Firm Details Of Pricing, Availability, Special Offers At
AirVenture
Wichita, Kansas-based Belite
Aircraft makes its debut at the annual EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh,
WI this week by announcing pricing and availability for two
versions of the Belite aircraft, the Belite 254 Kit with carbon
fiber wings and the Belite 254 Classic Kit with wood and aluminum
wings in either fully-assembled or kit form. In addition, the
firm is offering special incentive pricing and purchase options at
the show, including free engines when purchased with a kit.
Belite is exhibiting a fully assembled aircraft at AirVenture in
exhibit spaces 612 and 615 in the North Display area. A
separate display featuring a partially assembled Belite 254 is
located in the Low Cost Flying Pavilion. The Belite 254 is a
fully compliant FAR Part 103 aircraft that flies like an airplane
but does not require a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
pilot's license to operate, nor does it require any medical or
aircraft registration.
"We are extremely pleased to be at AirVenture and to announce
that Belite 254 airplanes are available now and at prices that
allow pilots to experience the independence and excitement of
flying at an affordable price," said James Wiebe, president
of Belite Aircraft. "We are taking orders at AirVenture for
both fully assembled aircraft and kits. The airplanes
included in our EAA display are, in fact, on sale at special prices
during the show and we are announcing today that we are beginning
initial production at a rate of two aircraft per month and plan to
increase that to four aircraft per month in 2010. We
have developed processes and procedures during the development of
the aircraft that give us confidence we can adjust production rates
and efficiencies as market demand dictates, as well," he said.
The Belite 254 with carbon fiber wings that is on display is a
fully assembled, flyable aircraft, equipped with a derated 45
horsepower MZ-201 engine. The basic list price for the Belite
254 is currently $34,995. The demonstrator aircraft adds factory
assembly, which is valued at $19,000, and a list of options that
range from a baggage sack ($195) to seat cushions ($250) to LIPO
electrical ($495) to panel-mounted avionics ($4000) to a transport
kit ($395). The display airplane is also offered with an
optional BRS Parachute Recovery System priced at $4,500. Its
45 horsepower engine is valued at $4,300 and its 52-inch,
three-bladed Powerfin propeller adds another $800 to the
package. However, during EAA AirVenture, Wiebe announced a
"free engine, free options" discount of $5,240, which lowers the
price of the assembled demonstrator aircraft to $64,090.
Belite is also offering a Belite 254 Classic Kit, with wood and
aluminum wings, a fully-compliant FAR Part 103 airplane, which does
include carbon fiber firewall, seat bottom and dash top. It is
priced at $24,995, less engine. During AirVenture the "free
engine, free options" package price for this display aircraft is
$24,995, FOB Wichita. The package includes a 28 horsepower MZ-201
engine, as well as a baggage sack and seat cushions. Other
kits and assembled aircraft packages are available with special
AirVenture savings.
"The Belite 254 is FAR Part 103 compliant," James Wiebe
noted. "It includes carbon fiber or aluminum spars,
pre-assembled ribs and lift struts and brackets as well as a carbon
fiber firewall and seat bottom. It even includes a unique
feature-a fishing rod compartment baggage kit that takes advantage
of the tubular construction of the carbon fiber main wing
spar. This feature will be especially attractive to the
angler who wants to fly to his favorite fishing holes," he
added.