Featherweight Avionics

Gene and I have made several panels for a variety of our aircraft. They were a mixture of basic instruments: airspeed indicators, altimeter, engine gauges, inclinometers. Basic stuff.

I'd run into a few problems with instruments breaking; also a few problems with inaccuracies. I was tired of weight. I started to think about ways to improve that panel. My 30 years of experience in electronics kept nagging me: I just had to develop some good, inexpensive, state of the art instruments.

A lot of very good companies produce fantastic, expensive stuff. Almost all of the direction of the industry has been towards more integration and more expense.

Why not break that trend?

Why not design basic electronic instruments that replace old fashioned steam stuff, that cost less, that works better, that weigh about a dozen grams, not a dozen ounces or even one or two pounds, and that more quickly alerts (using bright LEDS) to marginal conditions such as low fuel or redline speed? How about instruments with no dials to twist?

Well, that's what I did.

We introduced 10 new instruments to the market. I won't pick at the details of each here (see our avionics page for details). I'll just mention the key points of one of them.



Let's talk about our Turn Rate Indicator:

1) It truly has a solid state gyro in it, and it's incredibly sensitive.

2) It's designed to show a standard rate turn. And several other turn rates.

3) It uses different colored LEDS to quickly show when a turn has begun.

4) The LEDs are bright, easily observed in a bright cockpit.

5) You can see them with sunglasses on, even polarized sunglasses (unlike many LCD screens.)

6) And unlike mechanical gyros, it's inexpensive (about $150).

7) And also unlike mechanical gyros, you can buy it in a tiny box (3 x 2 x 1 inch) which you can velcro to any panel. It runs off an enclosed 9v battery for about 14 hours.

8) Or you can buy it with a standard 2 1/4 inch cutout bezel.

9) Or you can buy it with an even smaller 1.75 inch square bezel.

This is how we approached the design of each of our instruments: Lots of installation and use options, bright LEDs, simple operation, really low costs. Great for experimental, homebuilt, patch flying, ultralights, and perhaps a few other markets as well. (Helicopters? Yes. Gliders? Absolutely.)

My daughter Jennifer prepared a great video demonstrating the Turn Rate Indicator. You can see the video here. If that doesn't work, go to belite's channel on youtube and you'll find several more of our avionic and flying videos.

Even though the concepts are simple, the electronic technology has been a tough at times to tackle. In order to protect the work that has been done, we recently filed 9 patent applications on our technology. As a result, our designs are 'patent pending', which is a great thing as well.

The entire instrument panel pictured at the beginning of this post weighs about 12 ounces. That includes the basic metal plate, and all of the instruments. This is one of the developments that continues to ensure that our aircraft are the best and that our avionics (and aircraft) customers have the easiest to use, lightest, least expensive and most comprehensive goodies in the cockpit.

I appreciate your feedback. I was given several great ideas for additions to this new product line at Sun N Fun -- we'll work on some of them and hopefully show even more avionics at Oshkosh. In the meantime, this is great new stuff.

Finally, these avionics are 'on sale' for this first week of their introduction. You can order them with discount code SUN10 on our webstore through the end of 2010 Sun N Fun, (april 18) and this will give you a 20% discount!

We are also intent on adding distributors, both here in the US and overseas. Interested? Let me know.

Details on the new Trike

Our four aircraft news announcements have been posted. Today, I'm going to add important details on the new redesigned Trike.

First of all, it's beautiful. Based on customer feedback, it's much nicer than our original Trike design. It's also less expensive. It's also more configurable --- you can easily convert it from Tricycle to Taildragger to Tricycle gear.... whatever you're feeling like.

We're bringing our Trike demo plane to Sun N Fun.

Here's the cost details for our demo plane:

Basic Taildragger model, Ready to Fly: $24995
Trike Package: $1500 (add to ANY kit or ANY RTF airplane)
Carbon Fiber Wings: $3100 (this is a reduced price, details in another post)
Engine Swap: $1600 (this swaps the MZ-34 for the MZ-201 45HP engine)
Propeller Swap: $600 (this swaps a Tennessee wood for a 3 blade composite)
Instrument Panel UPGRADE to NEW AVIONICS: $0

TOTAL $31795 as configured

A basic Trike starts at $26495, RTF. ($24995 + $1500 Trike Package)

OK, now you're probably wondering: what do you get in a Trike package??

Here's the answer:

-- front gear tube, prebent from 1 5/8 chromalloy steel
-- front gear brace, prewelded using chromalloy steel
-- left and right .190 prebent / machined aluminum gear arms
-- delrin nylon machined blocks (4 pieces)
-- bolts / nuts
-- front modifications to fuselage -- carrier tubes prewelded and brace patch prewelded;
-- main landing gear mods to fuselage -- horizontal and vertical
reinforcements to fuselage for new gear hardpoints
-- disc brake packages (2)
-- machined aluminum disc brake mounts (2)
-- disc brake cables
-- heel brake weldments

This means that you can change a Trike back to a Taildragger (you may have to make a new exhaust for this swap...)

We put carbon fiber wings on our demo plane, because the weight savings allowed us to use a bigger, heavier MZ-201 engine.

You'll notice in our flickr photos that the Trike also has our new instrument panel with our new Avionics that we designed!! This new panel weighs about 10 ounces with basic 4 instruments installed: EGT/CHT; Inclinometer; Air Speed; and AGL altimeter. The LED displays are brilliant and easy to see, even in direct daylight. The weight includes the metal panel, which is gorgeous, and the instruments.



The Trike is the first real ultralight that's also a real airplane.!!

On the eve of four announcements

It is Sunday evening; my wife and I have comfortably settled into our rental home in Lakeland Florida. Sun N Fun starts in two days. Tomorrow, we're sending out four news releases.

We're exhausted. Our staff and us have been working nearly around the clock for the last couple of weeks, trying to get everything ready and buttoned up for the show.

Most of my time has been spent on the development of a suite of avionics -- you'll be able to read about them soon enough. I've already concluded that once you fly with our new air speed indicator, you'll never use any other air speed indicator again. Ours is designed from the ground up for slow experimentals and ultralights. But it's just one of ten or so new avionics we're introducing, and it is by no means the coolest. Enough said on the avionics, or I'll spill the beans prematurely.

I asked for feedback on the Trike several weeks ago. You responded; and we completely redesigned it. Take a look at the pictures which have been posted on flickr
and you'll see that the Trike is now identical to our conventional taildragger model. And you can switch back and forth easily!

The Trike pictured is powered by a MZ202 engine with 45 horsepower. It uses carbon fiber wings, and tips the scales at about 250 pounds. Amazing.!

That's all for now.

See you at Sun N Fun in two days!

James

Cessna / Carolina Liar / Show me what I’m looking for

In this part of the story, I am roughly 43 or 44 years old and CEO of a rapidly growing computer forensics company.

I have to go to Washington, DC for a series of meetings with my clients. They are large federal agencies, like the FBI, IRS, even the Secret Service, perhaps the....

I am under enormous pressure to grow revenue and increase profitability.

As usual, I book travel to Washington DC through either Delta or Airtran Airways. Both of these carriers have routings to DC which hub through Atlanta. This looks simple: a quick trip to Atlanta, a quick flight change, and I’m on my way to DC.

Except, this time, the trip takes a detour. My flight routes to Atlanta, and is very late. I miss my connection to Dulles airport. Instead of arriving around 10:30pm on my scheduled flight at Dulles, the carrier ‘graciously’ reroutes me to Reagan National on another flight. This alternative gets me to DC much later, and at the wrong airport, perhaps 25 miles from my hotel.

The flight arrives DC around 12:50 in the morning. We are probably the last flight of the day to arrive at Reagan.

I trudge to the rental car kiosks, across from the arrival concourse. They are closed. I have no rental car.

It is 1:15am. I am tired.

I go to the cab line location. There is no cab line. Reagan airport has gone dark, it is a virtual ghost town.

I pull out my cell phone and start calling 411 for cab phone #s. All have answering machines or answering services. They are booking cab rides for early morning rides; but none are operating now.

I call my wife. We have friends in the DC area; she calls them and they are willing to put me up.

I pray. Please God help me.

I cry. Literally. I am a middle aged business man, sitting in a dark airport, with no one around. I am crying.

A police officer approaches from nowhere. A cheerful black woman, I ask (beg) her to help me. Does she know of any cab companies which operate at 2:00am? Yes, she does.
20 minutes later, a cab pulls up.

I am on my way to my hotel. I arrive there at 3:00am. I had smartly prepaid for my hotel room (Priceline, I think.)

As luck would have it, Priceline had put me into a Marriott (Fairfield? Courtyard?) property. It would be a nice room, if it was waiting for me. But it wasn’t, my room has been sold; there is no room. The fact that my hotel room is prepaid is irrelevant. The hotel clerk is probably shocked that I showed up. But NOT TO WORRY, another cab is ready to take me to another motel, perhaps 6 or 7 miles south of Dulles area hotel. (Many hotels are full).

I check into my new no-brand motel. I see an insect move across the floor of my room. I call my wife; I settle into bed at 4:00am in the morning. I rise at 7:30am to prepare for my first meeting of the day. I am furious, beyond tired, and pissed.


Now I am one or two years older.

I purchase a nearly new Cessna T206H airplane. It hauls me, my sales people, and 300 pounds of trade show gear direct from Wichita to Dulles (940NM nonstop). I never again miss a flight. I always arrive when I want, where I want, and I never again go through security. My dispatch reliability is excellent, and I always found a way around bad weather. When I needed to, I delayed my own departure to accommodate safety. I exercised my instrument rating, and flew in the flight levels. Once, I cruised along at 300 knots groundspeed, in part due to a 130 knot tailwind.

I flew the plane 900 hours over a 3.5 year period.

I often arrive at Signature Flight Service at Dulles. I enjoy free ice cream, the serious, professional atmosphere in the lobby, and the fact that I am rubbing shoulders with Gulfstream drivers.

Once, I see Harry Reid (Nev – D) from 15 feet away in the Signature lobby. He is with private security (or Secret Service agents?). He does not seem to mind the fact that he is preparing to get on a jet and head home, while converting thousands of pounds of Jet A into vicious carbon. I will not remember this when the auto companies are pilloried for flying their jets to DC, so they can testify before congress.

Mostly, I enjoy the freedom and convenience of flying my efficient GA airplane.


Now I am 48 years old.

Kathy and I sold the business. 4 months later, I looked at the airplane, and realized that I had flown the T206 less than 2 hours in 120 days. Two months later, I spot my plane on an internet tracking website (www.flightaware.com) and it is running around the Bahamas. The wholesaler I sold my bird to told me it was headed to South America.


Now I am 51 years old.

I arrive at IAD, on a commercial flight which routed through Chicago. The flight was over an hour late, because of a mechanical issue. Thankfully, I am not rerouted to Reagan. My flight arrives Dulles late. I get in the cab, and provide the driver with my destination hotel in downtown DC.

The cab driver turns left, and we pull directly in front of Signature Flight Service. A lone Cessna is parked on the flight line. It is surrounded by dozens of jets, of all sizes. The tarmac is thick with jets.

I sigh.

Trike morphing

I'm sitting here at Chicago O'Hare, enroute to DC for a trade show. (No - not in the Belite! :-)

Thanks for your input on the Belite Trike. I received great posts and feedback, not only here, but by email, and from a Yahoo Group fan as well.

(you can see our Yahoo Group at:)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/belite-aircraft/

As a result, the Trike is morphing. We're going to try and pull off the impossible, which is get a brand new Trike configured and showable for Sun N Fun.

Here's the changes coming:

1) Out with the aluminum tail boom, back to trusty chromalloy steel (benefit: any Belite can become a Trike)

2) We're 'flipping' the main gear to make it a Trike (benefit: any Belite gear can be used on a Trike)

3) Nose gear is being rebuilt using beefier aluminum (benefit: stronger)

4) I'll be playing with getting a MZ201 on this plane (benefit: better performance, but at a price).

I'm also working on some exciting avionics options, and also at one or two more ways to squeeze pounds out of airplanes. I aim to keep it interesting!

Stay tuned, fly safe, have fun!

-- James

Need input on the Trike

The Trike demonstrator has not flown since we returned from Sebring. It sustained some very minor damage as we were loading it into the truck for the return home; the Superlite was a higher priority for us to work on after we got back. Also, the move into our new workshop location had consumed four weeks of our energy.

Based on the number of inquiries on the Trike, I know people want it and it's important to get this new plane up and running.

So here's my comments, and I want your feedback:

1) We redesigned the fuselage on the Trike to use an aluminum tail boom. You can see the black powdercoated tailboom in the photo above. It looks cool. It was supposed to save weight and reduce production complexity. It doesn't really save any weight, and the additional welding complexity on the tail feathers and rear landing (now main) landing gear largely offset welding savings on the rear fuselage. Should we use the original steel welded fuselage? Or stick with the aluminum boom?

2) The main gear of the Trike were designed from the ground up to use fiberglass rods. Although strong, this involved creating a couple more weldments that require fabrication. It would be easier to use an 'A' frame rear main gear similar to, if not identical, to our existing gear on the taildragger models, and forget the fiberglass rods. In other words, changing the gear design will save some money, and make this plane more affordable.

3) The nose gear works great; but we've discovered that the strength of the aluminum on the gear is a little marginal. Nothing really to discuss here; we're rebuilding the nose gear with some stronger aluminum.

4) The ground clearance is a little high, making taxiing tips slightly more likely.

5) I think many people want this with a bigger engine (think MZ-201 with 45HP) and light wings (think carbon fiber) so that it's weight legal in part 103. This would be an option, but would cost $$.

I have to make decisions on all of these over the next two weeks.

What do you think?

Flight Review of Belite

This post was updated on June 30, 2010:

For a direct link to the Flight Review mentioned below in this post, click here:


BELITE FLIGHT REVIEW by Scott Severen



Has anyone flight reviewed a Belite?



Why YES! Someone came to Wichita and and performed an independent and thorough review of the Belite. We expect to see an article published in April, hopefully in time for distribution at Sun N Fun. Last week, Scott Severen came to our airport and took the bird through its paces. I was nervous, anxious, excited. What would happen?

Scott has a long history in the aircraft (and especially the ultralight) market, having been a principal at Airbike and TEAM aircraft. He knows his stuff. I met him at Sebring back in January, and we'd hoped to have him fly the aircraft at that time. Since that didn't work out, he came up to Wichita from his home near Dallas. He's writing the article at the request of one of our industry periodicals.



I helped Scott with a long preflight briefing -- we covered just about every nut and bolt on the airframe, along with discussions of speeds, stall technique, flying characteristics and more.

And then he took off.

Does a Belite really sound like that?

It was odd to watch our Belite fly overhead, without me in it.

I saw Scott do things with the airplane I am not (yet) capable of doing. I was amazed.

I'm looking forward to reading his entire experience and review in the article.

In the course of the day, we shot hundreds of photos. The best will be in the magazine article, but a few are in this blog.



Scott flew the Superlite, with a Hirth F23 engine. The aircraft was equipped with big tires, brakes, minimal instrumentation, carbon fiber wings, composite tail wheel spring, carbon fiber firewall, carbon fiber floorboard, carbon fiber seatback and bottom, 5 gallon spun aluminum fuel tank (beautiful), wood instrument panel (minimal, but beautiful), UV treated ceconite wings, naked tail, full 4130 black powdercoated chromalloy fuselage (safety), BRS full frame parachute (safety), electric start, dual ignition, and full wrapover windshield. The engine was spinning a 60 x 36 prop, and it ran smoothly. For a battery, I was using a 1.5 pound Lipo battery, with a quick disconnect battery plug. The engine was throttle stopped at about 75% power, which I've verified is capable of producing the fastest possible cruise in a part 103 aircraft.

Here's some things I'm hoping Scott talks about:

1) flight characteristics
2) takeoff and climb performance
3) glide rate
4) landing and runway control
5) slips
6) fun factor
7) transition requirements
8) world's best turn and bank indicator (that would be the breeze on your face) :-)
9) trim
10) stalls, both power on and power off

Scott, come on back and fly the Trike!!

Speaking of the Trike, tomorrow I'll be publishing some comments on the Trike program and where we are at.

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

Belite FAQs

FAQs for Belite Aircraft and for FAR Part 103 operations. Please send me emails with other questions you’d like answered: james AT beliteaircraft.com

1) What kind of tires does the Superlite use? A: We’re using a 5.00 x 5 tires with tubes. They should be underinflated a little because they are the primary landing shock absorber.

2) What do they weigh? A: The 5.00 x 5 tires and tubes weigh about 15 pounds for a set of two. That’s four pounds more than are standard lighter 5 inch tires.

3) I see that your demo aircraft don’t have any shock absorbers (EG Bungees) on the main gear. Why not? Can I add bungees? A: The stiff gear are about 3.5 pounds lighter than the bungee gear, including the bungees. You can add the bungee gear to most configurations, we have both types in stock.

4) What kinds of engines are you using? A: We’ve currently tested 3 types and are happy with them. We base our satisfaction on actual flight and ground testing. We like the MZ-34 from www.compactradialengines.com and also the MZ-201 from the same company. They are smooth running. The MZ-34 produces 30HP and weighs about 44 pounds with exhaust. The MZ-201 produces 45HP and weighs about 62 pounds with exhaust. We also just tested the Hirth F23 50HP engine which weighs about 78 pounds with exhaust.

5) Are you testing other engines? A: Yes. We’ll be testing several more engines in 2010.


6) Can I use the bigger engines on a part 103 ultralight aircraft? A: Yes, subject to meeting weight and cruise speed requirements, and also being satisfied with fuel consumption. FAR Part 103 aircraft must weigh less than 254 pounds (278 pounds if equipped with a ballistic parachute, because a separate reweighing of the chute system is NOT required, regardless of its weight) [float equipped aircraft have even more generous weight limits]. Cruise speed must not exceed 62mph in level flight. If the engine is too powerful, a ground adjustable prop and/or in combination with a throttle stop is acceptable for meeting these requirements, per Advisory Circular 103.7.

7) How did you keep the speed of the airplane down when using the big 50HP Hirth engine? A: We used a ground installed throttle stop. If operated as a homebuilt experimental, you can get the full benefit of the 50 ponies, subject to the yellow and redline of the airplane.


8) How about operating the Superlite on floats? A: We’ve never done it, we live in Kansas and we don’t know what a lake would like if it wasn’t covered with whitecaps. HOWEVER, it will work fine with the Hirth 50HP, assuming that you use two floats that are light enough to meet part 103 (30 pounds each). The full power of the Hirth will yank the little seabird off the water.

9) What’s the difference between a Superlite and a Belite ‘254’? A: The Superlite uses carbon fiber aggressively in the cockpit to reduce weight. Also, the fuselage rear is not covered with fabric, to save weight. I can’t feel any flying difference. Otherwise, same fuselage and same carbon fiber wing as a ‘254’. The ‘254’ can’t accept the Hirth engine, it would weigh too much. The Superlite uses our bigger flaperons, so the wing area is a little larger. The Superlite uses the Hirth engine.


10) What’s the difference between a Trike and a Superlite or ‘254’? The Trike has tricycle gear and
uses a boom aluminum fuselage. The cabin is steel and unchanged from the other models. The nose gear is also a steel shaft to a very nice nose wheel design. The trike is heavier; to use a 45HP engine, you have to have the lighter carbon fiber wings to meet part 103 weight requirements.

11) What’s the difference between Carbon Fiber and Aluminum/wood wings? A: Aerodynamically, there is no difference. The CF wing uses CF ribs and spars. The traditional wing is aluminum spars and wood ribs. The CF wing is lighter, which is necessary for some configurations to be legal. Cost wise, we charge $5000 for the CF upgrade.

12) What legal pilot requirement is required to fly a Part 103 airplane, such as the Belite? A: there is none. You do not need any type of license whatsoever. A blind 12 year old may legally fly our airplane. (You, however, may be charged with child endangerment and manslaughter and imprisoned after the 12 year old’s untimely demise.)


13) What legal medical requirement is required to fly a Part 103 airplane, such as the Belite? A: There is none whatsoever. You do not need any type of medical. If you have a lapsed medical, that is irrelevant and you may legally fly the Belite. If you have a lost a medical, that is irrelevant and you may legally fly the Belite. If you have been denied a medical, that is irrelevant and you may legally fly the Belite.

14) What prior experience is required to fly a Part 103 airplane, such as the Belite? A: There is none whatsoever. There is no currency requirement. There is no biannual requirement. Whether you are in biannual or not is irrelevant.

15) OK, I think I get it. Anyone can fly a Belite, correct? A: Legally, anyone can do it. HOWEVER, You should be capable of safely flying the Belite before you fly it.
16) What level of training do you recommend prior to flying a Belite? A: We recommend recent tailwheel proficiency in a similar aircraft, such as a Cub or Kitfox. If flying our Trike, recent experience and proficiency in a Cessna 150 would be helpful.

17) Why do some models have a covered fuselage, while others have an open frame, reminiscent of an ‘Airbike’? A: I like the open framework, and I can’t personally feel any difference on the flying qualities. Also, the open frame requires substantially less work to finish. It’s also lighter, which was absolutely imperative on our ‘Superlite’ model.

18) Why is powdercoating an option in our kits? A: The builder of our kits has 2 choices: painting or powdercoating. If the builder wants us to powdercoat it, we will do that. Powdercoating looks fantastic, and there are dozens of colors available. It is also slightly heavier than painting. If the builder wants to paint the fuselage and metal components, that is easily done using an enamel spray paint. It’s also a lot cheaper than powdercoating. It’s more prone to chipping than powdercoating. It’s helpful to ‘bake’ a paint job in the sun for a week so that the enamel paint truly hardens. This will help resist chipping. Corrosion can appear under powdercoating and be difficult to spot; it’s easier to see corrosion with paint. This all boils down to builders choice with good reasons to go either way.

19) Is the airplane available with 2 seats? A: No, that is not allowed under Part 103.

20) Why does the Trike have an aluminum tail boom fuselage, whereas the ‘254’ and the Superlite have a steel fuselage? A: The 254 and the Superlite are taildraggers, and the steel fuselage is ideal for handling the landing bounce loads. The aluminum tail boom on the Trike is easier to build, but is not capable of being configured for a taildragger without extensive work. That doesn’t mean we won’t do it someday, but not now.

21) I’m uncomfortable using ‘push-pull’ cables for control surfaces. What has Belite done to make them safer? A: 1) We’ve demonstrated flying the Belite with one flaperon unattached to a cable. It was easy to control. 2) The elevator on the ‘254’ and the Superlite use a conventional push pull aluminum tube, not a cable. 3) The elevator on the Trike uses dual Push-Pull cables, so redundancy is designed in. 4) As for rudder push-pull cables, see the next FAQ….

22) Has the rudder control system been improved? A: Yes! All of our models use dual push-pull cables to the rudder, instead of loose 7x7 cables in nylon sleeves as was used in older ultralights. As a result, the rudder action is crisper, and the system can better tolerate the failure of a cable.

23) Can you install a BRS parachute in a Belite? A: Yes! Our Superlite has this feature as standard. We use a BRS softpack. The FAA allows 24 pounds for the system. The system weighs less, so this is a net plus. The parachute costs around $3,000.

24) Why is the firewall made out of Carbon Fiber? A: The mold we made for the firewall allows a very light, very stiff firewall. It looks sharp too.

25) Do you count the weight of the battery in the total weight of your airplane? A: No. We use a quick disconnect connector, so the engine may be started with the electric starter and then the battery is removed from the aircraft before flight. The connector we use is from the RC aircraft industry, and works extremely well.

26) Are doors available? A: Yes.

27) Why are your airplanes so expensive, for instance, compared to a used Taylorcraft or a used Ultralight? My uncle has a ‘puddlejumper froggie’ with an old Rotax 277, and he says he bought it for $2,500 last year. When he is able to get it started, he says it flies great, especially after the white smoke cloud clears! A: Our aircraft are built by skilled workers who are paid a decent wage with real benefits. For cost conscious customers, we offer kits starting at little more than $8,000. Everything in them costs money. We do not cut corners: we use aircraft steel, 6061T6 aluminum, we have parts machined, we weld, we cover with Dacron, we make sure everything works. We even try to ensure that our aircraft designs look like aircraft, not like ultralights or low cost, built cheap concoctions. Our engines are modern designs from good companies. The engine vendors, like us, demand to be paid a fair price for a good product. Used aircraft can present outstanding aviation bargains, but require more maintenance and paperwork of allkinds than our ultralight aircraft. Certainly, if you want a used ultralight, buy it. Or if you want a used classic aircraft and are willing to take on the maintenance and paperwork burden, buy it as well.

28) Why are your airplanes so inexpensive, for instance, compared to new LSAs? A: Our aircraft do not require ASTM or FAA certification, so we save considerable expense. I am very pleased that someone recently told me: “Your aircraft fill the vision of what Light Sport was supposed to be: inexpensive affordable flying.”

29) Why is the base 254 model priced at $25,000? A: It’s a fair price for a hand built aircraft, complete with tubular welded 4130 steel fuselage and hand finished Dacron wing.

30) Why is the trike model priced at $3,000 higher than the base model? A: The additional fabrication and parts required for the installation of the nose gear.

31) Why is the Superlite priced at $42,000? A: It has several significant options: 1) Add BRS parachute ($3K + installation costs) 2) Add big 50HP F23 engine from Hirth 3) Add Carbon Fiber Wings 4) Add Carbon Fiber cockpit interior 5) Add Lithium Polymer battery for starting 6) Add dual EGT / CHT instrumentation 7) Add dual kill switches [OK, no big deal] 8) Add big tires & tubes

32) Why are your aircraft all painted grey? A: That’s a primer coat of Stewart Ekofill. It is a UV protectant. Additional paint colors are at the option of the new owner. (We don’t paint them; paint adds weight.)

33) What covering system do we use? A: Stewart Systems and Dacron fabric.

34) How long before you ship a kit, after I give you an order: A: currently 3 months.

35) How long before you ship a plane, after I give you an order: A: currently 6 weeks or less.

36) What does it cost to ship a kit to Europe? A: $800 for shipping and $500 for crating. Delivery is by boat. Shipping time is about 6 weeks.

37) What does it cost to ship to Australia? A: $1400 for shipping and $500 for crating.

38) Can I avoid shipping and crating charges by picking up in Wichita? A: Yes. However, you will have to pay sales tax.

39) What does the Trike weigh without an engine? A: The Trike weighs 200 pounds with aluminum / wood wings; it weighs 186 pounds with carbon fiber wings and carbon fiber cockpit. This does not include: Engine, Engine Mount, Propeller, Cowl. This leaves an allowance of either 54 pounds or 68 pounds. This means either MZ-34 or MZ-201 will work great.

Please send me emails with other questions you’d like answered: james AT beliteaircraft.com

New Aircraft Models to be introduced this week

Wichita went through a real cold spell in November, December and January. It was a difficult time to develop and test new aircraft models, but that's exactly what we did this winter. We'll put out official news releases tomorrow morning, and they are chock full of information on our two new aircraft models.

One is a tricycle gear model, and we are calling it the 'Trike'. How original!

The other is a very high performance ultralight, and we are calling it the 'Superlite'. Both were developed in response to the multitudes of feedback we've received on our classic Belite 254 ultralight aircraft.

Both are loads of fun to fly!

I had the joy of doing first flights and test flights on them. The Superlite was easy -- it flies exactly like our Belite 254, only on steroids. The Trike was a little more eventful -- since it used a new tail design, I found our first rigging was off and the first test hop required constant firm forward stick pressure. That was easily corrected, and the Trike turned into a flying (and landing) dream.

I just uploaded a video to our youtube channel, with an in cockpit view of flying the new Trike. Later this week, we'll have a video of the Superlite, especially showing its 'best in the world' takeoff performance. Yes, that's a big statement, but this little airplane can compete with the many of the best certified aircraft for takeoff performance and beat them.

Our aviation publicist guru Dave watched the Superlite takeoff yesterday and tried to take pictures, but he kept framing his takeoff shot, then have the plane disappear out of frame as it shot upward. You'll enjoy reading the news release.

You can visit the youtube video post of the Trike here: and if that doesn't work, just go to youtube and search on Belite Aircraft.

Ever since the start of the year, the number of purchase inquiries on our aircraft have increased considerably. That's probably due to a number of things: we've kicked up our advertising a notch, and we've gotten good press in a variety of magazines, both here in the US and in Europe.

Here's a little bit of weight information on the new Superlite.

SUPERLITE Weight in Pounds, then Kilos:

Aircraft with CF Wings: 142.2 64.9
Windshield: 4.5 2.0
Brakes: 6.0 2.7
HIRTH 50HP 2 Cyl: 78.0 35.5
Engine Mount: 4.0 1.8
Wood 2 blade 60 x 36: 4.5 2.0
BIG Tires: 15.0 6.8
Standard 5.0 gallon: 4.3 2.0
BRS Parachute: 21.0 9.5

Weight Totals in pounds and Kilos: 279.5 127.0

The astute reader and follower of Part 103 regulations will notice two things:

1) The weight is 1.5 pounds more than the maximum for a Part 103 ultralight with a parachute (277.99 pounds). Yes, I know. We've got a few things left to do before this new airplane is ready to deliver: swap the elevator to carbon fiber, swap the tail spring to composite, perhaps remove the tubes from the tires. This will shave the necessary weight. We could also swap out the BIG tires to smaller ones and achieve the weight saving objective, but the big tires look awesome and must be kept.

2) The engine is a 50HP powerhouse, and as a result, the aircraft cruises at greater than 62mph. The legal solution per part 103 is to reduce the engine power via a ground adjustable power stop, and we will do this for our Part 103 customers. But anyone who builds and registers it as an experimental can ignore this and fly it full throttle. When configured this way, you have a 50HP engine with a 280 pound airframe. Do the math, it's an amazing power to weight ratio.

Tomorrow morning, I get in a truck and will be driving these two new aircraft designs down to Sebring, and they will be on display at the airshow there. Hopefully we'll fly one of them as well.

I will also be posting pictures of both aircraft to my Flickr account:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/beliteaircraft/

BTW, we've also changed our production from the red plastic fuel tanks to really good looking spun aluminum tanks. They are more durable than plastic, and weigh about the same. We like them a lot!

Shearer

“Shearer”
© 2009 by James Wiebe

[Jason]
My friend Jason weighs 235 pounds. He is tall (nearly as tall as me) and strongly proportioned, far more so than me. If he was a football player, he would be a wide receiver. He used to wear a beard that made him look like Abe Lincoln. In fact, when he was pointed out to me many years ago, the mutual friend told me to look for the man who looked like Abe. I found Jason easily, and we became lifelong friends.

[1996 – summertime – at Shearer, which is somewhere deep in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness]
I am staring at Jason as he runs at full gallop across my field of view. Just like Indiana Jones, each step he makes is kicking up dust, and it is hard to imagine someone as large as him running as fast as he is. Why is he running so fast? He is running from my left to my right.

Further to my left is a blue and white Cessna, which is sitting near the end of a wilderness airstrip. Far off to my right is the Selway river. If Jason keeps running as fast as he is, he will run into the river. Jason is running from the airplane as fast as legs can carry a man. I have never seen anything like it.
He stops, and I jog over to him. He is looking at his hand. It has four stings in it. Even in the space of 25 or 30 seconds, the stings are forming considerable welts.

“I was last stung by wasps when I was a child,” he says, “and I may be allergic to these stings.” That’s not good news. We are miles from roads, trailheads, human beings, help, doctors, and civilization. We had just arrived in my Cessna Skyhawk, we had just gotten out of the airplane. Jason was in the process of twisting a tie down stake into the dry, sandy soil so that we could tie the plane down.
He had stuck the stake into a convenient hole in the ground, in order to save a little time, and the wasps had flown out and bit him. Only four made it in the instant of initial attack, and Jason’s quick run had left the balance of the wasp pack behind. But four stings in one hand!

We need a doctor – Oh wait, Jason is a doctor, and he tells me what to do in case things go poorly for him. There really is precious little we can do except watch his hand and pay attention to his breathing. My anxiety level rises.
He and I twist the remainder of the tie down stakes into the ground. We don’t put them into any other wasp nests; no more stings.

There is a small cluster of pine trees alongside the runway which provides an ideal camping spot. We set up our tent.

Jason’s hand is swollen and painful. We have the ideal solution to get his mind from dwelling on the hand: flyfishing. That’s what we are here to do. We can fish, and he can dip his hand in the river anytime to cool it off.

We proceed to fly fish in the Selway river. The wilderness fishing is remarkable; each spot of open water provides a new opportunity to catch more trout. Later, we find a deeper hole. Every time our fly hits the water, another round of fish race toward it. Only one wins; the others return to the depths to await another chance. We catch and release the native cutthroat trout, one after another.

The day wears on. Jason and I hike up and down the river, exploring the wilderness. We return to camp, make dinner, and sit around a fire. The sun sets; I see one hundred thousand stars against a flat black sky. Then it’s time to crawl in our sleeping bags.

The next morning, Jason’s hand is the size of small ham.

 
[24 hours before the wasp bites]
We had arrived in the small town of Salmon, Idaho, having flown 999 statute miles from Wichita, KS. We were thrilled. I took mountain flying training earlier the same year, and I am eager to deliver Jason and myself deep into the wilderness. Our destination, Shearer airstrip, has been carefully selected from a mountain flying guide. Although I’ve never flown to Shearer before, a qualified mountain flying instructor has agreed to take me specifically to this remote airstrip to train me on its intricacies. Like most good mountain airstrips, it’s in a valley, also along a river, and is a one way in, one way out strip. In other words, you can only approach from one direction for landing, because the airstrip ends in a side of a mountain or some similar impenetrable obstacle. Takeoff is in the opposite direction for the same reason. Prior instruction is a very good idea for the first time pilot. And I had arranged that instruction.

My instructor was used to flying large airplanes, and my airplane was small, and liked to glide well when the power was reduced. This would be a problem.
The approach to Shearer airstrip will fill anyone with awe, first because of the beauty, and secondly, because of the intricacy of lacing the aircraft through the valley and into the airstrip.

At a normal airfield, the proper pattern for landing is a rectangle. You enter the rectangle and trace its outline, you descend in an orderly fashion; you land. This doesn’t work at Shearer. As I mentioned, Shearer is in a valley. There are no rectangular traffic patterns at Shearer.

A proper approach to Shearer requires a descent into the Selway river valley. A good route is to come down Bear Creek, then turn left (upriver) to head towards Shearer, immediately after passing a private ranch, with a private runway; a small oasis of private ownership surrounded by the wilderness. The ranch briefly provides a glimpse of extraordinary wealth – causing an inflective thought as you consider the difficulty of access combined with the beauty of the location; the perfectly green grass runway, the solar cells for power generation. Who could afford to own this? How was it built in this remote location? The ranch quickly recedes behind you.

You continue to fly over the river valley at an altitude of perhaps five or six hundred feet off the water. You see crystal water rushing over boulders below you, and you see mountains on both sides of you. They move by with impressive speed; always that feeling of speed in your peripheral vision. Trees rush by. Mountains rush by. You keep the airplane roughly on the right side of the valley, because, an airplane may be around the corner, coming in the opposite direction, and there are right of ways which should be observed, even for airplanes. So you are a little closer to the scenery of the right side of the valley, and it is perhaps the closest you’ve ever been to a mountain, while moving so rapidly through the air. You have to remain observant, because the valley is making slight S turns as the course of the river, the mountains, and the trees moves around.

So here’s the next problem: even though the airstrip is close (perhaps two miles away, upriver), and you are rushing toward it, you still can’t see it. It is in the valley, but the river turns sharply, and that will require the airplane to make a sharp right turn as the river does likewise. The approach is therefore difficult and blind. When we get to the proper ridge, we will turn right, and only then will we see the runway. And it will be right in front of us. And when the runway is right in front of us, we’d better check for elk and deer on the runway. If they block our way, we had best apply power, climb out in a slight left turn, and gain altitude over the river heading upriver. This decision has to be made immediately, because when the airplane is committed to land, it will be impossible to change our mind. (A last moment climb out will simply cause us to hit a mountain which lies at the end of the runway.)

Remember, I’m with an instructor for this first attempt, right? Nothing can possibly go wrong.

The airplane has been slowed to about 65mph, and we have some flaps extended, even though we still can’t see the airstrip. We are fully configured for landing. The ridge appears ahead and to the right. I bank the airplane to turn over the ridge, and I see trees shooting below me as I cross the ridge line.

Sure enough, the runway is there. It is the narrowest, most unimproved slit of ground I’ve ever landed an airplane on. It looks exactly like a jeep trail. The only thing going for it is that it is straight. It rises slightly upslope towards the far end, then the terrain rises even faster into a mountain side.
It is also very short. This makes things a little trickier yet, simply due to the lack of room for error. Don’t land short (there’s no runway – just weeds and mountain pasture). Don’t land long (it’s a mountain, idiot.) Just land at the right spot, and do it the first time, everytime.

We are very close to the approach end of the runway. The instructor had me cut power to the engine, and so we are essentially gliding towards our touchdown point.
My little airplane is a Cessna Skyhawk, also known as a 172. They are fun, sprightly little flyers. They hold four people, and are also commonly used for instruction.

My instructor’s regular job is hauling passengers and freight in larger aircraft, such as the Cessna Stationair. A Stationair will not glide well. My instructor has forgotten that the 172 we are in is NOT a Stationair. My 172 is gliding very well. In fact, it is gliding so well that we are both realzing that the plane will not get onto the ground before we run out of airstrip. And there is a mountain beyond that.
About 2/3rds of the way down the airstrip, the wheels of the plane finally touch the dirt. The instructor and I both press the wheel brakes as hard as legs will press. The 172 wheels grab dirt and sink and skid as the mountain in the windshield gets larger. (We’re skidding towards it). Mercifully, about 75 feet of dirt and sand remains as the airplane finally skids to a stop.
I exhale. So does the instructor.

“I think we should try that one more time,” says the instructor. I agree. We turn the plane around, take off, head downriver, reverse course, and come back in and land one more time. With better speed control, the next landing is perfect, and my instructor tells me that I’m hereafter OK to do it in on my own. We fly back to Salmon, and I’m glad to be done with him.

Jason is waiting for me at our hotel room. He’s been shopping for food while I’ve been staining seat cushions. We will reload the plane and depart for our remote camping destination in the morning.

***

--- James Wiebe

PS I've been super busy working on stuff. Hope you enjoyed reading this little interlude from my past. It's basically an uncompleted true story -- I started to write a book about these experiences several years ago and this would have been one of the chapters. My friend Jason is awesome. We've done many adventure trips over the years.

Belite Aircraft Announces Kits!

I've been so busy getting our kits ready. Here's the release which was just posted a couple of hours ago:

Wichita, KS -- Belite Aircraft is now offering several kit configurations of its single-seat Part 103 compliant airplane at prices starting below $8,100, well below others in the market. These kits may also be built as a homebuilt, experimental aircraft. Subassemblies and components, many of which can be used on other types of homebuilt and ultralight aircraft, are also available so that builders can construct their aircraft in stages.

Kits and Parts can be purchased on the online store, accessible through the Belite website at www.beliteaircraft.com. Many different Part 103 and experimental aircraft can use the parts and subassemblies available on the Belite webstore.

Belite also concurrently announces its new carbon fiber ‘hybrid’ tailfeathers, which are lighter, stronger and less expensive than steel equivalents. Quoted kit prices include these new tail feathers. Original steel tailfeathers are also available at higher prices.

For those builders seeking to register their airplane as experimental, Belite kits are expected to comply with the FAA’s new experimental aircraft ruling, AC 20-27G. Belite expects a favorable ruling in the first quarter of 2010. (Part 103 assembly does not require compliance to the new FAA ruling.)

Kits include required parts and subassemblies for a Belite 254 aircraft, firewall aft. Carbon fiber wing options are available as well. “Belite’s pricing, which starts at $8,095, makes it one of the finest values in experimental or ultralight aircraft kits available today. A kit with a complete finish welded fuselage, along with an excellent VFR instrument panel, is available for a little less than $13,000, as well,” noted James Wiebe, Chief Executive Officer of Belite. “With some careful shopping of our kits and the used/new engine market, it’s possible to have a homebuilt taildragger for anywhere between $10K and $17K, depending on engine and panel,” Wiebe added.

Kit subassemblies are also available for Tail Feathers, Wings, Landing Gear, Fabric, Fuselage, Panel/Electronics, Flaperons, Windshield, Flight Control, Fuel System, Struts and Composites, as well as Powdercoating and Crating.

Specific features, pricing and availability, as well as additional features can be obtained by contacting Belite Aircraft at www.beliteaircraft.com or by calling 316-253-6746. Photographs and additional details of both versions of the aircraft are also published in James Wiebe’s blog, www.jameswiebe.blogspot.com, which may also be accessed through the Belite website.

Track 12

“Track 12”

By James Wiebe, CEO

Belite Aircraft

© 2009 James Wiebe

For reprint rights, contact the author:

James ‘at’ (that’s ‘@’) beliteaircraft.com

Chapter 1: Scrubbing a flight

I stare at the concrete ramp in dismay. There is a leak by the quick drain on the tank. Every 5 seconds, another drop hits the concrete, a steady drip, coming from the general area of the quick drain on the fuel tank. The day’s flight is scrubbed. The tank needs repair.

I could swap the tank for another, I have two more back at the shop. But those tanks either have no fuel sender installed (the device which determines the quantity of fuel), or their fuel sender is not compatible with the one installed in the panel of this particular plane. In other words, I’d be flying blind on fuel consumption, and I’m not eager to do that.

Been there, done that, it shouldn’t happen, but I’m cautious. So the flight is definitely scrubbed.

Chapter 2: Flint Hills, again

My mind wanders as I drive on I35 towards Emporia KS, to a fly in at the Emporia airport. The grass in the hills remains luscious and green even though the season is late September; the valleys that are within the hills fall into the distance, and the turnpike wanders around through it all. I see cattle, many ponds, and the crest of hills and fade of valleys. Even though the elevation gain and loss from the Kansas ‘flint hills’ is not large, the majesty and mystery of what I see in these hills makes me feel awed.

While driving, I consider a recent email I received from a potential dealer for our Part 103 ultralight, the Belite 254:

“My first ultralight was an eye opener! Training and reliability was a joke. If I wasn't already an experienced pilot (and pretty good at that time), I would have never survived. Several years ago, when I jumped back into the FAR par 103 ultralight word, much progress had been made. My new bird was incredible in many ways but still elementary in others.

One of the things I never could accept was the attitude of the management at the company I bought it from. This merits some explanation but please understand it is merely the opinion of one person, perhaps not the majority of their dealers.

The factory never showed any genuine interest or trust in their dealers. To even get a plant tour or basic product information took major effort on the part of the dealer... it was almost as if you were considered an outsider or even an industrial spy. No training or indoctrination was available from the factory. Even worse, they didn't even try to encourage dealer interaction.... we didn't have a clue who covered various areas or who to refer customers to other than the factory. Bottom line is this. It is impossible to take pride in something and work to continually improve when there is no team spirit or leadership from the company brass. Frankly, I have never experienced anything like it unless they were trying to fail.

Now that’s an honest email!

He’s describing one of the many bruises that the FAR 103 ultralight industry has taken over the last 3 decades. Manufacturers who fell into the role of being manufacturers, not because they planned and managed, but because they had a nice design, and regular guys said they wanted to buy it.

Obliging young businessman providing new ultralights to eager customers. Seems easy, correct, natural, right?

I’d been there, in my first major company, Newer Technology. I was young, the company had a hot product, we didn’t have a clue how to produce or build it reliably in high volume. We ended up taking more than 25,000 orders for a $200 product, thus selling the product at a pricepoint that could not reasonably be expected to earn us any money, and then we delayed product shipments for 6 months, just to make sure the customer base appreciated our incompetence.

We were incompetent. OK, maybe not all of us, maybe not everyday, but we blew it on the big decisions. I learned lessons, I changed as a result.

Newer Technology was occasionally called ‘Never’ Technology, and we deserved the unfriendly moniker. We ended pissing off our dealers and sales representatives. We snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Bankruptcy and failure. I like to describe the Newer period of my business career as how I obtained my ‘Masters of Business Administration’ degree, the hard way.

(Read more on Newer, written by my friend Roger Kasten: http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/feedback/NewerTechFarewell.html )

Chapter 3: Two cell phone towers

I’m still driving down the turnpike, and I see two cell phone towers. They are, in fact, the same two cell towers I had spotted from a distance several weeks ago, when my plane and I spent an eventful afternoon broken down. http://jameswiebe.blogspot.com/search?q=blue

This time, I’m seeing them from close up. They had provided the cell phone link which was my lifeline.

Back to reflections from the email:

“Aviation is an inherently risky venture, especially if you are not always working hard to do the correct thing and establish the right attitudes and habits. It is almost like the FAR Part 103 ultralight community knowingly sweeps mistakes and problems under the carpet (probably for liability reasons) rather than being open and above board to discover weaknesses such that they can be addressed intelligently. Even the FAA seems complicit in this regard with their hands off approach (especially in ultralights) even when they have reason to know negative trends exist in certain product lines. Getting valid information regarding accidents is especially hard to come by since many problems are simply not reported and are not appropriately investigated by trained personnel. Consequently, mum is the word so as not to hurt the reputation of anyone involved. Meanwhile, problems do not get addressed on a timely basis.

OK, I’ll think about FAR Part 103 accidents for a few minutes. No one is publicly talking about or reporting ultralight incidents or accidents (with my little flint hills experience apparently a rare exception) and no one in the FAA is paying attention. Really! No one is paying attention.

At Oshkosh a few weeks ago, I had the chance to talk with someone at the FAA who used to be in charge of a lot of FAR Part 103 paperwork. He said he’d see an application cross his desk every couple of days. This was years ago; eons ago. I asked him who or how many now in the FAA tracked Part 103 aircraft these days. Nada, Zilch. No one. He told me that the FAA doesn’t have anyone working on Part 103 issues. “That would be a Flight Standards issue… he says”. In fact, this FAA employee flies ultralights, and he’s hunting our booth, trying to find help getting some struts for his bird. I try and help him.

If a tree falls in a forest, does it make any sound?

If an ultralight falls out of the air, does any part of the industry or government really care?

Hmm.

No, not really. No one cares.

When I started Belite, I bought a used Kitfox Lite ultralight, to help me figure out how to build a Belite.

That bird had its fair share of safety and regulatory issues: A) one of the rod end bearings had a serious bend, with the resulting upcoming failure certain to cause a loss of control. B) the engine reduction bearing block had six bolts, of which four were cracked and lying in a cavity in an engine casting. C) it was 40 pounds over legal flying weight. I considered how to publicize the first two problems to the community; I knew that plane had been flown regularly, but with neglected maintenance. ( As for the third point, the story of the weight reduction was the cover story for the September issue of Sport Pilot.)

Other anecdotes about old ultralights float through my mind. Thousands of planes with worn out sails; old engines, bad engines, coats of dust, no upkeep, mice living in the rear of the pilot’s seat, under the cracked fiberglass chair. Most of these old ultralight aircraft will never fly again.

Last weekend, I spoke with a gentleman who had a couple of ultralights, one needing repair before flight. He called the manufacturer, and was told to take a hacksaw to his plane and cut it up. (They were only partly serious; the parts he needed were available – with shipping costing more than the parts. He asked if that was because they wanted him to buy a new plane, and they said yes. Fair deal.)

Chapter 4: the Emporia fly in

I arrive at the Emporia airport. To my delight, another of my friends, Craig Sooter, is there. We exchange greetings; he has to leave almost immediately. (Craig took the photo of the Belite 254 CF which ended up on the cover of Sport Pilot magazine; he was in a Cessna 172 chasing my Belite. How he got slow enough to take photos is a story for another time…)

I head inside the hangar, and I find even more friends. Terry Alley is there, along with another friend, Paul Fiebich. Paul flew to Emporia in his Airbike, and Terry flew in his Kitfox Lite. The weather is perfect; very light winds; lots of sunshine. The temperature is in the 70’s, the pancakes, coffee and orange juice are less than four bucks. A nice lady take my money, and I join Terry and Paul over at a table. Terry’s $100 breakfast probably cost less than $20, roundtrip, including breakfast and gas.

I am disappointed by the turnout. I see maybe 70 or 80 people, along with maybe 3 dozen planes on the ramp. A group of powered paragliders are clumped together on the grass. All sport ‘for sale’ signs on them. Prices range from below $10K to $18K or $19K. I see ‘make offer’ signs posted as well. I am surprised that on such a beautiful day, the proprietor has chosen not to fly his inventory. None of the paragliders are moving. In fact, they look like they are huddled together, a little discouraged, talking about flying tales from 2 or 3 years ago.

A few more words from the email provide a counterpoint to the low crowd count:

“The ultralight crowd is usually a gregarious bunch of people with social ties. This should be encouraged and exploited in my opinion. Birds of a feather flock together so it makes sense to go with the flow rather than ignore the natural tendency. This can be done intelligently with training and skill building in mind (RV get togethers come to mind) rather than mindless partying and unstructured interactions. This can be a unique opportunity to differentiate one company from its less creative competition (RANS seems to work this angle well).

That seems obvious, I agree.

Musing to myself: In the last few days, I had the opportunity to walk around several private airstrips. I feel privileged. All are grass; one is a glider port, another is a strip mowed out of a hayfield, and the third is an airpark. The runway at that one is gorgeous, with manicured grass, generously wide active runway, homes on both sides, and a hayfield off the departure end of the runway. Power out on takeoff?? No problem… just coast into the next field. I see an older gentleman who is working on his airplane collection. At this level, aviation is clearly vibrant and alive!

I was oblivious to all of these hidden airport places, before I started flying ultralight Part 103. Each has a story to tell, each has some community. One of these places is a glider port, and it hides a couple of very small businesses; it has an individual building and selling helicopters, another restoring classic sailplanes, sailplane instruction, a dozen ore more sailplanes in storage trailers, and more.

Someone from the glider club is always at the local airshow, handing out brochures, encouraging rides, and generally talking up the joy of sailplanes.

I landed a new Belite there a few days ago. The A&P was working on the helicopter. He came out and looked at my very competent little plane, and so do several other folks. Everyone seems delighted. He notices a loose jam nut on a rod end bearing and scurries off to grab a wrench. A moment later, the problem is fixed.

Chapter 5: Track 12

On the drive back from Emporia, I’m playing my CD player; I like a couple of the tracks that I like and play them over and over. One is Track 12. It grabs my attention. It talks about ‘having a long long way to fall’.

No, I’m not musing about falling out of an airplane.

I am musing about how the ultralight aircraft industry had done so well, and is now doing so poorly.

I talked with one of my vendors. He recalled better days for Part 103, when volumes of aircraft sold were hundreds or even thousands of units. He mentions having supplied parts to one company in volumes to support 2,500 aircraft sales. I am pretty impressed. My sales goal for 2010 is a tiny fraction of that number.

Why so poorly now?

Quick observations:

1) Products were priced below the cost of production. Of course the product was a bargain – the vendor had agreed to ship dollars with each airplane. He just didn’t know it at the time, nor did the purchaser. The purchaser thought he got a great, but fair deal. A year or two later, the seller and his accountant determined the error in selling price (too low).

2) Factory support and dealer networks were abysmal.

3) The product killed a lot of customers.

4) Maybe, just maybe, the fact that you don’t need a pilot’s license is not a good thing. I talk this over with Kathy, my wife, and she agrees. We shouldn’t sell our aircraft to people who don’t have minimum training, and we’ve just concluded that means you should have a license. (But we’re eager to sell aircraft to folks who’ve lost medicals – we can put a grounded pilot back in the sky, legally, even with a denied medical, and with no rationale reason not to fly again.)

Even more from the email:

“Professionalism and competency seems to be inconsistent or totally lacking in much of the ultralight community. Many of the people I worked with didn't have a clue how to work on essential components of their aircraft. This should have been a major source of concern but to my amazement it didn't seem to be an issue. If I were trying to stake a claim in this arena, I would give this some serious thought and use it to differentiate my company from the others. It may help justify higher price points and highlight quality and performance issues without using high pressure sales tactics. Simply put, it is hard to promote the joy of flying (in your brand) when your customers are dropping like flies. Or put another way, I'd rather have a business plan based on thoroughness, quality & safety than one of low price and minimum involvement.

I realize I have some additional insight into the coma that Part 103 finds itself in.

I happen to own a Light Sport Aircraft (LSA): a delightful Flight Design CTLS.

I haven’t flown it in four months.

Chapter 6: Part 103 as a counterpoint to Light Sport Aircraft (LSA?)

LSA were supposed to make it possible for everyone and all to fly in cheap aircraft. These aircraft were supposed to provide performance superior to a Skyhawk, on half the fuel burn, and also with one-fourth the price point. All we had to do was agree to a modest performance limitation (120Kts) and two folks on board. No problem, right? This was supposed to be the end of Part 103.

Except a funny thing happened: LSAs ended up costing 75% of a Skyhawk (mine was nearly $150K) and most all of them sold so far have been high end versions with high end pricetags. The very lowest cost LSA that I’m aware of is $60K, and it’s a stripped ugly thing. (YMMV).

I had lunch with someone at Cessna. He told me what they went through to gather customer feedback on aircraft pricing. Fascinating! Most folks who want to buy new aircraft expect them to be less expensive than what they know they cost to build. Is that surprising, amusing, or both?

This suggests that the pendulum which swung hard towards LSA will swung hard in the opposite direction as the disenchantment grows. For that group, Part 103 remains the best choice.

Chapter 7: Red car

As I approach the turnpike entrance out of Emporia and back towards Wichita, I notice a small red car has pulled into the automated lane for entering the Kansas Turnpike. It’s called the K-Tag lane. They clearly don’t have the electronic tag, and the gate won’t open. I pull in behind them, and my K-Tag sensor causes the gate to open. They drive through, oblivious, and I follow. I wonder what will happen when they get to their turnpike exit, without a K-Tag or a paper turnpike coupon.

I pass them a moment later. I discover that there is a sole occupant, and she is talking non-stop on a cellphone, oblivious to the micro-drama she created at the turnpike entrance. 10 minutes later, she passes me. She is still talking on a cell phone. I really, really want to see what happens when she exits the turnpike somewhere down the road. Unfortunately, she eventually disappears.

The email continues:

“Many ultralights start out with some obvious strikes against them. Their pilots are likely not the most experienced or trained in any aspect of aviation. The aircraft itself may have deficits compared to its heavier brethren. Reliability, crash-worthiness, durability, marginal operating envelopes, low power-to-weight ratios are but a few areas of concern. Somehow all of this needs to be addressed successfully such that the participants can enjoy their passion for flying and live to tell about it. Risky sports abound but that is no excuse to accept loss rates brought on by complacency and ignorance.

Agreed, agreed, agreed, agreed, agreed, and more.

Epilogue

I like flying my Belite 254, but this morning, I’m glad I had a fuel drip. Slowed me down to think.

After I return to Wichita, I swap the leaky fuel tank out and fly the bird closer to home base. I fly for a total of 2.3 hours before I call it a day. It is a beautiful day, and I have absolutely total freedom to barnstorm. I am joined by a friend, and we fly formation. He slowly passes me, but I don't feel too bad because I'm flying one of the birds which has just 30HP. In a couple of weeks, I'll have a 45HP version done as well and I will pass him. The skies are beautiful, the cut grass fields are green, and it is a joy to be flying.

James Wiebe

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

Photos of our first production aircraft

I just posted photos of our first production FAR part 103 aircraft on flickr.

You can find them here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/beliteaircraft/

Have a look and tell me what you think!

The cowling is not yet installed on this airplane.

Thanks!

James

Sport Pilot Cover Story on Belite Aircraft; New Pricing

I am, in my heart, an entrepreneur. I like to take risks, innovate, market my ideas and see what happens.

At Airventure, I was privileged to introduce a new aircraft: the Belite 254 CF, which is a FAR part 103 legal airplane. This aircraft features a lot of carbon fiber, in a very delightful, small package.

This airplane caught the attention of a lot of people.

We had chosen to display it in the North exhibit area, far away from the rest of the ultralights. We chose to do this because we felt we had a fundamentally different idea about how an ultralight should be designed and marketed. We thought our potential customers might not be ‘ultralight’ enthusiasts. We were looking for people who appreciated innovative engineering, sprightly design, good looks, and a measure of taildragger conventionality, all while flying and owning an airplane that does not require an FAA registration, nor a pilot’s license, nor a medical. (Bad or declined medicals are welcome as well, thanks to the graces of Federal Aviation Regulations FAR part 103.)

Our friends at the Experimental Aircraft Association have chosen to publish an article about the Belite as their cover story this month (September cover) in Sport Pilot magazine. We are truly honored.

We have decided to streamline our product offering a bit. We created a new low cost version of our airplane, which we call the Belite 254. It looks exactly like its big brother, the Belite 254 CF, with the exception that the rear fuselage is not fabric covered. Have a look:

We were able to cut the price by using more aluminum and less carbon fiber, and by cutting out all of the options which add expense but provide no benefits to the patch flyer. As a result, it is available ready to fly for $25,000 less than the Carbon Fiber version!

Here's another pic (the windshield hasn't been installed yet, but will be later this week.)

We will be introducing a cost reduced *kit* as well, which will be available for substantially less. This is possible because we are paying careful attention to the options which people want, and we are also able to cut out some labor expense by tack welding the steel. Many of our potential customers want to do their own welding; we're happy to oblige. This revised kit pricing will be announced in September, and it will be big, welcome news for budget minded homebuilders! Stay tuned. (Send an email to us: info AT beliteaircraft.com, if you are interested in our kit pricing when it’s released.)

Here’s our new price list:

1) Belite 254, Ready To Fly, for $29,995. This plane incorporates a lot of goodies: Carbon fiber firewall; 28HP engine; full span flaperons; aircraft grade steel fuselage and cabin; 5 gallon detachable fuel tank; (for easy refueling); 5 inch wheels; brakes; electric start, full lexan windshield, fiberglass cowling, flight instrumentation, much more! Also includes a sharp looking paint job! We believe that this is the finest value in very light aircraft in the world. It looks like an airplane, it flies like an airplane, it’s economical, and the wings fold for easy storage and transport. It crushes FAR Part 103 weight requirements with a flying weight of about 235 pounds!!

2) Belite 254 CF; Ready To Fly, for $54,995. This version adds approximately 50 features, including carbon fiber spars and ribs; hydraulic brakes; wood instrument panel with lots of good stuff in it; ballistic parachute; the list goes on and on. You name it, the Belite 254 CF has got it as a feature.

3) Belite 254 KIT, price to be announced in September! Stay tuned.

Now the fine print bad news: Our delivery position availability is limited. A deposit of $2,500 holds a delivery position. First come, first serve. We reserve the right to raise prices at any time. Etc., Etc.

Specific details of each configuration are in the website, www.beliteaircraft.com

If you want to see it fly, look at http://www.youtube.com/user/BeliteAircraft#play/uploads/0/byy6qR8TB5w to see our demo video.

If you are looking for the very finest Part 103 legal aircraft, you have arrived. Enjoy!

Fly Safe and Have Fun,

James Wiebe, CEO

Belite Aircraft

P.S. We are looking for qualified dealers and international distributors for our aircraft. If interested, please understand that we require dealers to order a demo unit (to show) and one more aircraft. We have a similar program for international distributors. In return, we offer a generous discount and a territory.