Reflex Lightning Bug

The Reflex Lightning Bug, also called the Jones Lightning Bug, is an American homebuilt aircraft that was designed by Nick Jones and produced by Reflex Fiberglass Works of Walterboro, South Carolina, introduced in the mid-1990s. When it was available the aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction.

Design and development
The Lightning Bug features a cantilever low-wing, a single-seat enclosed cockpit under a bubble canopy, fixed tricycle landing gear with wheel pants, a retractable nose wheel and a single engine in tractor configuration.

The aircraft is made from a combination of stainless steel and fiberglass. Its 17.83 ft span wing has a wing area of 40.00 sqft. The cabin width is 25 in. The standard engine used is the 100 hp AMW 808 in-line three cylinder, liquid-cooled, two-stroke, dual ignition, aircraft engine. With that engine the aircraft can cruise at 225 mph.

The Lightning Bug has a typical empty weight of 475 lb and a gross weight of 800 lb, giving a useful load of 325 lb. With full fuel of 23 u.s.gal the payload for the pilot and baggage is 187 lb. The aircraft meets American FAR 23 aerobatic category requirements at a gross weight of 750 lb.

The standard day, sea level, no wind, take off with a 100 hp engine is 800 ft and the landing roll is 1000 ft, due to its 62 mph stall speed.

The manufacturer estimated the construction time from the supplied kit as 300 hours.

Operational history
In February 2014 two examples were registered in the United States with the Federal Aviation Administration, although a total of nine had been registered at one time.