Kolb Aircraft Company

What Kolb Aircraft Company does

Kolb Aircraft Company is a privately held Kentucky LLC that designs, manufactures, and sells kit-built ultralight and experimental light sport aircraft (LSA) direct to individual hobbyist pilots and builders. The company's product line centers on three airframes — the FireFly (a 40 hp, 254 lb FAR Part 103 legal ultralight), the FireStar (a 55 hp Hirth 3202-powered two-seat LSA), and the TwinStar MK III (a STOL-class, multi-engine-option LSA) — all sharing a common design language of welded 4130 chrome-moly steel fuselage cages, aluminum wing structures with steel reinforcements, Stits fabric covering, and quick-folding wings and tail for storage and trailering in a rear-mounted pusher configuration. Customers purchase complete kits or the higher-priced Factory Custom Air Quick-Build option (serial-numbered, factory-completed structures), then assemble the aircraft themselves in 375 to 550 hours depending on model, supported by factory-direct guidance, a network of recommended accessory vendors (floats, propellers, instrumentation, trailers), and an active community fostered through airshow presence and ongoing digital content. The business generates revenue almost entirely through one-time kit sales plus modest accessories (e.g., $600 wing carts), operating on a direct-to-consumer model with no dealer or distributor network, distributed entirely through the company website, its Keavy, KY factory, and major US aviation events such as EAA AirVenture Oshkosh and Sun N Fun. Following Homer Kolb's death in 2009, the company is now under new ownership (Charles May, 2023) executing a strategic reset centered on more affordable pricing and new designs; a 2024 storm-damage-driven move from London-Corbin Airport to Keavy, KY is the most recent material operating change.

Name

Kolb Aircraft Company

Legal name

Kolb Aircraft Co. LLC

Website

https://kolbaircraft.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kolb Aircraft Company is a privately held Kentucky LLC that designs and sells direct-to-consumer, kit-built ultralight and experimental light sport aircraft, serving recreational hobbyist pilots and homebuilders with folding-wing pusher airframes such as the FireFly, FireStar, and TwinStar MK III.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Kit-built Ultralight and Light Sport Aircraft

NAICS

Aircraft Manufacturing (336411), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641)

SIC

Aircraft (3721), Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728)

akta.pro primary industry

Fixed-Wing Aircraft Kits & Experimental Aircraft Manufacturing (IMABAAAJ)

Keywords

• Kit-built aircraft
• Ultralight aircraft
• Light sport aircraft
• Recreational aviation
• Homebuilt aircraft

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Aircraft Kit Sales: Kolb Aircraft sells kit-built aircraft in various models (FireFly, FireStar, TwinStar Mark III) as factory-direct or quick-build kits. Customers purchase the kit and build the aircraft themselves, with support from the factory. This is the primary revenue stream, representing a one-time high-value transaction per aircraft sold.
2. Accessories and Add-ons: Sale of supplementary products including wing carts ($600), Puddle Jumper amphibious floats, Kolb-branded merchandise (ball caps), and other aircraft options and upgrades.
3. Quick-Build Option Upgrade: Factory Custom Air Quick-Build Kit option provides pre-completed aircraft structures ready for covering, adding value to the base kit price for customers seeking reduced build time.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kolb Aircraft Company designs and manufactures factory-built kits of ultralight and light sport aircraft sold as buildable folding-wing, pusher-config airframes. Its product family includes the FireFly (ultralight), the FireStar (light sport), the TwinStar MK III (two-seat side-by-side light sport), and supporting accessories such as wing carts, float conversions, and quick-build kits, all targeted at sport pilots and homebuilders.

Product overview

Kolb Aircraft Company is an aircraft kit manufacturer offering a portfolio of easy-to-build, easy-to-fly ultralight and light sport aircraft with folding wings and tail for effortless storage and trailering. The product line consists of three core aircraft: the FireFly (a 40hp FAR Part 103 legal ultralight), the FireStar (a 55hp two-passenger light sport aircraft), and the TwinStar MK III (a STOL-class aircraft with multiple engine options). All aircraft feature factory-welded 4130 chrome-moly steel fuselage cages, aluminum wings with steel reinforcements, and Stits aircraft fabric covering. The company also offers an optional Factory Quick-Build Kit for faster assembly, plus accessories including Wing Carts and Puddle Jumper Floats. With over 8,000 Kolb aircraft in existence, the company is known for short takeoff and landing capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FireFly ultralight aircraft kit A single-seat, FAR Part 103 ultralight aircraft kit built around Kolb's folding-wing, pusher-propeller 4130 chrome-moly steel airframe, designed to be the most affordable, easy-to-build entry into ultralight aviation for sport pilots.
• FireStar light sport aircraft kit A higher-performance Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) kit using Kolb's proven folding-wing, pusher-propeller 4130 chrome-moly steel airframe, marketed at pilots needing FAA LSA certification, more useful load, and cross-country cruise speeds beyond ultralight limits.
• TwinStar MK III light sport aircraft kit A two-seat, side-by-side Light Sport Aircraft kit with Kolb's folding-wing/tail pusher airframe intended for owner-pilots who want to carry a passenger and for flight schools that need an affordable FAA LSA trainer.
• Wing Cart A purpose-built rolling storage/transport cart that holds Kolb folding wings so they can be moved into a hangar or garage without lifting; sold as a standalone accessory for Kolb aircraft owners.
• Puddle Jumper Floats Aftermarket float conversion sold for compatible Kolb aircraft, enabling water operation and adding seaplane capability to the existing airframe family.
• Factory Quick-Build Kit (Quick-Build Options) Factory-completed quick-build sub-assemblies purchased as an upgrade to a standard kit to reduce the homebuilder's build time and skill burden when assembling a Kolb aircraft.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8,000+ Kolb aircraft have been built
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Puddle Jumper (Floats)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKolb Aircraft has partnered with Puddle Jumper to offer amphibious ultralight and ELSA floats as an accessory for all Kolb models. Puddle Jumper floats enhance the versatility of Kolb aircraft by enabling takeoff and landing on lakes, adding amphibious capability to the flying experience.
• Aircraft SpruceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAircraft Spruce supplies Kolb fabric kits and stocks everything builders might need to complete the covering process. It serves as a key materials supplier for the Kolb builder community.
• Second Chantz Recover SystemsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSecond Chantz Recover Systems provides fabric recovery services and systems for Kolb aircraft, referenced as a key supplier supporting Kolb aircraft owners in their building and maintenance processes.
• South Mississippi Light AircraftminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSouth Mississippi Light Aircraft (Ronnie Smith's place near Lucedale, Mississippi) is a key Kolb dealer and support location referenced in customer stories, providing fuel and support for Kolb pilots.
• Tim Wagner, Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTim Wagner, Inc. (1-800-837-9653) manufactures enclosed trailers suitable for transporting Kolb aircraft. The company is referenced as a recommended trailer provider for Kolb owners.
• Wells Cargo, Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWells Cargo, Inc. (1-800-348-7553) manufactures enclosed trailers large enough for Kolb aircraft. Referenced as a recommended option for Kolb aircraft transportation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Icon Aircraft: Producer of the Icon A5 LSA. Overlaps Kolb in light-sport sport/recreational flying positioning but is a higher-ASP, partially ready-to-fly alternative rather than a kit competitor.
• Van's Aircraft: Largest kit aircraft manufacturer in the U.S. (RV series). Adjacent in the kit-built experimental market but operating at significantly greater scale and broader performance tier; sets the competitive ceiling for Kolb's niche.

Direct peers

• Zenith Aircraft: One of the largest U.S. kit-aircraft manufacturers (STOL CH 750, Zodiac, Cruiser). Direct overlap with Kolb in the metal-tube-and-fabric, kit-built light sport / experimental segment and the same direct-to-consumer builder community.
• CubCrafters: Carbon Cub / FX-3 STOL kit and LSA maker. Closely comparable on STOL capabilities, tailwheel handling, and backcountry mission profile that Kolb targets with the TwinStar MK III and FireStar.
• Sonex Aircraft: Kit-built and quick-build experimental/LSA manufacturer (Sonex, Waiex, Xenos). Direct competitor in the homebuilder/quick-build kit space, with similar steel-structure construction and community-driven sales.
• Just Aircraft: Builder of the Highlander and SuperSTOL, two-seat STOL kit aircraft. Direct peer on STOL-class positioning, backcountry use cases, and tailwheel kit designs serving the same Kolb TwinStar / FireStar buyer.
• RANS Aircraft: Long-established kit aircraft maker (S-6S Coyote, S-7S Courier, S-12 Airaile). Shares Kolb's ultralight/LSA target customer, fixed-wing kit format, and direct-to-builder GTM.
• Kitfox Aircraft: Manufacturer of the lightweight, folding-wing Kitfox series — a particularly close analog to Kolb's folding-wing / tail differentiator and ultralight-class builder segment.

Emerging players

• Murphy Aircraft: Canadian kit aircraft maker (Rebel, Moose, Renegade). Comparable lightweight steel-and-fabric kit designs and recreational/strip-flying buyer overlap, but smaller brand and regional reach versus Kolb.
• Quad City Ultralights: Builder of the Challenger series ultralight kits. Directly comparable to Kolb's FireFly in the FAR Part 103 ultralight kit segment with a similar lightweight, slow-flight value proposition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kolbaircraft
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCr6rwOHu4Ji5VC9U3buF7gQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/kolbaircraftcompany
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kolb-aircraft-co

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kolb Aircraft Company