| Flightstar Sportplanes | |
| Type: | Private company |
| Fate: | Business wound up in 2009 |
| Founder: | Tom Peghiny |
| Location City: | South Woodstock, Connecticut |
| Location Country: | United States |
| Industry: | Aerospace |
| Products: | Kit aircraft |
| Homepage: | www.flyflightstar.com |
Flightstar Sportplanes was an American aircraft manufacturer based in South Woodstock, Connecticut. Its primary product was the Flightstar line of ultralight and two-seat training and light-sport aircraft, which were produced continuously from the mid-1980s. The company also distributed two other manufacturer's aircraft lines, engines and aviation products. The company business was wound up in 2009 and the Flightstar line sold to Yuneec International of China.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
The company was founded in the early 1980s by aircraft designer Tom Peghiny to build his initial commercial design the Flightstar ultralight. The Flightstar was intended for the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles category with its maximum 2540NaN0 empty weight requirement. The two-seat Flightstar II soon followed to fill the role of a trainer. The designs quickly became commercial successes and the basic design has been extensively developed over time. By 2007 over 700 single seaters had been sold.
In July 2009 Peghiny demonstrated a new version of his Spyder single seat model at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Designated the e-Spyder, it differs from earlier models in that it is electric-powered. The aircraft replaces the standard Spyder's normally-fitted two-stroke engine with a Yuneec Power Drive 20 200NaN0 electric motor and two 280NaN0 lithium-polymer battery packs which provide a 40-minute endurance. The aircraft is intended to be developed into a commercially available kit and forecast to be available for under US$25,000.[6] [7] [8]
Flightstar was also a distributor for Ballistic Recovery Systems parachutes, Rotax and HKS aircraft engines, Lockwood Aircraft supplies, the Leza-Lockwood Air Cam and Flight Design CT series of aircraft.
| + align=center style="background:#BFD7FF" | Summary of aircraft built by Flightstar Sportplanes | ||
| Model name | First flight | Number built (by year) | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flightstar | ca.1986 | single seat ultralight | |
| Flightstar Formula | 1987 | 26 (1999) | single seat ultralight |
| Flightstar II | 1987 | 58 (1999) | two-seat ultralight trainer |
| Flightstar Spyder | 1993 | 700 (2007) | single seat ultralight |
| Flightstar IISL | 1994 | 180 (2007) | two-seat ultralight trainer/Light-sport aircraft |
| Flightstar Loadstar | 12 (2001) | single seat ultralight | |
| Flightstar IISC | 90 (2007) | two-seat ultralight trainer/Light-sport aircraft | |
| Flightstar e-Spyder | 2009 | 1 (2009) | single seat electric-powered ultralight |