Art Belite

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Belite Kit Pricing

We've posted a Belite Kit Pricing spreadsheet online for our FAR Part 103 ultralights, click HERE to see it.  This spreadsheet lets you manipulate any or all of the options to make the kit exactly the way you want it.

You'll notice that all the base kit items are detailed out, and you'll see the pricing value of each line item.  Have a look, and if you're interested in a kit or have any question, send us an email or give us a call.

Line items 1 through 34 are standard in the base kit, while line items 35 through 60 are options.

If you are interested in our Ready To Fly (RTF) aircraft pricing, that post may be found here.

Thorough Belite Superlite Review Published!

We have obtained the right to republish the flight review on the Belite Superlite, written by Scott Severen in Light Sport and Ultralight Flying magazine.  The Superlite is our FAR Part 103 ultralight, and provides superlative performance, while consuming 3.4 gallons per hour of gasoline.  It is available in prices ranging from $28,500+ (assembled and flying), depending on options.  All configurations include the Hirth 50HP engine, which looks like an aircraft engine, and includes dual ignition.  For the money, this is the highest performance small aircraft in the country.

This extensive review covers the flight characteristics of our Superlite plane, along with an excellent description of our assembly facility.
 
Please enjoy the reading and pictures, which you may find here in PDF form.  Alternatively, read the 'text only' version after clicking on this alternative text only link:

My thanks to Scott for writing such a thorough article.

Bunny Hops & Flying POV

I received a call from my daughter earlier today. She's currently a counselor at Camp Quaker Haven and it was the first time I'd heard her voice since she left last week.  She's also our 'corporate cinematographer', and has produced almost all of the videos that Belite has posted on Youtube.

"Hey Dad," she said. "Did you know that I posted another Belite video before I left Wichita?"

No, I didn't know that.

It's great having a cinematographer in the family!  More video to show people what we are doing.

I had taken quite a bit of video, shot from my Point Of View, while flying the Superlite several weeks ago. It does a great job of showing the world flying by while piloting an agile single seat airplane. You can see it here:

Also, we shot some video of our Trike a few weeks ago.  It's just a series of bunny hops, mostly up and down the runway, but it shows the gentle landing characteristics of the Trike. 

(A little off topic:  I flew both of these planes earlier today, in Kansas strong winds.  They handled the wind with no difficulty).

Anyway, here's the video of the Trike doing bunny hops.

The Trike has free castering nosewheel steering.  You turn the airplane by applying either left or right heel brake.  I'm reminded of when I first flew a Grumman Cheetah back in 1978 or 1979:  ground handling works basically the same.

Pictures that nearly got away

Here's some photos that nearly got away...

Benton Airport



My friend Terry Alley's Kitfox Lite



The Kansas country side passes below. Trees and a creek; farmland too.



Someone took this photo of me at Sebring in January. I'm in a Belite Superlite.



A nice in flight photo of a Belite.



Jabara airport, in a photo from last year.



And a wounded Belite, injured in a taxiing accident. (Stupid hole in the ground.) (Stupid pilot for taxiing over hole in the ground.)

Belite manufactures FAR part 103 kits, airplanes, and featherweight avionics.

www.beliteaircraft.com

How to configure a Ready To Fly Superlite 50HP ultralight!

I've created a spreadsheet that allows users to select different options to personalize their Belite 254. Do they want a taildragger, or a trike? Do they want a Superlite, or a really light version? What you may not realize is that these are all really the same airplane. The only thing that varies is the option selection.

The spreadsheet keeps track of option selections, cost, and weight. As a result, you can end up with any type of FAR part 103 ultralight that you want!

Here's our base spreadsheet. Have a look:

Belite Pilot Operating Handbook

Pilot’s Operating Handbook - Belite 254 / Taildragger / Trike

This is not an FAA approved document.

www.beliteaircraft.com


1. Safe operation.

The pilot is responsible for verifying that the Belite is in a safe condition for flight. This responsibility is only that of the pilot, not of any other individual or company.

2. Limitations.

2.1 The Belite’s maximum gross weight is 550 pounds. Do not exceed this weight under any circumstance.
2.2 Under no circumstances exceed 80mph CAS. Do not exceed 80mph under any circumstance.
2.3 Do not use flaps unless speed is 62mph or less.
2.4 Do not taxi in more than 12 knots of wind.
2.5 Demonstrated crosswind component is 6 knots.
2.6 Never takeoff or land with a tailwind.
2.7 Always ensure that sufficient runway is available for takeoff and landing.
2.8 Pilot weight must not exceed 270 pounds.
2.9 All aerobatic maneuvers, including spins, are prohibited.
2.10 Do not exceed 2 Gs of wing loading (positive) or 0 Gs of wing loading (negative). (The carbon fiber wing has been static tested to approximately 3.8Gs positive and -2Gs negative, but this has never been demonstrated in flight.)
2.11 In order to maintain FAR 103 legal flight, ensure that empty weight does not exceed 254 pounds (without parachute) or 278 pounds (with parachute). Also ensure that level flight does not exceed 62mph under full power. (Utilize a ground adjustable throttle stop as necessary, or change propeller pitch.) Compliance is the responsibility of the pilot.
2.12 In order to maintain FAR 103 legal flight, stall speed must be 28mph or less under specified conditions. The wing design used in the Belite design is very heavily undercambered and is an excellent choice for slow stalls and slow flight. It must be possible to demonstrate a stall at 28mph when Belite weight is 254 pounds or less, pilot weight is 170 pounds, and fuel weight is 30 pounds. Compliance is the responsibility of the pilot.
2.13 In order to maintain FAR 103 legal flight, usable gasoline capacity must not exceed 5 gallons (30 pounds). Compliance is the responsibility of the pilot.
2.14 In order to maintain FAR 103 legal flight, cruise speed must be limited to 62mph or less. This may be achieved by engine selection, propeller selection, or by throttle stop. Compliance is the responsibility of the pilot.

3. Demonstrated takeoff performance.

The Belite has demonstrated a ground roll of 330 feet in medium grass and no wind, with a density altitude of 2600 feet. This was achieved with approximately 37 horsepower. Additional horsepower will substantially shorten takeoff roll. Conversely, reduced horsepower will substantially lengthen takeoff roll. At sea level, we estimate that a takeoff roll of 200 feet will be required with 37 horsepower (dry pavement, no grass, no headwind, standard conditions). Takeoff rolls of less than 100 feet have been observed under conditions of increased power and/or headwinds.

An independent comment on our plane & instruments

From Terry Alley:

I went to BeLite's shop last friday to visit with James Wiebe about changing the engine in my Kit Fox Lite to the Hirth F23 like the one he has in his new Superlite. While discussing the performance of his plane, James had a slip of the tongue and said "you ought to fly that and see what it feels like", I thought he would never ask.

After sliding into the cockpit I took a little time to familiarize myself with his new LED Panel. At first I thought it would be a little confusing trying to read all the lights but once I became familiar with their location, they were quite easy to read and seemed very accurate. I especially liked the Inclinometer and the Turn Rate indicator. Those two may have to find a way into my panel. The altimeter is zero'd before taking off and is only a AGL instrument, but what else would you want in a ultralight. I made several turns into and away from the sun and the LED's stayed visible reguardless of direction and lighting.

Now for my comparison between the original Kit Fox Lite which I have the new BeLite Superlite.

Cosmetically they look the same with the exception of mine having a full covered fuse. The interior, again no changes, other than the panel already mentioned. The only noticable difference in feel was the rudder. Belite has improved their design to use push/pull cables to the rudder. While they make the rudder feel a little stiff, the contol was very positive. Everything else felt the same excpet the power.

My Lite has a 37 hp 1/2 VW which I really love except for takeoff performance. On a hot day it will make you pucker up if you have to climb over some trees on takeoff. But the cruise is a nice 65 once you get there. The Belite had the new Hirth F23 opposed twin 50 hp. When I lined up on the runway and added power before I could look down to see what the RPM was, I was airborne. Not only airborn but I continued to climb at 50 mph and at a pretty steep angle of attack. Needless to say I was impressed.

After making some steep turns and doing a couple of stalls I concluded this new bird has the same great flying characteristics as the original Kit Fox Lite (when I say original that is what I mean as mine is serial #001). I decided to test the new spring shocks that James had just added to the gear that day. This a great replacement for the bungees (which I have had one failure on). I came in across the fence at 50 and let the speed bleed off until a did a nice wheel landing at about 35 to 40 mph. At that point, I added power without letting the tail come down and almost instantly I was off the ground again. The next approach I added one notch flaps and crossed the fence a little less than 50 but holding a little more rpm. The speed bled off and I held it off until the airspeed dropped to just below 35 and it settled on all three wheels for a short rollout. The new spring shocks worked great in softening the touchdown with no bounce at all. I thought it was my landing skill but James assured me it was the new gear.

Conclusion: The Superlite is a great little airplane especially with the F-23 in the nose. If you are looking for a safe reliable plane that is a blast to fly, give James a call. And for all the Kit Fox Lite flyers out there, be thankful James picked this plane up and put it back in production. Any part you might need for your plane just became available plus many upgrades.

Terry Alley
Kit Fox Lite
N3169

Sharpness

Chapter One: Clouds

The recent rains and intermittent sunshine have caused the countryside around Wichita to explode with green. Planted fields are already substantially sprouted. Trees have all their leaves. Plowed fields provide a dark, wet contrast.

I am looking it all over; I am sitting in my airplane, looking out. To the north, I am struck by the dark charcoal clouds. They are hanging over the fields -- providing even more enunciation of color, dampness, wetness, nature. 500 feet off the ground; perhaps a little more. Occasionally my altitude wanders lower.

The clouds are like slashes of charcoal across a matte paper.

It has rained heavily. A creek is roaring between its banks -- all waters are thick brown. A bit of foam dances up to one bank, but somehow is repelled away. The vision recedes behind me.

I cross the Kansas turnpike. I see a plaza between the lanes. Cars can pull in; get gas; eat at the McDonalds, and go on their way. I wonder who is looking up from the cars, and what they think of my airplane. I'm sure almost all are puzzled: my airplane looks like a dragon.

A few days ago, a trio of deer had run across a field while I circled my dragon above them. Did they see me? I saw them.

I am, in some oblique sense of the word, wasting time.

I find myself once again flying over my friend Terry's home. I don't see his truck; I do see his airstrip. The airstrip is oddly hidden, because of the depth of the grass. (Terry, it needs to be mowed.)

Glancing at the gas gauge, I see 60% fuel remaining. Lots of time to continue to waste.

I can feel a bit of vibration coming up through the heels of my shoes. I've not noticed it before. Like many other pilots who've mused over an odd vibration or sound, I start to think about what could be wrong.

Nothing. Nothing is wrong.

Looking south, I can see 30 or 40 miles to the horizon.

Looking to the north again, the sky is a little hazier. The north horizon is not nearly as sharp as the south. There is more humidity in the air.

An odd thing happens: it starts to rain. Just lightly; but enough to patter the windshield. The doors are not installed on this airplane, and even so, I remain dry.

I have my leather coat on. I'm also wearing a stocking cap, noise cancelling headphones, and light gloves. It's a perfect combination. I can feel the wind beating on the sleeves of the coat as they rest on the sides of the fuselage. My torso and head stay in calm air.

Now I'm even more relaxed: I've pulled my feet off the rudder pedals. The airplane now moves wherever I want it to using just the control stick.

Above the clouds, the sun is shining. Below the clouds, there is ample evidence of the sun and its working: green-ness; creeks; fields; rain; cool flyable air; much more.


Chapter Two: Technicalities

The Belite uses a 5 gallon tank. The purposes of my flight today was to verify instrument functionality and to also nail down fuel consumption. We I flew the plane for exactly one hour and then measured the reserve. I had 1.6 gallons of fuel remaining.

This means that the Superlite fuel consumption with a Hirth 50HP F23 engine @ 5800RPM is about 3.4 gallons per hour. This allows 1 hour and 25 minutes from full to dry tank. Based on a cruising speed of about 60 mph, this gives a reachable radius of about 75 miles in calm winds. I may be able to improve this a little; I've ordered a cruise prop to go with my engine.


Chapter Three: Crosswinds

Our airstrip is 2600 feet long and about 75 feet wide. Beyond each side is an ample unmowed area.

A few days ago, we had a very blustery crosswind.

I looked at the runway a little differently. I walked across it, and picked up some grass. Tossing it up, and looking diagonally backwards, I saw a new runway, constructed by landing on the existing runway diagonally.

"I know what you are doing," said Doug, who runs his small business out of a hangar close to mine and had walked up behind me.

Doug practices whenever possible in one of his helicopters (he's a dealer). He understands the importance of practice, and he saw that I was trying to increase my practice time by overcoming the crosswind blues.

Comfortable with my new 'make-do' runway selection, I took off into the sharp crosswind. I started making circuits around the pattern and the field, re-creating the new pattern.

My new pattern works beautifully. I land without event, diagonally across the existing runway. I take off again. I land in some slightly taller grass. The feeling of moving through the grass on touchdown is ... I struggle for the right word. Great?! Wonderful!? Smooth?? These are not the right words.

There is no adequate word. Landing in the taller grass makes me feel like an adventurer. I don't know how to put that into one word.

This reminds me of when I landed in the flint hills, nearly a year ago. I remember the flow of the grass in the wind, and the feeling of gentleness, as my airplane settled into the thick grass on touchdown.

I take off and land again. Each landing builds confidence.


Chapter 4: El Dorado

The lineman at the El Dorado airport can't believe his eyes: He's never seen a plane as small as mine. We full my gas tank up with 100LL. Total bill, about $8.

Smallest plane he's ever seen; smallest gas sale ever as well.


Chapter 5: Instruments

I occasionally glance at the instruments on the panel. I like what I see! The clouds have completely blocked the sun; I flip the switch over to the 'dim' setting. The LEDs in the panel have a soft glow.

I roll the plane into a turn to the left; the turn gyro shows the turn. I note that my trim tab on the rudder is not quite set correctly: the slip indicator shows a constant 'one dot' slip to the left. I see that I have 30% of my gas remaining: perhaps it's time to land. I've throttled back and the airspeed is showing 55. All is well.

These instruments provide a sharpness about the condition of the airplane: I know my range; I know my speed; I know if I'm straight and level; I know how I'm doing. I like what I see.

I look back at the ground. There is so much green, and so much sharp definition between fields, prairies, creeks, horizon, and clouds.

I can't wait to fly again.

Pics of new avionics while in flight

This will be a short post. I went flying tonight for about an hour in the Belite Superlite Dragon. I wandered near Augusta to try and find Terry's strip -- sorry Terry! Didn't bring a GPS and couldn't find it. Turned around and headed back home.

I took some photos of my new panel while in flight. You can see that the inclinometer (ball) is centered, I've got gas in the tank, the volts are about right, my turns aren't too fast, and I'm about 800 feet off the grand.

I'm having a little trouble with the CHT/EGT gauge -- hopefully I'll have that squared away in the next couple of days.

Did anyone see the dragon fly overhead?

Flying the Superlite...

The first hints of spring are emerging in Wichita. Finally, we are seeing temps in the 50's and 60's. Yesterday was such a day, which was perfect timing as the Superlite was ready to fly again.

Since Sebring, we moved into a new shop out in the countryside. We've seen deer, all kinds of birds, it's great to have wide open fields and a grass strip right next to our workshop door.

The lift strut was redesigned; the new approach is easier to fabricate. Our thought process has been to ready the airplane (and wings) for some heavy loading tests.

So I flew the plane, late yesterday afternoon and early this morning. The tests were meant to explore the top cruise speed of the Superlite and to verify stall behavior.

I flew several passes at an altitude of about 2000 feet. Winds appeared calm at altitude, with runs in both directions producing GPS verified speeds of about 57 knots -- 2 knots too high. We will either reduce engine power by another 50RPM or substitute a climb prop (at which point this little bird will no longer climb like a bottle rocket, it will climb like an space rocket).

I noted that the indicated air speed for 57 knots was around 73mph. I'll be substituting another air gauge in the near future to resolve this gross inaccuracy.

I then did several power off stalls with full flaps. Indicated air speed was around 33 mph -- remember, the gauge reads way high -- and the stalls were just a gentle bump.

When we get the Superlite tuned up, focus will return to the Trike. Both birds will be at Sun N Fun for show and flight!

The Move out into the country

We're close to finishing up a move to our new location.

Our old production location was in a conventional office space with a production area attached to it. It was located in northeast Wichita, close to KAAO (Jabara) airport. Whenever we finished an airplane, we'd fold the wings and roll it about 3/4 of a mile down 34th street, then cross busy Webb road!

Jabara is a great general aviation airport, but it is not ideal for ultralights. Even so, I never had a trouble mixing in with the pattern. I kept my pattern a little tighter, and FWIW, I didn't have much trouble keeping up with the activity. But the frequent heavy traffic (eg, business jets and so forth) aren't what I want around when I'm testing aircraft.

So we planned a move to a new location. Our new production shop is at the Wichita Gliderport, which is about 3 miles from KAAO, but not on the sectional. We now have a great production facility, on field. We share our new home with about 15 gliders and a small handful of piston aircraft. We have two grass runways, each 2600 feet long. We get to help 'mow the lawn', and when the weather's good, our back door has a beautiful view of the glider activity, as well as the deer, hawks, and critters that roam around open places.

The last two weeks have been spent with the move, and there's still a little more work to do.

Things have been cooking on the sales front. While all of the paperwork is not yet in order, we've booked 3 sales over the last two weeks for kits. We have many hundreds of folks tracking our updates (by registering on our website), and I expect we have a good shot at selling every kit we can make this year.

I'll be busy between now and Sun N Fun. We still have some more testing and work to do on the Trike, along with getting kits out the door.

Thanks for your interest. This is an adventure! I appreciate all of your input -- you have directly affected our development path.

Speaking of input, one interesting thing I've noted is that our customers are more interested in the steel tailfeathers than in the carbon fiber tail feathers. I think you're telling me that you want to see more testing on those feathers before you're comfortable buying them. That's good input.

Another upcoming test is an expanded G test on our wings. Our last test took the carbon fiber wings to 4Gs. Soon, we want to test both our carbon fiber and our 'classic' aluminum spar wing to 6Gs. I'll keep you posted.

Best Regards,

James

The Magic Carpet Ride...

On Labor Day, earlier this week, I tried to fly our first production Belite 254 airplane for the very first time. The weather was great, the airplane was ready for its maiden flight.

My friend Terry had flown his faithful Kitfox Lite over from his home base so he could help and see the maiden voyage.

I started with taxi tests, and if those went well, I would proceed to a flight test.

Unfortunately, the taxi tests did not go well that day. We had a problem with the brakes, and so we had to get them fixed before proceeding to the test flight. And then for the next 3 days, the weather was terrible. In one day, Wichita had 5 inches of rain. Not exactly weather for first flights in an airplane.

This afternoon, the rain stopped, the wind eased and the skies cleared enough for a test flight. Terry met me at Jabara so we could give my FAR part 103 legal airplane another try. (FAR Part 103 -- google it! It means you or I can fly it anytime without a pilot's license, without a registration, and without even the need for a medical in this class of aircraft).

The pictures tell the tale. The very light airplane looks fantastic, taxied like a dream, and took off without hesitation. In fact, I got a little higher than what I planned. (This was supposed to be an up and down test hop, straight down the runway.)


I weigh close to 200 pounds, so this particular bird will provide spectacular performance for anyone around 180 pounds or less. Empty weight is currently 239 pounds. The cowling will add another 3 pounds.



We've still got a little work to do before this plane is ready for customer delivery, but not much. For example, one problem is that the airspeed indicator seems to be off by a large amount -- it was indicating far too slow a number. We'll check it against another airspeed indicator very soon.

Another minor glitch is that the cowling is not yet installed on this airplane. It doesn't need it, but it's supposed to be there, we're still a few weeks away from receiving them from our vendor.

I enjoy the feeling of flying right over the runway at a low altitude. It feels like a magic carpet ride. I also enjoy the open frame look on the rear fuselage of this airplane. I wasn't sure, but looking at it now, it looks so sharp!

Do you like to fly? This airplane provides a spectacular experience.

In a few days, we'll have an Inventory tab added to our website, with a complete line item description of this particular airplane. We'll be offering this one Ready To Fly, FOB Wichita, $29,995. It includes a few options that aren't supposed to be in the base configuration, but hey, they are already installed. (For example -- electronic fuel gauge with capacitive sender -- works great -- far better than sight gauge.)

Enjoy, fly safe -- James Wiebe

far 103 regulations - my comments

Hey, I'm still up so it's time for a second post.

One thing that I've noticed as we've talked to many people here is confusion as to what FAA part 103 (or FAR part 103) is.

We've had some people tell us that it specifically disallows engines with greater than 28HP on wings that have double covering. That's simply not so!

I've also had people tell me that FAA part 103 doesn't allow me to put "Belite Aircraft" on my wing, because that represents 'advertising'. I've carefully read part 103, and I respectfully disagree. There are parts that say an Ultralight can't be used for advertising. A careful reading suggests you can't take money to use the aircraft for advertising someone else's product, and I agree with that interpretation. Backing up that interpretation is another part of part 103, which the naysayers ignore.

Quoting part AC 103-7, specifically 103.14.d(4):

Receiving Discount on Purchase of an Ultralight.

There is no prohibition which would prevent you from taking
advantage of any discount on the price of an ultralight a company
might offer where its logo or name appears on a portion of the
vehicle. You cannot, however, enter into any agreement which
might specify the location; number, or patterns of flights contingent
on receipt of that discount.

Any operation under such an agreement could not be
conducted under Part 103.

This seems pretty straightforward. I, as the manufacturer, can put my logos on my aircraft anywhere I please, including the wings. You, as the customer, can receive a discount if you agree to accept an eggregiously large number of logos in many locations. Heck, let's put them on the tail, the belly, the cowling, the door, the upper wing, the lower wing, the landing gear, the left tire, and just for grins, on the windshield. However, I can not enter into an agreement with you where you agree to fly your plane for my benefit, for a specificed number of flights, or over a specified location.

That's a good thing, because I'd want you to fly over a congested location. ;-)

Fly Safe,

James

The weight of a Belite 254

If you were around our workshop on a daily basis, would see that we are constantly weighing things. We are passionate about reducing weight, staying legal, and increasing utility in the design of our Belite 254 Carbon Fiber ultralight aircraft.

I weighed the Belite 254 demonstrator aircraft on certified aircraft scales today. This particular aircraft is loaded with options. It came in at 255 pounds, without fuel tank. Because the limit is 254 pounds (actually, 253.99999 pounds) this would seem to be a failure. (I mistakenly first weighed it with the fuel tank and with fuel, and it was way over... ooops.... take out the fuel tank and reweigh...)

Our fuel tank weighs about 3 pounds dry, so today's final weight was 258 pounds. Consequently, we were 4 pounds overweight relative to FAR 103. I'll explain how we solved the problem in a few moments.

Here's what's on the airplane:

1) 4130 Steel airframe / elevator / rudder
2) Covering system with UV protectant
3) Bungee landing gear
4) Grove gear
5) Grove hydraulic brakes
6) Enlarged tail wheel
7) Rudder steering
8) 45HP engine, derated to accommodate part 103 cruise speed (with more work to be done)
9) 3 blade Powerfin prop
10) 5 gallon fuel tank
11) Electric Fuel gauge
12) Airspeed indicator
13) Altimeter
14) Tachometer / Hourmeter
15) EGT / CHT
16) Voltmeter
17) Turn & Bank
18) Instrument panel, made of wood
19) Transceiver and permanent antenna
20) Transponder and antenna
21) LIPO Battery System with current system
22) Engine Starter Relay (but no electric start with this current engine)
23) Voltage regulator for radio
24) Alternator (this airplane generates electricity to run avionics and charge the battery)
25) Gizmo Dock

I'm sure I'm forgetting something. It's loaded with goodies. The panel would be comfortable and pleasing to any VFR pilot.

My goal was to have a FAR 103 airplane with high technology construction (Carbon Fiber), amazing power, full panel, etc. So now I've crammed all this stuff into the demonstrator, and I'm 4 pounds overweight.

Here's the solution:

1) We quickly reconverted the gear from bungees to solid. This saves about 28 ounces. I then removed the turtledeck, as it is not necessary for flight. Another 22 ounces saved. Finally, I removed a chunk of aluminum which was simply not necessary. (We'd been using it as a base for fuel tank in the baggage compartment; no longer necessary.) It also weighed 22 ounces. Total savings: 72 ounces, exactly 4.5 pounds.

Final weight, as adjusted: 253.5 pounds. FAR 103 legal! Loaded with features, engine, and performance! It can be done. (If configured with a smaller engine, performance remains VERY SIMILAR and weight drops further -- the 28HP engine weighs 18 pounds less!!)

I've heard reports of guys breaking their bungees and consequently hitting the props/destroying the engines. I'm OK without bungees for awhile. We'll figure out something to add them back to the demonstrator sometime soon.

The demonstrator still has a little work to do in Wichita, but it will soon be ready to move to Oshkosh. For example, Friday morning, we're doing an air to air photo shoot.

Real Flight for Belite 254 - my pilot report

I have never in my life flown an airplane which I designed critical structures. Nor had I flown an airplane of my own manufacture. Nor had I flown a taildragger, that is, an airplane with a rear wheel.

Yesterday evening, while the nation was focused on July 4th celebrations, all of those things came together at one time for me. I flew Belite 254 around the traffic pattern at Jabara airport many times.

Absolutely amazing. A life moment. A dream come true. Many long hours of work, capped with a time of anxiety, thrill, joy, calm. All at once.

This evening, I flew Belite 254 again. More of the same. With no doors, my views were spectacular. At a cruise speed of about 52 mph, (remember, I'm currently testing with a 28HP engine) the wind feel was just right as it brushed against my arms. The cockpit area was calm.

With air that was very crisp and very clear, I circled Jabara for approximately 90 minutes. I continued to evaluate the flight characteristics of the airplane I have built. I practiced and evaluated takeoffs, landings (in a mild crosswind), climb, cruise, descent.

I found a little time to snap some photographs. I even shot a little HD video while flying.

Our weight continues to be under control, and this is looking and feeling like the world's best FAR 103 legal airplane. We are benefiting enormously from our proprietary carbon fiber spars, ribs, and structures. Our panel is nearly fully functional, and our electrical system is up and running.

I am amazed. OK, that's a self serving comment, but for those who know me, I'm not prone to publishing much words that are so positive. In other words, this is worth paying attention to, and my dream of FAR 103 flight is turning into a powerful reality.

Here's some of what we know:

1) We're currently testing with a 28HP engine. We have no cowl on the bird, so the airstream is seeing the firewall flat dead on. Even so, we're still cruising at 51 mph. Climb rate is slow, but will improve with a cowl and a little more HP. However, I still think this 28HP engine might be ideal for lighter weight pilots.

2) We have a complete electric system. We have electric start, and a high quality radio in the instrument panel. It's beautiful. We'll have a transponder, fuel gauge, temp gauges, altimeter, airspeed, tach time (digital), volts (digital), and gizmo dock.

3) I did a quick check on stall speed. I'm overweight relative to the FAA standard (weighing 200 pounds; FAA standards dictate a 170 lb pilot for the testing); the airplane has a flat firewall in the airstream with very dirty air over the wing roots, and I still saw a 30mph stall. So I'm more or less comfortable with the 28mph requirement.

4) Well, we certainly aren't cruising at 62mph. Yet.

5) We have 360 degree vision, because of the rear windows we engineered into the fuselage. You will love the view. Also, our turtle deck is transparent.

6) Cruise is nearly hands off, as built. Control pressures are light.

7) When you start a turn, the plane just keeps turning. Roll out opposite aileron and rudder to stop any turn.

We've got 3 weeks left until Oshkosh. In that time, I plan to accomplish the following:

a) upgrade to a 45hp engine. We also have a couple of state of the art engines to test with around 33HP.
b) cowl installation for final look over the engine.
c) transponder installation.
d) redesigned fuel tank is nearly done.
e) a couple of tweaks to weight.

and a couple of other surprises.

We will meet our goal of delivering a state of the art ultralight aircraft, with a great engine, a full VFR panel, and an electric system. Our airplane will be easily confused with a light sport, but legally, it's not a light sport. It's FAR 103, no license, no registration. FAR 103 is re-emerging as a viable legal aircraft type.

For those of you wondering about how I transitioned to a taildragger without a formal signoff, I offer the following comments. I received some excellent instruction from a friend who owns a taildragger; he let me taxi his plane at a private airport over and over. Then when I started testing in the Belite 254, I continued by doing low and then high speed taxi tests at Jabara. Finally, I took test hops straight down the runway which I have previously documented. An amazing thing happened though: It ALL came together. I had the feel of the 3 point landing flare at stall; I had the new skill of forcing the tailwheel onto the runway; I had the takeoff feel for the tail lift, and then pulling back to takeoff. I have a new respect for crosswind; I have new methods for taxiing. I do not recommend what I did; I would and must recommend formal training in a taildragger transition course. (But I didn't have to do a transition course, because I'm now flying part 103 -- enjoying the FAA's best last pilot freedom). For the rest of my taildragger transition, I thank God who allowed me to create a Belite 254. They are wonderfully forgiving.

Just about everything is done.

I appreciate all of the inquiries I've received. I'm mindful of all of them, but I have not responded to some of them, because of the crush of things to be done before Airventure. Your patience is appreciated! I remain very interested in dealer inquiries here in the US and distributor inquiries in foreign countries. I will be establishing a partner program which will be mutually beneficial. Please visit me or my crew at Oshkosh.

I love this little plane. It's not an excuse for anything. It's real; fun; and economical.