La Mouette Explained

La Mouette
Type:Private company
Foundation:1974
Founder:Gérard Thevenot and Jean-Marc Thevenot
Location City:Fontaine-lès-Dijon
Location Country:France
Industry:Aerospace
Products:Hang gliders, ultralight trikes, paramotors, paragliders, powered parachutes
Divisions:Helite
Homepage:www.lamouette.com

La Mouette (English: [[Gull|Seagull]]) is a French aircraft manufacturer headquartered in Fontaine-lès-Dijon. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of hang gliders, paragliders and ultralight trikes. At one time they also produced paramotors.[1] [2] [3]

Founded in 1974 by brothers Gérard Thevenot and Jean-Marc Thevenot, the company was formed to produce versions of the American Seagull hang glider. Their glider was named La Mouette, after which the company was named. In 1979 they produced the La Mouette Atlas which remained in production through 2012 and of which there are over 8000 examples flying.[4]

In 1986 the company started building paramotors and in 1995 introduced the "topless" hang glider, deleting the kingpost and upper flying wires.

In 2010-11 the company developed an electric aircraft, the Samson.[5]

The company also built a rigid wing hang glider, the Tsunami and a powered parachute, the Skydancer under the brand Helite. Helite is today a company that specializes in air bag designs.[6]

Aircraft

+ align=center style="background:#BFD7FF"Summary of aircraft built by La Mouette
Model nameFirst flightNumber builtType
Atlas1979more than 8000hang glider
Profilhang glider
Hermeshang glider
Racerhang glider
Sphinxhang glider
Top Modelhang glider
Topless1995hang glider
Top Secrethang glider
Helite Tsunamirigid wing hang glider
Cosmosultralight trike
O2Bultralight trike
Revoultralight trike
Samsonultralight trike
Skybikeparamotor
SR 210mid-2000sparamotor
ZR 250mid-2000sparamotor
Helite Skydancerpowered parachute

Notes and References

  1. Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04, pages 45-46 and 82. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster OK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X
  2. Cliche, Andre: Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide 8th Edition, page D-27. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001.
  3. Downey, Julia: 2000 Trike and 'Chute Directory, Kitplanes, Volume 17, Number 2, February 2000, page 52. Kitplanes Acquisition Company. ISSN 0891-1851
  4. Web site: History. 3 March 2012. La Mouette. n.d.. https://web.archive.org/web/20111225204513/http://www.lamouette.com/en/histoire1.html. 25 December 2011. dead.
  5. Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12, page 216. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X
  6. Web site: Helite airbag technology expert for sports with high accident rate. helite.com. 29 July 2015.