Belite SkyDock Celebrates First Flight

August 5, 2015 - Belite Enterprises LLC said the finished product of Belite Aircraft’s new ultralight kit, the Belite SkyDock, successfully flew for the first time. According to the company, “James did several runs up and down the runway. As soon as the plane started to climb, he reduced power to stay in ground effect.

“Easy steering and soft roll, due to the free castering nose wheel and trailing link main landing gear,” the company said in a press release. “Takeoff and landing was super easy. Keep the nose up and the plane floats onto the ground. The trailing link main gear helps line up the airplane with the runway and makes touchdown soft.”

Belite reported one issue: “Had a problem with flutter on the aileron/wing as airspeed accelerated. Will be resolving before pattern flight work.”

The SkyDock requires less time to build compared to most aircraft kits, and was designed to make building as easy as possible, according to the company. The parts of the kit are made from fiberglass and carbon fiber reinforcements. The SkyDock is made from CNC-cut wood, foam, and aluminum and the parts of the kit come machine cut and drilled, so there’s no welding required

For the wings, Belite said the builder has to build the spar, put the ribs in place, and apply glue. The low-wing is completely strutless and is designed for efficiency, low drag, and low speed. The SkyDock also features detachable wings for ease of storage and transport.

The Belite SkyDock is available for preorder for $3,995; visit Belite's Kickstarter page for more information.