Quicksilver Aircraft
Quicksilver Aircraft is an American ultralight and light-aircraft manufacturer known for open-cockpit trainers, powered gliders, and the Quicksilver family of recreational aircraft.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Quicksilver Aircraft is an American aircraft brand associated with ultralight aircraft, powered gliders, and light sport aircraft. Its origins trace to Eipper Formance, a Southern California hang-glider manufacturer established by Dick Eipper in 1972. The company initially produced flexible-wing and rigid-wing hang gliders, including Bob Lovejoy’s Quicksilver rigid-wing design. That design used a rectangular wing and conventional tail surfaces rather than the delta-wing configuration common among many hang gliders of its period, providing the basis for a recognizable Quicksilver aircraft family. During the late 1970s, Eipper’s engineers began adapting the Quicksilver glider concept for powered flight. The resulting Quicksilver C combined the basic glider idea with an engine and landing gear, allowing pilots to launch from ordinary flat terrain rather than relying exclusively on suitable hills or towing arrangements. Later developments introduced tricycle landing gear and increasingly conventional aerodynamic controls. The Quicksilver E and subsequent MX models represented stages in this transition, with the MX range moving beyond purely weight-shift control toward two- and three-axis control surfaces. The business changed names from Eipper Formance to Eipper Aircraft and eventually to Quicksilver Aircraft. Under later ownership it operated as Quicksilver Manufacturing Inc. and was based in Temecula, California. Its product range included open-cockpit aircraft such as the MX Sprint and MX Sport, two-seat variants, and the more enclosed GT series. The company positioned these aircraft for recreational flying, flight training, sport aviation, and kit-aircraft use. Quicksilver aircraft became particularly associated with accessible handling, relatively simple construction, and the training market. The company stated that its aircraft had been used to train more ultralight pilots in the United States than any other type, although this was a company claim rather than an independently established market statistic. The GT400 and GT500 broadened the range toward higher-performance aircraft with podded or enclosed cockpit arrangements. The GT500 achieved a notable regulatory milestone when it became the first aircraft certificated by the Federal Aviation Administration in the Primary Category for sportplanes in 1993. In the 2010s, Quicksilver developed the Sport 2SE, a fully built two-seat Special Light-Sport Aircraft derived from the open-cockpit Sport 2S. It received Special Light-Sport Aircraft approval in 2014 and was marketed for training and rental operations. The company experienced a prolonged downturn in sales during the 2010s. In October 2015, the owners announced a reorganization and closure of the Temecula factory, citing difficult trading conditions and the need to liquidate assets. Later that month, the owners dissolved Quicksilver Aeronautics, the then-current corporate entity. They retained the brand’s intellectual property and arranged for long-time distributors, including Air-Tech Inc. of Reserve, Louisiana, and other suppliers to provide parts and support for existing aircraft. A statement issued on behalf of Flying Spirit Aircraft, described as the rights-holding company, indicated that replacement parts and factory support would continue through third parties and that new kits could potentially be offered if demand justified them. Because the operating status of the brand after the dissolution is not clearly established in the available reference material, Quicksilver Aircraft is best treated as a historically important but currently uncertain aircraft brand rather than confidently classified as either active or fully defunct.
History
Quicksilver Aircraft developed from Eipper Formance, a Southern California hang-glider company founded by Dick Eipper in 1972. The original business manufactured flexible-wing and rigid-wing hang gliders. One of its important designs was Bob Lovejoy’s Quicksilver rigid-wing glider, which differed visually and aerodynamically from delta-wing hang gliders by using a rectangular wing and conventional tail surfaces. The company later explored powered versions of the Quicksilver concept. In the late 1970s, it added an engine and landing gear to create the Quicksilver C, a self-launching powered glider intended for pilots operating from flat terrain. Continued development produced the Quicksilver E and the MX series. These aircraft incorporated increasingly conventional landing gear and control arrangements; the MX models in particular moved from pure weight-shift control toward two- and three-axis aerodynamic controls. Eipper Formance subsequently became Eipper Aircraft and later adopted the Quicksilver Aircraft name. Under later ownership, the company operated as Quicksilver Manufacturing Inc. from Temecula, California. Its range expanded from simple open-cockpit ultralights to trainers, two-seat aircraft, and more enclosed GT models. The MX Sprint and MX Sport families were associated with recreational flying and training, while the GT400 and GT500 were designed as more enclosed and higher-performance alternatives. The GT500 became a significant regulatory milestone in 1993 when it was certificated by the Federal Aviation Administration in the Primary Category for sportplanes. In the 2010s, Quicksilver developed the Sport 2SE, a factory-built two-seat Special Light-Sport Aircraft derived from the open-cockpit Sport 2S. The model received S-LSA approval in 2014 and was promoted for training and rental use. After a prolonged decline in sales, Quicksilver announced in October 2015 that it would reorganize and close its Temecula factory. Later that month, the owners dissolved Quicksilver Aeronautics, the then-current corporate entity. The intellectual property was retained, and arrangements were made for long-time distributor Air-Tech Inc. and other suppliers to provide parts and support for aircraft already in service. A statement attributed to Flying Spirit Aircraft, identified as the rights-holding company, said that replacement parts and support would continue through third parties and that new kits might be made available if market demand warranted them. The available reference does not establish a subsequent full-scale manufacturing operation or a definitive final disposition of the brand.
- 2015
Temecula factory closes
[1]Quicksilver announces a reorganization and closes its Temecula factory following a prolonged downturn in sales.
- 2015
Quicksilver Aeronautics is dissolved
[1]The then-current corporate entity is dissolved while intellectual property is retained and third-party parts and support arrangements are established.
- 2014
Sport 2SE receives S-LSA approval
[1]The fully built, two-seat Sport 2SE receives Special Light-Sport Aircraft approval and is positioned as a trainer and rental aircraft.
- 1993
GT500 receives Primary Category certification
[1]The GT500 becomes the first aircraft certificated by the Federal Aviation Administration in the Primary Category for sportplanes.
- 1978
Powered Quicksilver development begins
[1]The company begins experimenting with engines and landing gear, leading to the self-launching Quicksilver C powered glider. The source describes this as occurring in the late 1970s.
- 1972
Eipper Formance is established
[1]Dick Eipper establishes Eipper Formance in Southern California as a manufacturer of flexible-wing and rigid-wing hang gliders.
- 1970
Quicksilver rigid-wing design enters the company’s product lineage
[1]Bob Lovejoy’s Quicksilver rigid-wing design becomes the foundation for the aircraft name and later powered developments. The exact year of introduction is not specified in the reference material.
Products and positioning
Accessible American ultralight and light-aircraft products emphasizing recreational flying, pilot training, simple airframe concepts, and support for kit-built and factory-built aircraft.
Powered glider
Quicksilver C
The Quicksilver C was an early powered development of the Quicksilver rigid-wing glider concept. It added an engine and landing gear so pilots could launch from flat terrain, extending the aircraft beyond the site limitations of unpowered hang gliding. It formed part of the company’s transition from hang-glider manufacturing into powered ultralight aircraft.
Powered ultralight aircraft
Quicksilver E
The Quicksilver E followed the powered Quicksilver C in the company’s evolution toward more conventional light aircraft. It incorporated further development of landing gear and aerodynamic control arrangements, helping bridge the gap between weight-shift-oriented gliders and the later MX aircraft with more conventional control surfaces.
Ultralight trainer and recreational aircraft
MX Sprint
The MX Sprint was part of Quicksilver’s open-cockpit MX family. The series represented a move toward two- and three-axis aerodynamic control rather than relying solely on weight shifting. The Sprint name was associated with a compact, accessible configuration suitable for recreational flying and pilot training.
Ultralight sport aircraft
MX Sport
The MX Sport was an open-cockpit member of Quicksilver’s MX range. It reflected the company’s emphasis on straightforward ultralight construction, conventional aerodynamic controls, and recreational or instructional use. The model belonged to the same broader product lineage as the MX Sprint and later two-seat derivatives.
Two-seat ultralight trainer
MX-2 Sprint
The MX-2 Sprint was a two-seat development within the MX family. It extended the open-cockpit Quicksilver concept to instructional and passenger-carrying applications, supporting the brand’s role in introductory ultralight flying and training.
Two-seat ultralight sport aircraft
MXL-2 Sport
The MXL-2 Sport was a two-seat Quicksilver aircraft intended for sport and recreational flying. It continued the brand’s open-cockpit, lightweight-aircraft approach while providing capacity for an instructor or passenger.
Enclosed ultralight aircraft
GT400
The GT400 was one of Quicksilver’s more enclosed GT-series aircraft. The GT line moved the brand toward higher-performance configurations with podded or enclosed cockpit arrangements, offering an alternative to the company’s more exposed open-cockpit ultralights.
Sportplane
GT500
The GT500 was a higher-performance Quicksilver aircraft with a podded or enclosed cockpit. Its principal historical distinction is regulatory: in 1993 it became the first aircraft certificated by the FAA in the Primary Category for sportplanes.
Two-seat ultralight aircraft
Sport II
Sport II was a two-seat aircraft in Quicksilver’s Sport line. It represented the brand’s continued focus on approachable recreational and training aircraft and served as part of the lineage leading to the more fully specified Sport 2S and Sport 2SE.
Two-seat ultralight sport aircraft
Sport 2S
The Sport 2S was an open-cockpit, two-seat Quicksilver aircraft. It provided the design basis for the Sport 2SE and was associated with training, recreational flying, and the company’s established lightweight-aircraft format.
Special Light-Sport Aircraft · 2014
Sport 2SE
The Sport 2SE was a fully built, two-seat Special Light-Sport Aircraft derived from the open-cockpit Sport 2S. It received S-LSA approval in 2014 and was marketed for flight training and rental operations, distinguishing it from Quicksilver’s traditional kit-oriented and ultralight offerings.
Brand decisions
2015
Close the Temecula factory and reorganize the businessStrategyBackground
Quicksilver faced a prolonged downturn in sales and a difficult financial year. Management announced that the factory operation would be closed and assets liquidated as part of a major reorganization.
Action taken
The company shut its Temecula manufacturing facility and reorganized its remaining activities around retained intellectual property and external support arrangements.
Aftermath
Factory production ended at the Temecula site. Parts and support for existing aircraft were assigned to long-time distributors and other suppliers, while possible future kits were made dependent on market demand.
2015
Dissolve Quicksilver Aeronautics while retaining intellectual propertyOtherBackground
Following the factory closure and business downturn, the owners reviewed the future of the then-current corporate entity.
Action taken
The owners dissolved Quicksilver Aeronautics but retained the company’s intellectual property and arranged for Air-Tech Inc. and other third parties to supply parts and support.
Aftermath
Existing aircraft were to remain supported through distributors and suppliers. The possibility of offering new kits was left open if sufficient demand emerged, but the reference material does not document a subsequent restart of full factory manufacturing.
Recent events
- 2015
Quicksilver announces factory closure and reorganization[1]
Bankruptcy
Quicksilver announced a major reorganization and closure of its Temecula factory after a difficult financial period characterized by falling sales and asset-liquidation requirements.
- 2015
Quicksilver Aeronautics is dissolved while support arrangements continue[1]
Other
The owners dissolved Quicksilver Aeronautics but retained the intellectual property and arranged for Air-Tech and other suppliers to continue parts and support services for existing aircraft, with possible future kits dependent on demand.
Sources1 sources
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