Mountaineer Trikes Mite-Lite

The Mountaineer Trikes Mite-Lite is a family of American flying wing ultralight trikes that was designed and produced by Mountaineer Trikes. The aircraft were supplied as a kit for amateur construction.[1]

Mite-Lite
Role Ultralight trike
National origin United States
Manufacturer Mountaineer Trikes
Status Production completed, company out of business 1998

Design and development

The Mite-Lite was designed to comply with the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules, including the category's maximum empty weight of 254 lb (115 kg). The Mite-Lite has a standard empty weight of 200 lb (91 kg). It features a cable-braced hang glider-style high-wing, weight-shift controls, a single-seat, open cockpit, tricycle landing gear and a single engine in pusher configuration.[1]

The Mite-Lite is very minimalist lightweight trike, made from bolted-together aluminum tubing, with its single surface wing covered in Dacron sailcloth. Its wing is supported by a single tube-type kingpost and uses an "A" frame control bar. The wing is a large 205 sq ft (19.0 m2) area and is suitable for power-off soaring flight. The aircraft can be disassembled by one person in 45 minutes for ground transportation on a car top or for storage. The factory standard powerplant supplied with the Mite-Lite was the 28 hp (21 kW) Rotax 277 single cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine.[1]

Production of all models ended when the company went out of business in 1998.[1]

Variants
Mite-Lite
Initial model, 28 hp (21 kW) Rotax 277 engine[1]
Solo 175
Improved model, 50 hp (37 kW) Rotax 503 engine. 25 reported as flying by 1998.[1][2]
Dual 175
A Solo 175 with a second seat fitted, 50 hp (37 kW) Rotax 503 engine. Ten reported flying by 1998.[1][2]

Specifications (Mite-Lite)

Data from Cliche[1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: one
  • Wing area: 205 sq ft (19.0 m2)
  • Empty weight: 200 lb (91 kg)
  • Gross weight: 450 lb (204 kg)
  • Fuel capacity: 5 U.S. gallons (19 L; 4.2 imp gal)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Rotax 277 single cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, 28 hp (21 kW)

Performance

  • Cruise speed: 35 mph (56 km/h, 30 kn)
  • Stall speed: 23 mph (37 km/h, 20 kn)
  • Rate of climb: 600 ft/min (3.0 m/s)

References
  1. Cliche, Andre: Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide 8th Edition, page E-48. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. ISBN 0-9680628-1-4
  2. Purdy, Don: AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook, Fifth Edition, page 210. BAI Communications, 15 July 1998. ISBN 0-9636409-4-1
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