Kolb Aircraft Company

{{Short description|American aircraft manufacturer}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}} {{Use American English|date=January 2022}} {{Infobox company | name = Kolb Aircraft Company | logo = | type = [[Private company]] | genre = | foundation = 1980 | founder = [[Homer Kolb]] | location_city = [[London, Kentucky]] | location_country = [[United States]] | location = | locations = | area_served = | key_people = CEO, Charles May | industry = [[Aerospace]] | products = [[Kit aircraft]] | services = | market cap = | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | assets = | equity = | owner = | num_employees = | parent = | divisions = | subsid = | homepage = {{URL|kolbaircraft.com}} | footnotes = | intl = }}

'''Kolb Aircraft Company ''' is an American aircraft manufacturer that produces kitplanes for [[Homebuilt aircraft|amateur construction]].<ref name="Cliche">Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page E-20, 21. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. {{ISBN|0-9680628-1-4}}</ref><ref name="KitplanesDec1998">Downey, Julia: ''1999 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 15, Number 12, December 1998, page 53. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851</ref><ref name="KitplanesDec2000">Downey, Julia: ''2001 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 17, Number 12, December 2000, page 58. KitPlanes Acquisition Company. ISSN 0891-1851</ref><ref name="KitplanesDec2001">Downey, Julia: ''2002 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 18, Number 12, December 2001, page 50. KitPlanes Acquisition Company. ISSN 0891-1851</ref><ref name="KitplanesDec2003">Newby-Gonzalez, Tori: ''Kit Aircraft Directory 2004'', Kitplanes, Volume 20, Number 12, December 2003, page 70. Aviation Publishing Group. ISSN 0891-1851</ref><ref name="UltraFlight">{{cite web |url = http://www.ultraflight.com/issues/may2001/may01page28.htm |title = Personalities in Ultralight Aviation - Ray Brown: Kolb's Master Builder |accessdate = 15 May 2010 |last = Bethea |first = Jim |date = May 2001 |url-status = dead |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20090521155400/http://www.ultraflight.com/issues/may2001/may01page28.htm |archivedate = 21 May 2009 }}</ref><ref name="About">{{cite web|url = http://www.aerokml.com/index.php|title = 30 Years of Distinguished Service!|accessdate = 19 May 2010|last = The New Kolb Aircraft|authorlink = |year = 2010}}</ref>

==History== Homer Kolb first flew his initial commercial design, the [[Kolb Flyer]], in 1970. The aircraft was ahead of its time and so Kolb waited until the ultralight aircraft boom of 1980 to incorporate his company, ''The Kolb Aircraft Company''. Initially located in [[Phoenixville, Pennsylvania]] the company marketed a wide range of kit aircraft and achieved considerable commercial success, delivering over 3000 aircraft.<ref name="Cliche" /><ref name="KitplanesDec1998" /><ref name="About" />

In 1999 the company was sold to a group of investors, moved to [[London, Kentucky]] and renamed ''The New Kolb Aircraft Company''.<ref name="Cliche" /><ref name="KitplanesDec2000" /><ref name="About" /> The new company introduced a [[powered parachute]] model for a short time, the [[Kolb Flyer Powered Parachute]].<ref name="WDLA04">Bertrand, Noel; Rene Coulon; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2003-04'', page 83. Pagefast Ltd, Lancaster UK, 2003. ISSN 1368-485X</ref>

In 2003 New Kolb Aircraft introduced the Canadian-designed [[Ultravia Pelican Sport 600]] into the US market in partnership with [[Ultravia Aero]] from Canada and Brazil's [[Flyer Indústria Aeronáutica]]. When Ultravia went out of business in 2006 Kolb purchased Ultravia's assets, including the Pelican design. The company then improved and developed the Pelican into the [[Kolb Flyer Super Sport]].<ref name="About" /><ref name="WDLA15">Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: ''World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16'', page 84. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015. {{ISSN|1368-485X}}</ref>

In March 2012 the company was sold to Bryan Melborn and renamed ''Kolb Aircraft Company, LLC''.<ref name="AboutKolb">{{cite web|url = http://www.kolbaircraft.com/aboutus.htm|title = About Us|accessdate = 30 June 2012|last = Kolb Aircraft|date = n.d.}}</ref>

== Aircraft == [[File:KOLB FIRE STAR N513KA 06.JPG|thumb|right|[[Kolb Firestar]]]] {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Model name ! First flight ! Number built ! Type

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Kolb Aircraft}} *{{Official website|http://www.kolbaircraft.com}} {{Kolb Aircraft}}

[[Category:Aircraft manufacturers of the United States]] [[Category:Companies based in London, Kentucky]] [[Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1980]] [[Category:1980 establishments in Kentucky]]