Worldwide Ultralite Industries was an American aircraft manufacturer. The company specialized in the design and manufacture of ultralight aircraft in the form of kits for amateur construction and ready-to-fly aircraft in the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules. Formed in the early 1980s, the company was out of business by the 1990s.[1][2]
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 1980s |
| Defunct | 1990s |
| Headquarters | |
| Products | Kit aircraft |
The company produced three simple ultralight designs, the Worldwide Ultralite Clipper, the Worldwide Ultralite Skyraider S/S and the Worldwide Ultralite Spitfire, which was derived from the Phantom X1. After the demise of Worldwide Ultralite, the Spitfire design was produced by Don Ecker and later Air Magic Ultralights of Houston, Texas[1][2][3]
Worldwide Ultralite was noted for its marketing of the aircraft at trade shows, such as EAA AirVenture. They employed scantily-clad models to attract attention to the aircraft, a tactic not normally employed at aircraft trade shows.[1]
Aircraft
edit| Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide Ultralite Clipper | early 1980s | Single seat ultralight aircraft | |
| Worldwide Ultralite Skyraider S/S | early 1980s | Single seat ultralight aircraft | |
| Worldwide Ultralite Spitfire | 1980s | Single seat ultralight aircraft |
References
edit- ^ a b c Cliche, Andre: Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide 8th Edition, pages E-10 and E-35. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. ISBN 0-9680628-1-4
- ^ a b Virtual Ultralight Museum (n.d.). "Spitfire". Retrieved December 12, 2011.
- ^ Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, Fifth Edition, page 103. BAI Communications, 15 July 1998. ISBN 0-9636409-4-1