Six Ultralight Aircraft Anyone Can Buy and Fly Right Now

Introduction

If you have always wanted to fly, a Part 103 ultralight is one of the most accessible ways to do it. In the United States, an aircraft that meets the FAR Part 103 rules requires no pilot license or medical certificate, which opens the door for anyone to own and fly a real airplane. Here are six ultralight aircraft you can buy or build right now, each with a different mix of price, performance, and personality.

One important note up front: although Part 103 ultralights do not legally require a pilot license or medical certificate, transition training or some level of flight instruction is strongly recommended before flying solo. These aircraft fly like real airplanes, and gravity works exactly the same.

1. Legal Eagle

The Legal Eagle was designed and built by Leonard Milholland of Brookshire, Texas, and it is built around one idea: just about anyone should be able to build an airplane and experience the joy of flight. Its marketing tagline says a lot: cost to build $4,000 to $6,000 depending on your scrounging ability. At 244 pounds, it comes in well under the legal ultralight weight limit.

It carries 5 gallons of fuel, can fly as fast as 60 mph, and stalls as slow as 25 mph. Power comes from a Better Half Volkswagen engine, and Leonard offers plans to build that engine as well. Plans for the Legal Eagle itself start at just $60. When asked at Oshkosh which airfoil the Legal Eagle uses, Leonard’s answer was typically understated: LP2, for lead pencil.

2. Aeromarine Merlin Light

You may not have seen this one before, as there are not many flying yet, but it is a striking aircraft. The Aeromarine Merlin Light is an all-metal ultralight with a high wing, a single seat, and an enclosed cockpit, and it looks far more polished than most machines in this class.

It is powered by a liquid-cooled Pini 303 DS engine with electric start, offers a BRS safety chute option, and can even be fitted with floats to go splash around on water. It cruises at 63 mph, stalls at around 28 mph, and climbs out at 450 feet per minute. It is available ready to fly, though pricing is worth confirming directly with the company before planning a purchase.

3. Aerolite 103

The Aerolite 103 was designed by longtime aviation enthusiast Terry Raber in 1996, with the first aircraft flying on October 6th of that year. It debuted at Oshkosh 1997 as Grand Champion Ultralight, and between 1997 and 2012 Terry produced hundreds of them. In 2012, Terry sold the design to Dennis Carley, who relocated production to his home in DeLand, Florida and has since built more than 100 ultralight and light sport aircraft himself.

The Aerolite 103 is a single-place aircraft configured to meet Part 103 specs, with an empty weight of 235 pounds and a gross weight of 600 pounds. Engine options range from 28 to 50 horsepower, including the Hirth MZ and, notably, an electric option with two batteries. Expect a cruise of 45 to 63 mph, a stall around 26 to 28 mph, and a rate of climb between 500 and 650 feet per minute. Takeoff and landing distances are only 100 to 200 feet.

With just 5 gallons of fuel on board, you get roughly one and a half to two hours of play time in the air, enough for plenty of those classic $100 hamburger runs. You can order a kit and build it yourself, without engine, or opt for a complete assembled ready-to-fly version.

4. Badland F1 UL

The Badland aircraft looks something like the classic J3 Cub, but different. The company was established by Chris Dovel in Las Vegas, Nevada, and soon after relocated to a small farm strip in Truman, Minnesota to continue building quality legal ultralight airplanes.

Badland offers five kit options to build yourself, plus a ready-to-fly option to get you into the air even quicker. The base kit, the F1 UL base, starts around $16,000 less the engine and anything forward of the firewall. At the top of the range, a full titanium airframe with carbon fiber options and more runs around $45,000. Engine options include the popular Pini, the Hirth, and a newer four-stroke called the Chaos Concept Thumper.

One unusual option: other than the wings and control surfaces, which are fabric covered, covering the fuselage is optional. Yes, you can build this plane entirely naked on the fuselage.

5. Hummel Ultra Cruiser

The Hummel Ultra Cruiser does not really look like a typical ultralight, but with the right engine option and by sticking to the plans, it is Part 103 legal. It was designed by James Morris Hummel, born in 1915 in Bryan, Ohio, and was lovingly named “God’s Gift” by Morris after surviving a crash in another type of aircraft and living to tell about it.

The aircraft has been available since the year 2000, originally plans-built and now offered as a kit as well. In January of 2021, Matt and Lori Higgins acquired Hummel Aviation and have been working to modernize the manufacturing and production of parts and plans. The empty weight is 252 pounds with a gross weight of 575 pounds, cruise is 63 mph, and stall is right around 28 mph. The rate of climb is quoted at 500 to 1,000 feet per minute, presumably with the bigger engine option. Plans are available for $370, and the base kit starts at $21,000.

6. Kolb Firefly

Kolb aircraft are known for their quick and easy folding wings, an enclosed cockpit, a welded chromoly steel fuselage cage, and outstanding performance. Seeing 40 horsepower push 254 pounds of airplane is eye-opening. Kolb has been around a very long time, is currently under new ownership, and is back in production.

The Firefly has an empty weight of 250 pounds, a gross weight of 500 pounds, and 5 gallons of fuel capacity. It has a top speed of 63 mph, stalls at 27 mph, and climbs at 750 feet per minute with a 40 horsepower engine. The base kit starts around $18,800 according to their website.

For those looking for something on the heavy side, Kolb also still makes the Mark III experimental two-seater option, which uses an 80 to 100 horsepower Rotax four-stroke engine and keeps the folding wings.

Buying Advice

The right choice depends on how you want to get into the air. If budget is the priority, the Legal Eagle at $60 for plans and a $4,000 to $6,000 build cost is nearly unbeatable. If you want a modern enclosed cockpit, the Aeromarine Merlin Light or Kolb Firefly stand out. Builders who want options and configurability should look hard at the Badland F1 UL, while the Aerolite 103 offers proven production history and even an electric power option. The Hummel Ultra Cruiser suits builders who want a distinctive design with a long heritage.

Whichever you choose, budget for training before your first flight. The cheapest and safest ultralight purchase is one you fly with proper instruction behind you.

Conclusion

Part 103 ultralights make the dream of personal flight genuinely reachable, whether you want a $60 set of plans and a scrounged build or a ready-to-fly machine with an enclosed cockpit. Pick the one that matches your budget, your building appetite, and your flying style, get some training, and the sky stops being out of reach.