Photograph:
Pro Sport Aviation Sportlite 103 ZK-JOP (c/n 1) (Keith Morris – NZCIVAIR)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Single-seat light sport aircraft
Power Plant:
One 30 kw (40 hp) Rotax 447 two-cylinder, two-stroke, fan-cooled electronic single-ignition engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 7.92 m (26 ft)
- Length: 4.72 m (15 ft 6 in)
- Height: 1.58 m (5 ft 2 in)
- Wing area: 13.19 m² (142 sq ft)
- Never exceed speed: 121 km/h (75 mph)
- Max speed: 100 km/h (62 mph)
- Max cruising speed: 89 km/h (55 mph)
- Stalling speed: 35 km/h (22 mph)
- Rate of climb: 259 m/min (850 ft/min)
- Take-off distance: 23 m (75 ft)
- Fuel capacity: 19 litres (4.16 Imp gals)
- Empty weight: 113 kg (250 lb)
- Loaded weight: 240 kg (530 lb)
History:
The SportLite 103 is one of a series of ultralight aircraft produced by Pro Sport Aviation of Wingate, North Carolina. In the late 1990s Freebird Airplane Company of Marshville, North Carolina was set up to build a series of aircraft, the first design being the Free Bird II, a two-seater, which was developed for some years until late 2014 by Free Bird Innovations of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota as the LiteSport Ultra. The Free Bird II was introduced to the market at the Sun ‘n Fun fly-in in Florida in 1996 and two years later in 1998 a single-seater of similar configuration was produced. The designs were aimed at meeting the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles category.
Power for the Free Bird I was provided by a 30 kw (40 hp) Rotax 447 engine and was built by Freebird Airplane Company and later Pro Sport Aviation. The SportLite 103 was an improved single-seat model built in some numbers by Pro Sport Aviation and later Free Bird Innovations. This model was able to be built also as a two-seater and could be fitted with engines in the 16 kw to 39 kw (22 hp to 52 hp) range. It was built as a quick-build kit and could be purchased fully assembled, or as a plans only aircraft. Parts could be provided to builders without buying the complete kit.
Construction is of aluminium tube with strut braced wings. It is covered by Dacron or Stits fabric and the wings are detachable. The seat is of fibreglass and the aircraft has a steerable nosewheel. The aircraft is able to be converted to carry two and could be fitted with floats. The cockpit could be enclosed if required.
The LiteSport Ultra was an improved model, using the Rotax 447 engine, and was built in some numbers by Free Bird Innovations. A further variant was the Free Bird 103 being a single-seater designed to have an empty weight of 115 kg (254 lb) which used the LiteSport Ultra wing attached to a new CAD designed fuselage and provided to the market by Free Bird Innovations. However, in October 2011 the project engineer was tragically killed in a motor vehicle accident, this model was not completed and production concluded in 2014.
An example of the SportLite 103 was imported to New Zealand where it became ZK-JOP² in August 2006 to its owner A Henricus of Rotorua.