Thomas Stoddard commenced development of a light aircraft in 1975 and set up a facility at the Cedar Grove Airport in Seattle.

The RF-4 was one of a series of self-launched gliders designed by Rene Fournier in France. The first of the motor glider series of aircraft was the RF-01 (F-WJGX) built in a disused laundry in Cannes over a period of three years.

The Sportavia-Putzer series of aircraft was designed in Germany by Mr M Rene Fournier, the company being formed in 1966 to take over from Alpavia the manufacture of his series of light aircraft.

Diamond Aircraft in Wiener Neustadt, Austria commenced business producing the DA-20 Katana series and in due course was the instigator of aircraft being fitted with diesel engines to reduce running costs.

The Swift started lift as a lightweight foot-launched tailless glider with rigid wings and was designed in California in the United States but has been manufactured by Aeriane, a Company based at Gembloux in Belgium and was initially built under licence but later the Belgian concern became the sole manufacturer.