Our Story

Foxbat Australia began life in 2002 as SilverWing Aviation, based at Heck Field, Jacobs Well, in South East Queensland. The first demonstrator A22 Foxbat was built from a kit in the UK - with a great deal of assistance from the UK Aeroprakt agent. It was shipped to Australia in early 2002 and originally retained its UK G-FXBT registration, before first becoming VH-VPH and finally 28-4163.

This aircraft was flown all over the east coast of Australia, using a tiny monochrome Garmin Pilot 3 GPS, until it was sold in 2004 - co-inciding with the delivery of the first Australian customer A22L. With a few developmental changes - reduced fin size and changes to the landing gear - the 450 kilo gross weight A22L was the mainstay of the fleet until the factory launched the LSA-compliant 600 kilo gross weight A22LS in 2009.

In between times, a very limited number of A22LSA Foxbats were imported - a USA development of the A22L with a 544 kilo gross weight, designed to satisfy the FAA light sport aircraft regulations.

In 2015 the factory launched the A32 Vixxen, which shares the Foxbat wing but has a completely different fuselage and tail feathers. The A32 Vixxen is probably unique among LSAs in the breadth of its flight envelope - stalls at 27 knots, top speed is over 120 knots - combined with amazing economy - typically averaging 16-17 litres an hour.

The latest addition to the fleet is the A22LS Kelpie, which is at heart a Foxbat, but with a number of extras to suit landowner/station/farmer use - a UHF radio, siren, bigger tyres and a special propeller.

In July of 2021 Smartair based out of Albury NSW formally took over the Aeroprakt dealership for Australia, keeping the Foxbat Australia name alive for many years to come.

About the Aeroprakt Factory

Since its formation in the early 1990's, Aeroprakt has been building aircraft at its factory in the west of Kiev, in Ukraine. They have now produced well over 1,250 aircraft and have established a global reputation for rugged, well designed aircraft which are safe to fly and easy to maintain.

Founders Yuriy Yakovlev and Oleg Litovchenko originally worked together at the Antonov Aircraft Design Bureau in Kiev and their mutual passion for small light aircraft led them to form Aeroprakt. Yuriy is now CEO and chief designer, while Oleg looks after the commercial side of the business. Yuriy has a number of ultralight world championships to his name, as well as a swath of ultralight world records.

Aeroprakt currently employs almost 100 people, many of whom have been with them since the early days, now building close to 100 aircraft a year and now produced over 1,250 aircraft. Aeroprakt also operates from its own airfield near Kiev, where there is a thriving club and flying school, using both A22 and A32 aircraft, as well as facilities for test flying and maintaining aircraft