWmbjVmRLw&feature=youtu.be

Filmed by Dave Loveman, Dan Johnson does the interview of me.

Ultralight Aircraft Floats Intro Price $1950 for kit

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** We are temporarily offering float kits for ultralight aircraft for $1950.   Pricing rises on May 16.**

Several weeks ago, I posted some limited information and pictures of our upcoming Belite amphibious floats, made from Aluminum.

I chose not to make this a product announcement at Sun N Fun.  We just weren't ready, and we had lots of other juicy stuff:  updates to our UltraCub, and lots of new instrument capabilities.

But I still thought it would be a wise idea to bring our float handiwork to Sun N Fun, put a price on them and see what happened.

Well, the first day of Sun N Fun is over, and we just officially sold our first float kit.  Wow!  A man walked up, indicated he'd been searching high and low for a great float option for his AirBike, and he found ours.  He said it made the trip from California to Sun N Fun worth it.  He left a deposit for the floats and is looking forward to the receipt of the float kit, which was promised for June.

In straight or amphibious configuration, the floats are rated for a gross aircraft weight of 620 pounds.  As a result, they are ideal for ultralight aircraft (and fat ultralight aircraft, and light experimentals) of all kinds.

Until May 15, they may be ordered for $1950 for a set of 2 straight floats in kit form.  Rivets and fittings and glue not included.  The amphibious version is available for $2950.  I will post some updated pictures of them tomorrow.  On May 16, the price rises.  How high?  I haven't determined yet.  We will formally announce this product at OshKosh, so this is our pre-intro sale.

You are required to provide a $500 or $750 deposit to reserve your float kit.  All skins come predrilled.

Here's some pics:

Ultralight aircraft floats from Belite

Ultralight floats from Belite

Ultralight floats from Belite

Floats, Tricycle Gear, Turtledeck, Builder tips

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Something for everyone...

One sneek picture of an amphibious float is somewhere below...

Pics of the Sky Blue plane with a turtledeck on it, builder tips for those builders seeking help, photos of a tricycle gear fuselage under construction, photos of a primed fuselage, carbon fiber spars, all for the ultralight Belite Aircraft.

By the way, my heart goes out to designers of amphibious floats.  Hardest design project, ever.

Carbon fiber spar with jury strut fitting.  Wrapped with carbon fiber rope and epoxied.

Sky Blue Ultralight Belite with turtledeck.

Another view of the sky blue ultralight Belite Aircraft.

Blurry picture of lift strut fitting, with carbon fiber rope and epoxy.

Messy job on the glue, but aluminum doubler (2.75" OD) over carbon fiber spar.  Tripler on inside root.

New design Belite door.  Coolest ultralight aircraft door, ever.

CNC cut frame on inside of door frame.  Note two pins for locking door closed.

We added corner pocket windows to this Belite.  Edge of  polycarbonate door panel is visible.

This side of the plane has a polycarbonate window installed.  Easily removable 'cuz we used Nutserts.

Swing the door up.  Someone really ought to add a gas lift strut.

Door hinge installed on top of door.

Picture of amphibious float.  How'd this photo slip in here?

Really bad photo showing one way to overlap fit trailing edge material together.

Another way to fit trailing edge together.  Works with wood ribs if you use a left and right gusset.

Tricycle gear airplane under construction.

Finishing tail of tricycle gear airplane.

Underside of rear deck, showing structure. 

Gusset detail on tricycle gear airplane. 

More gussets.

This gusset is doubled, as gear hinge will be bolted here.

And here as well.  Doubled.

Another view of the bottom of the rear deck.

View of the front.  Nose gear not yet installed.

Detail of front of fuselage.

Detail of front of fuselage.

Some aluminum primer, some paint.  This bird nearly ready to cover.

Retractable Gear Assembly for Amphibious Ultralight Float

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We are in the middle of a blizzard here in Wichita, KS.  So we all left work early, and I brought home a prototype wheel assembly for our ultralight amphibious float.  It needs a slight bit of tuneup, but I figured you'd like to see the engineering work in process.

Main retractable landing gear for ultralight amphibious float.

Front view of retractable gear assembly.

View of reverse side of retractable landing gear.

The wheel used is a 5"; the brake assembly is an Avid BB5.  Assembly is not complete.  Weight of the entire subassembly will be about 7.5 pounds per assembly.

Amphibious Ultralight Floats, more pics

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More info on our amphib floats:

We use a special rivet which is designed to be leak resistant.  It looks like this:

Special float rivet.  Solid head when pulled.  No hole.

Float without top skin, viewed from rear.

Float without top skin, viewed from front.

Here's the front bottom skin, with rivets and small step guide.

Front bottom skin of Belite amphibious float.

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Rear bottom skin of Belite amphibious float.

Yes, that is a carbon fiber / aluminum wing in the background under assembly.  Here is the partially completed wheel well in the amphibious ultralight float.  A carrythough bracket is visible in the bottom of the wheel well.

Wheel well in Belite amphibious float.

Weight is still tracking for 28 pounds per float in straight (no wheel) configuration.

Floats!!! Amphibious Floats!!!

Please note: James' blog has moved to a Wordpress site. To access it, please visit http://jameswiebe.wordpress.com/. All posts have been transferred to the new site, and all new posts will only be accessible via Wordpress. Thank you for your interest!


Here's the first photos of our upcoming float offering for ultralight aircraft.

Constructed entirely of aluminum, these floats are designed to work with retractable wheels or as straight floats.

In other words, we're preparing to deliver an amphibious float, and therefore, an amphibious ultralight.  So cool.

The straight version will weigh less than 28 pounds.  (The FAA allows 30 pounds per float in FAR Part 103.)

It will be fun to announce the pricing, and also the full specs.  Here's the photos (the float is upside down...):

Wheel well takes shape.

Front skin is quite riveting.

Some parts still clecoed on.

Computer CNC machining makes for exacting fits.

Strength, lightweight, beauty.  And 7000 series aluminum alloys in critical places.

Easy building for folks who want to do it themselves.

Some of the bulkheads are sold.  Some aren't.

Before the skin goes on.