Worldwide Ultralite Clipper

The Worldwide Ultralite Clipper is an American ultralight aircraft that was designed and produced by Worldwide Ultralite Industries of Katy, Texas in the early 1980s. The aircraft was supplied as a kit for amateur construction.

With a strut-braced parasol-wing, conventional landing gear, single engine in tractor configuration and its single-seat, open cockpit configuration, the Clipper resembles a small conventional light aircraft and was designed to appeal to private pilots looking for an ultralight aircraft.

Design and development
The aircraft was designed to comply with the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules, including the category's maximum empty weight of 254 lb. The aircraft has a standard empty weight of 252 lb.

The aircraft is made from bolted-together aluminum tubing, covered in Dacron sailcloth. Its 30 ft span wing has flaps and is supported by parallel lift struts and jury struts. The airframe was proof tested to +9/-6g ultimate load. The conventional landing gear features balloon tires and a steerable tailwheel. The standard powerplant supplied by the factory was the 40 hp Rotax 447, single ignition, two cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine.

The company was noted for its marketing of the aircraft at trade shows, such as EAA AirVenture. They employed scantily-clad models to attract attention to the aircraft, something not normally seen at aircraft trade shows.