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 span wing has a wing area of . The cabin width is . The standard engine used is the AMW 808 in-line three cylinder, liquid-cooled, two-stroke, dual ignition, aircraft engine. With that engine the aircraft can cruise at .
The Lightning Bug has a typical empty weight of and a gross weight of , giving a useful load of . With full fuel of the payload for the pilot and baggage is . The aircraft meets American FAR 23 aerobatic category requirements at a gross weight of .
The standard day, sea level, no wind, take off with a engine is and the landing roll is , due to its 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.
Specifications (Lightning Bug)