Capella Aircraft Explained

Capella Aircraft Corporation
Type:Privately held company
Fate:Out of business
Foundation:circa 1988
Defunct:circa 2007
Hq Location City:Austin, Texas
Hq Location Country:United States
Industry:Aerospace
Products:Kit aircraft

Capella Aircraft Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer based in Austin, Texas. Formed about 1988, the company specialized in the design and manufacture of light aircraft in the form of kits for amateur construction, including for the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules. The company went out of business about 2007.[1] [2] [3]

Capella produced a number of aircraft designs, all of a strut-braced, high wing configuration. The first series were all enclosed cockpit designs, starting with the Capella SS, a single seat model introduced in 1988. In 1990 the Capella XS two-seat conventional landing gear model followed, along with a tricycle gear model, the Capella XLS. The Capella Fastback was introduced in 1995.[1] [2] [3]

In 1998 the open cockpit single-seat Capella Javelin I was introduced as a FAR 103 ultralight. This was followed by the Capella Javelin II the same year and finally the Capella T-Raptor, all variants of the basic Javelin design.[1] [2] [3]

Aircraft

+ align=center style="background:#BFD7FF"Summary of aircraft built by Capella Aircraft
Model nameFirst flightNumber builtType
Capella SS1988Single seat enclosed cockpit homebuilt aircraft
Capella XS1990Two seat enclosed cockpit, conventional landing gear, homebuilt aircraft
Capella XLS1990Two seat enclosed cockpit, tricycle landing gear, homebuilt aircraft
Capella Fastback1995Two seat enclosed cockpit, conventional landing gear, homebuilt aircraft
Capella Javelin I1998Single seat open cockpit, conventional landing gear, ultralight aircraft
Capella Javelin II1998Two seat open cockpit, conventional landing gear, ultralight trainer
Capella T-RaptorTwo seat semi-open cockpit, conventional landing gear, homebuilt aircraft

Notes and References

  1. Cliche, Andre: Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide 8th Edition, page B-33, B-105. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001.
  2. Downey, Julia: 1999 Kit Aircraft Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 15, Number 12, December 1998, page 40. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851
  3. Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, page 135-137 & 347. BAI Communications.