Flightstar Sportplanes

Flightstar Sportplanes was an American aircraft manufacturer based in South Woodstock, Connecticut. Its primary product was the Flightstar line of ultralight and two-seat training and light-sport aircraft, which were produced continuously from the mid-1980s. The company also distributed two other manufacturer's aircraft lines, engines and aviation products. The company business was wound up in 2009 and the Flightstar line sold to Yuneec International of China.[1][2][3][4][5]

Flightstar Sportplanes
Private company
IndustryAerospace
FateBusiness wound up in 2009
FounderTom Peghiny
Headquarters
South Woodstock, Connecticut
,
United States
ProductsKit aircraft
Websitewww.flyflightstar.com

History

The company was founded in the early 1980s by aircraft designer Tom Peghiny to build his initial commercial design the Flightstar ultralight. The Flightstar was intended for the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles category with its maximum 254 lb (115 kg) empty weight requirement. The two-seat Flightstar II soon followed to fill the role of a trainer. The designs quickly became commercial successes and the basic design has been extensively developed over time. By 2007 over 700 single seaters had been sold.[1][5]

In July 2009 Peghiny demonstrated a new version of his Spyder single seat model at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Designated the e-Spyder, it differs from earlier models in that it is electric-powered. The aircraft replaces the standard Spyder's normally-fitted two-stroke engine with a Yuneec Power Drive 20 20 kW (27 hp) electric motor and two 28 lb (13 kg) lithium-polymer battery packs which provide a 40-minute endurance. The aircraft is intended to be developed into a commercially available kit and forecast to be available for under US$25,000.[6][7][8]

Flightstar was also a distributor for Ballistic Recovery Systems parachutes, Rotax and HKS aircraft engines, Lockwood Aircraft supplies, the Leza-Lockwood Air Cam and Flight Design CT series of aircraft.[3]

Aircraft
Flightstar II
Summary of aircraft built by Flightstar Sportplanes
Model name First flight Number built (by year) Type
Flightstar circa 1986 single seat ultralight
Flightstar Formula 1987 26 (1999) single seat ultralight
Flightstar II 1987 58 (1999) two-seat ultralight trainer
Flightstar Spyder 1993 700 (2007) single seat ultralight
Flightstar IISL 1994 180 (2007) two-seat ultralight trainer/Light-sport aircraft
Flightstar Loadstar 12 (2001) single seat ultralight
Flightstar IISC 90 (2007) two-seat ultralight trainer/Light-sport aircraft
Flightstar e-Spyder 2009 1 (2009) single seat electric-powered ultralight
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References
  1. Cliche, Andre: Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide 8th Edition, page B-19. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. ISBN 0-9680628-1-4
  2. Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter – Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, page 162-164. BAI Communications. ISBN 0-9636409-4-1
  3. Flightstar Sportplanes (n.d.). "Flightstar Sportplanes". Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  4. Downey, Julia: 1999 Kit Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 15, Number 12, December 1998, page 49. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
  5. Downey, Julia: 2008 Kit Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 24, Number 12, December 2007, page 53. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
  6. Grady, Mary (July 2009). "Electric Flight Update: Flightstar Ultralight First Flight, Yuneec Starts U.S. Flight Testing". Retrieved 2009-07-23.
  7. Grady, Mary (August 2009). "Interview with Flight Design's Tom Peghiny". Retrieved 2009-08-07.
  8. Flightstar Sportplanes (2009). "Yuneec-Flightstar e-Spyder". Archived from the original on 7 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
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