Free Bird Innovations, Inc. is an American

aircraft manufacturer An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing, building, testing, selling, and maintaining aircraft, aircraft parts, missiles, rockets, or spacecraft. Aerospace is a high technology industry. ...

based in

Detroit Lakes, Minnesota Detroit Lakes is a city in the State of Minnesota and the county seat of Becker County. The population was 9,869 at the 2020 census. Its unofficial population during summer months is much higher, estimated by citizens to peak at 13,000 midsumm ...

and formed in about 2003. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of

ultralight aircraft Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and conventional three-axis control aircraft with aile ...

in the form of plans and kits for amateur construction and ready-to-fly aircraft in the US

FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles Ultralight aircraft in the United States are much smaller and lighter than ultralight aircraft as defined by all other countries. In the United States, ultralights are described as "ultralight vehicles" and not as aircraft. They are not requ ...

category.Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page B-26, B-58 and B-81, Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. Purdy, Don: ''AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook'', page 166. BAI Communications. Downey, Julia: ''Kit Aircraft Directory 2005'', Kitplanes, Volume 21, Number 12, December 2004, pages 59-60. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Downey, Julia: ''2008 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 24, Number 12, December 2007, page 53. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Vandermeullen, Richard: ''2011 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide'', Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 55. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 56. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485XTacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: ''World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16'', page 56. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015.

History

The two-seat Freebird II was introduced by the Freebird Airplane Company of

Marshville, North Carolina Marshville is a town in Union County, North Carolina, United States. Its population was 2,402 at the 2010 census. Marshville is known as the birthplace of country music singer Randy Travis. Geography Marshville is located at (34.988458, -80.367 ...

Sun 'n Fun Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo (officially styled SUN 'n FUN) is a nonprofit organization in Lakeland, Florida dedicated to the promotion of aviation education. It is best known for the annual week-long fly-in and airshow at Lakeland Linder Inte ...

in 1996. Two years later they brought out the single-seat

Freebird I The Freebird I is an American single-seat, high wing, tricycle gear, single engined pusher configuration ultralight kit aircraft designed for construction by amateur builders by the Freebird Airplane Company of Marshville, North Carolina and ...

before going out of business. By 2000 both designs were being built by Pro Sport Aviation of

Wingate, North Carolina Wingate is a town in Union County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,491 at the 2010 census. History The Wingate Commercial Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. It is named for ...

, who also built a derivative single-seater, the Pro Sport Sportlite 103. Free Bird Innovations took over the Freebird I and II designs and by 2004 was producing three derivative models, the single-seat

Free Bird Sportlite 103 The Freebird I is an American single-seat, high wing, tricycle gear, single engined pusher configuration ultralight kit aircraft designed for construction by amateur builders by the Freebird Airplane Company of Marshville, North Carolina a ...

kit aircraft for the US FAR 103 ultralight category and the

Free Bird Sportlite SS The Freebird II is a family of American side-by-side two-seat, high wing, tricycle gear, pusher configuration single engined kit aircraft originally designed for construction by amateur builders by the Freebird Airplane Company of Marshvi ...

and

Free Bird Sportlite 2 The Freebird II is a family of American side-by-side two-seat, high wing, tricycle gear, pusher configuration single engined kit aircraft originally designed for construction by amateur builders by the Freebird Airplane Company of Marshvi ...

two-seaters. In 2007, they were building three further developed models, the single-seat

Free Bird LiteSport Ultra The Freebird I is an American single-seat, high wing, tricycle gear, single engined pusher configuration ultralight kit aircraft designed for construction by amateur builders by the Freebird Airplane Company of Marshville, North Carolina a ...

and the two-seat

Free Bird LiteSport II The Freebird II is a family of American side-by-side two-seat, high wing, tricycle gear, pusher configuration single engined kit aircraft originally designed for construction by amateur builders by the Freebird Airplane Company of Marshvi ...

and

Free Bird LiteSport Classic The Freebird II is a family of American side-by-side two-seat, high wing, tricycle gear, pusher configuration single engined kit aircraft originally designed for construction by amateur builders by the Freebird Airplane Company of Marshvi ...

and continued those models through 2011. The LiteSport II model had been dropped by 2012. Despite the LiteSport model name, none of the company's aircraft were ever listed by the US

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...

light-sport aircraft A light-sport aircraft (LSA), or light sport aircraft, is a fairly new category of small, lightweight aircraft that are simple to fly. LSAs tend to be heavier and more sophisticated than ultralight (aka "microlight") aircraft, but LSA restrictio ...

. The company had been developing a new model, the

Freebird 103 The Freebird I is an American single-seat, high wing, tricycle gear, single engined pusher configuration ultralight kit aircraft designed for construction by amateur builders by the Freebird Airplane Company of Marshville, North Carolina a ...

, originally projected for introduction in 2011, as a single seat US FAR 103 ultralight aircraft with a design empty weight under . The project received a setback when the lead project engineer, Eric Grina, was killed in a car accident in October 2011.

Aircraft

References

External links

*
Company website archives
on

Archive.org The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music ...

{{Free Bird Innovations aircraft Aircraft manufacturers of the United States Ultralight aircraft Homebuilt aircraft