James Wiebe and his Belite Aircraft team wanted to build a strong, lightweight airplane that would demand a minimal amount of labor to complete. In the early days of 2017 he created a clean-sheet aircraft with great short-field performance that he called the Chipper. It moved from the CAD system he and his team used to design it to a working prototype in just 90 days, barely missing North American’s 88-day record for creating the P-51 Mustang.
Chipper Leaps Into the Air
Key Takeaways:
- Belite Aircraft, led by James Wiebe, developed the Chipper, a new light sport aircraft designed for strength, light weight, and efficient construction, achieving its first flight in Wichita.
- The Chipper boasts impressive performance, including short-field takeoff capabilities (under 400 feet), a top speed of 100 mph, and long endurance, powered by an 80 hp Rotax 912UL engine.
- Its innovative design utilizes a strong, lightweight honeycomb aluminum structure with pre-cut parts and an easy-to-apply, pre-painted Oratex fabric covering, aiming to reduce builder labor to an estimated 800 hours.
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