Skymaster Powered Parachutes was 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 indust ...

based in

Hartland, Wisconsin Hartland is a village along the Bark River in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States, that is a suburb of Milwaukee. The population was 9,110 at the 2010 census. Geography Hartland is located at (43.100180, −88.344452). It is in the ...

. The company specialized in the design and manufacture of

powered parachute A powered parachute, often abbreviated PPC, and also called a motorized parachute or paraplane, is a type of aircraft that consists of a parafoil with a motor and wheels. The FAA defines a powered parachute as ''a powered aircraft a flexible o ...

s in the form of kits for amateur construction under the US ''Experimental - Amateur-built'' aircraft rules and the European Fédération Aéronautique Internationale

microlight 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 ...

category.Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', page 85. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster UK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X The company roots trace to 1998 when development of the new powered parachute design was commenced. Development work continued until 2001 when the design was finalized and the company was founded to market the new design, designated as the Skymaster Excel. The company seems to have gone out of business in 2008. The Excel went on to win many awards, including 2001 Sun 'n Fun Grand Champion, 2001

AirVenture EAA AirVenture Oshkosh (formerly the EAA Annual Convention and Fly-In), or just Oshkosh, is an annual air show and gathering of aviation enthusiasts held each summer at Wittman Regional Airport and adjacent Pioneer Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsi ...

Oshkosh Flex-wing Champion, 2002 AirVenture Oshkosh Flex-wing Champion, 2003 AirVenture Oshkosh Flex-wing Champion, 2003 Sun 'n Fun Innovations and 2004 Sun 'n Fun Best Trike. In August 2015 ten examples of the Excel were registered in the United States with the

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 ...

. From 2004 until the time of its dissolution the company had been working on a single seat powered parachute design for operation under 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 req ...

rules. Development included a version that would employ hand controls only for paraplegic pilots, but the aircraft does not seem to have entered production or received a formal designation.

Aircraft

References

{{Reflist

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, ...

Defunct aircraft manufacturers of the United States Ultralight aircraft Homebuilt aircraft Powered parachutes