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You can't go back and change the beginning,
but you can start
where you are and change the ending.

-- C.S. Lewis --

CHALLENGER
LIGHT SPORTS

X Series
XL-65 and XS-65

E Series
EL-65 and ES-65

THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGERS

Thirty Years
In The Making

Legendary Versatility
Unbeatable Economy

Quick Look
Click here!

Overview
Click here!

Details
Click here!

Quick-Build
Airframe
No Extra Cost

Bespoke 582 Power Pack
Standard

New Easy Entry Cabin
Click picture below!

Light Sport
More Pics
Click Here!

Price is what you pay.
Value is what you get.
Warren Buffet

Challenger 582

More Power! Less Fuel!

The de facto standard
for floats, heavy loads,
high density altitudes.

Click here for info,
pictures and video!

News Flash

New 582 Engines Meet ASTM LSA Standards Like 4-stroke 912 & 914!

Gross Weight

New Light Sport
XL-65 & XS-65
Increased To 1060 Lbs!

Most Challenger II's
Increased To 960 Lbs!

Challenger Cinema
YouTube Videos

Challenger Album
Flickr Photos

COPA FLIGHT FEATURE

VIGNETTES OF A PILGRIMAGE

Click here for feature!

Click here for
pictures galore!

Alberta Licence Plate

Click above to enlarge!

Challenger Cinema

Brand New Videos
Plus Classic Videos
From The DVD!

Misty Morning

Summer Escape

Ten Months To Build
A Lifetime Of Enjoyment

Challenger Experience

Fall Foliage Floatilla

Amphibious Adventure

Click here for Pics

Flying is like making love - quicker is not necessarily better.

This Gift Of Time

Challenger Gallery

Aerial ATV

Versatility Plus!

Hot Shots

Sun'n'Fun
3000 Miles

New Eyes = New Sights

The Dream Comes True

The Plane & The Pump

If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to it.
Jonathan Winters

CHALLENGER CANADA
AUGUST 10, 2019

13TH ANNUAL
Challenger Canada
Open House
+
31ST ANNUAL
Gathering of Classics

2019 WAS FANTASTIC!
PERFECT WEATHER!

CLICK HERE
FOR 2019 PHOTOS!

Edenvale Classic Aircraft Foundation

Click here for details
plus photos & videos!

Gathering of Classics
Classic Planes!
Classic Cars!

Canada's Largest
Fly-in / Drive-in

Static Displays
Food and More
For the Whole Family

Edenvale Aerodrome
(Near Barrie, ON)

Click for Directions!

COASTEBELLO II
SEPTEMBER 7-9, 2018

SPLASH & DASH

Second Annual
West Coast Challenger Rendezvous
==
12th Annual
Western Challenger Rendezvous

VANCOUVER ISLAND!

Where the Ocean
Meets the Sky

Click Here To Play
Threeship Video

CLICK HERE
COASTEBELLO
2018 DETAILS!

Courtenay Airpark
Courtenay-Comox, BC

Click for Directions!

2007 to 2016

Western Rendezvous
1 thru 10

"WESTEBELLO"
Wetaskiwin, AB

Click here for pictures!

Click here for
Demo Flights
Alberta style!

2017

"WESTEBELLO"
became
"COASTEBELLO"

20TH OTTAWA FLY-IN
Sept. 7, 2019

Carleton Place, ON

30 Challengers!

Click here for past info!

Challenger
Winter Rendezvous Videos

Full Emotion

Full Action

More than a Feeling

The Big Two Oh!

Return From Montebello

CHALLENGER
WINTER-TACULAR

COPA FLIGHT
APRIL 2015

ARTICLE & PICTURES

CLICK HERE TO VIEW!

28TH MONTEBELLO
JANUARY 26-28, 2018


Canada's Largest
Most Famous
Winter Aviation Event!

28TH CHALLENGER
WINTER RENDEZVOUS


CELEBRATING
35 YEARS OF
CHALLENGERS

CLICK HERE FOR 2018 DETAILS, AGENDA, RESERVATIONS, ETC!

Click here for
Dave O'Malley
Annual Challenger
Winter Rendezvous
Poster Collection

OVERVIEW OF THE CHALLENGER LINE OF AIRCRAFT
Click pictures to enlarge! Clink underlined words to browse!

National Ultralight Inc.
World's Leading Challenger Distributor

Challenger Light Sports - The Ultimate Challengers

Site Map | 10 Best Reasons | Airplane | Experience | Owners | FAQ | Company | Contact Us

Light Sport Aircraft | Quick-Build Airframe | 582 Power Pack | YouTube Videos | Flickr Photos

Be Notified Of Web Site Updates

Challenger Customer Support Section | Challenger Dealer Support Section


The site map gives the big picture - ie the overall structure and the contents of each section.
All underlined words are links which can be clicked. Use your browser's Back button to return.
All pictures are actually links too! Click any one to see the enlargement and caption. Try it!
If you like our web slide show, download hi-res images for wallpaper and screen savers.

Fly Challenger - Make Your Dreams Come True

The versatility of the Challenger line of aircraft is legendary - wheels, skis, floats, soaring, local or cross continent flights. Four seasons a year of use.

Owners enjoy a huge user community and an extensive support network.

For Challenging Times - The Lowest Acquisition & Operating Costs Of All

The current Challenger Light Sport lineup has models with a range of features, performance and prices wide enough to suit every need and every budget.

Fuel economy is unbeatable - use regular car gas - only 3-4 gallons an hour.
Acquisition costs are reasonable. Parts and service are affordable and simple.

Fly in Canada with your current licence or an affordable Ultralight Pilot Permit.

4,000 Worldwide 600 In Canada - Performance & Safety Proven Since 1983

Challengers are always in demand so the value of yours will be protected.
It's not just an expense - it's an investment - in your future and your present!

In Canada the fastest growing segment of aviation is Advanced Ultralights and
Challenger is the de facto standard, outselling the competition by 10 to 1!

Challenger is the best value in aviation - first choice of pros and newbies!

National Ultralight is the world's leading Challenger distributor with over 600 Challengers sold. We sell quick-build kits, new ready-to-fly, and certified pre-owned Challengers. For one-stop shopping we distribute Puddlejumper floats and Turbulence skis, both leading brands for their performance and price..

A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.
-- John Barrymore
--

The Challenger Line Of Advanced Ultralight Aircraft

National Ultralight has been the exclusive Canadian distributor since 1984!

Some 4,000 Challengers have been delivered worldwide since 1983 with over 600 owners in Canada. The Challenger Owners Association is the most active in recreational aviation. Clearly this line of aircraft is one of the most popular in aviation, and one of the most proven, safest designs in any category.

The Challenger is uniquely versatile - it switches quickly and easily between wheels, tundra wheels, skis, penetration wheel/skis, retractable wheel/skis, straight floats, amphibious floats, ... The heated cabin and an engine needing no preheating make it a true four season aircraft, even in Canada's winter. On warm summer days remove the doors and you have an open air sportster!

The Challenger's STOL performance and payload are extraordinary. A wide speed range and impressive crosswind capability, together with a cockpit having unrestricted visibility, make it a delightful and capable platform for long distance cross-country flights, as well as low and slow ultralight sightseeing.

Challengers also make great motorgliders, with recorded engine-off flights of several hours and altitude gains of many thousands of feet, even on amphibs!

There is no other airplane, at any price, with this broad mix of talents! In Canada new Challengers can qualify for the Advanced Ultralight category. Fly with a traditional licence or the much easier to obtain Ultralight Pilot Permit!

Science, freedom, beauty, adventure. What more could you ask of life?
Aviation combined all the elements I loved.
-- Charles Lindbergh --

The Evolution Of The Species

The Challenger design has stood the test of time but it has not stood still. Over the years several hundred changes have combined to let the latest Challenger take off in less distance, climb more rapidly and cruise 50 mph faster than the early machines. Wingtips to wheels it's more efficient and more durable.

In 2005 the Bombardier-Rotax 582 Blue Head engine became the core of a new bespoke power pack which quickly replaced the 503 engine in being by far the leading choice of Challenger owners. The 582 power pack delivers 30% more horsepower and 34% more torque than its predecessor the 503. All this with a specific fuel consumption 23% lower! The 582 power pack is now the de facto standard for floats, heavy loads and high density altitudes.

Also in 2005 we increased the gross weight of the Challenger II by 20% to 960 lbs. And in 2005 we created packages including airframe, power pack and everything necessary for flight. The Challenger II 582 Premium became the choice of virtually all new owners.

The newest Bombardier-Rotax 582 Blue Head engines are ASTM certified. Purpose built for use in aviation they have earned top marks for reliability as well as easy, affordable maintenance. Dual independent electronic ignition systems fire two spark plugs per cylinder, for redundancy plus more power and lower fuel consumption. A taller reduction drive and bigger prop increase cruise and climb.

The current Challenger Light Sport lineup gives choices with a wide range of features, performance and prices to suit every need and every budget!

New Challenger Light Sport 'E' and 'X' Series Models

In July 2010 the Challenger line of aircraft was expanded with the Light Sport 'X' Series Model XL-65. In March 2012 the line was expanded again with the new Challenger Light Sport 'X' Series Model XS-65.

The new Challenger Light Sport XL-65 and XS-65 are the most dramatic steps forward ever taken. The XL-65 and XS-65 incorporate numerous design enhancements driven by customer inputs. The new models are easier to fly, faster in cruise, more rugged, more ergonomic and easier to build. Prices remain very affordable even with engine and instruments.

The new XL-65 is a high power, high lift aircraft for amphibious floats, heavy loads and high density altitudes. A new wing design and a 582 power package with 30% more thrust combine to allow an increase in gross weight from 960 to 1060 lbs. Standard 20 USgal wing tanks allow for the creation of a baggage compartment in the fuselage behind the passenger seat.

The new XS-65 is a clip wing derivative of the XL-65 with all the same features including the 582 power pack but with a clip wing four feet shorter. The XS-65 is optimized for people who want speed. The maximum cruise speed is 100 mph - lightning fast for an ultralight! The XS-65 has an impressive payload of nearly 600 lbs. With its fast cruise, long range wing tanks and a baggage compartment in the fuselage the XS-65 makes a great cross-country machine.

In January 2016 the Challenger line of aircraft grew once again with the announcement of the new Light Sport 'E' Series Models EL-65 and ES-65. The new Challenger Light Sport EL-65 and ES-65 provide a more attainable entry point for those whose needs and budgets are not up to the level of the more fully featured XL-65 and XS-65. In effect the predecessor Challenger II's capabilities are significantly uplifted without uplifting the cost.

Available configurations include faired wheels, tundra wheels, straight skis, wheel/skis, straight floats and amphibious floats, all very affordable. In the grand Challenger tradition of versatility switching between configurations is quick and easy.

The new Light Sport 'E' Series and 'X' Series models all retain the docile nature, low stall speed and amazing crosswind capability of previous generations of Challengers. The combination of outstanding STOL performance plus heavy duty landing gear and hydraulic disc brakes allow operation from short, unimproved strips.

From crisper handling to a more spacious cabin, the latest Challengers are not only more capable and comfortable they are better looking and quieter to boot!

This is why Challenger is truly Canada's favourite advanced ultralight!

You can't cross the sea by standing and staring at the water.
-- Rabindranath Tagore --

The Quick Tour

For a sense of why this aircraft has enjoyed amazing longevity and success, read what owners say are the ten best reasons for owning a Challenger.

The Grand Tour

This site contains full details on the new Light Sport models plus it describes the experience of flying a Challenger, introduces a few of our owners, answers frequently asked questions, and tells you about our company. All this together with plenty of pictures and videos!

The site map gives the big picture - the overall structure plus section contents.

Browse through in sequence or flip through any way you wish. Your browser will change the colour of the underlined links so you know where you've been. To come back to a particular page, add it to your Bookmarks or Favorites list.

Remember to click on the small pictures to enlarge them and see the captions!

The Nitty Gritty Tour

The Light Sport section has a wealth of facts and figures plus pictures
on the new Challenger Light Sport E Series and X Series models!

Challenger Info Pack & Video

This web site has superseded the traditional paper information package in detailing everything about the Challenger - from specs to prices to how to soar in a thermal. It also contains the Challenger Cinema with a great selection of videos which may be viewed online. Video is the absolute best route to truly understanding the versatility and performance of the Challenger. Some of the videos show specific aspects of the Challenger, for example the difference in takeoff and climb between the 582 and 503 engines. Other videos were created by Challenger owners who were moved to share their experiences.

The videos are an eclectic collection of old and new footage which starts with classic 1980's era material and interleaves more modern footage. This is intended to show you the full spectrum of the Challenger's heritage - to give you a sense of the continuing evolution and an idea of just how far we've come since the early days! Tour the Thousand Islands on floats, wander over gorgeous Florida greenery, skim along a snow-covered river with friends, ride a thermal upwards with the engine off.

All this information is here online for free. Click to our Site Map to learn what is on our site and where it is. Print pages for your personal use if you wish.

If you think you can do a thing, or think you can't do a thing, you're right.
-- Henry Ford --

Kitplanes Magazine

Feature Now Online
Four Seasons of Adventure
Which are the best seasons for
enjoying the Challenger?
Winter, spring, summer and fall!
Click here for text and pictures.

In 2013 Canadian Challengers attended the 30th anniversary fete in Illinois!
This pilgrimage entailed a round trip by a flock of amphibious Challengers
from Quebec (3,200 km) and Ontario (2,300 km) plus a solo voyage by an amphibious Challenger from Edmonton, Alberta (4,500 km)!


Click here for feature!

Click here for 120 photos!

Click here for cover!

In September 2008 a couple of hundred people drove and 56 Challengers flew
to Erie Airpark in Illinois to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Challenger!



Click here for Evolution!

Click here for Kitplanes!


Click here for Evolution!


Click here for Canuck view!
Click here for COPA article!


Click here for Canuck view!

In 2014 National Ultralight celebrated its 30th year as Challenger distributor!

CHALLENGER TURNS 30
EVOLUTION EXTRAORDINARE
1983 <=> 2013

If the why is important enough, the how will happen.
-- Viktor Frankl --

Getting To Know You

Aerobatics To Amphibs

Challenger Association

8 days + 2000 km

A Beautiful Day

Discovering Ski Flying

Pilgrimage to Baddeck - An Amphibious Adventure

11th Annual Challenger Float Tour - August 2009

Dave O'Malley Annual Challenger Winter Rendezvous Poster Collection

The Challenger Winter Rendezvous posters are created by Dave O'Malley of Aerographics Ottawa. Dave is also historian and webmaster at Vintage Wings.

Following are links to reports, pictures and videos of
the last few Challenger Winter Rendezvous. For even more click here!

24th Annual Challenger Winter Rendezvous
Chateau Montebello - Jan. 31 - Feb. 2, 2014

EXPANDING HORIZONS TOGETHER
Challenger comes complete with its own community
of owners and network of service providers!
Click here, here, here and here for 2014 photos galore!
Click here for 2014 COPA Flight article and pictures!
Click here for 2014 poster, theme and agenda!

Click the poster on the left above for large English and French versions.
Click the COPA cover on the right above for full article and pics.

23rd Annual Challenger Winter Rendezvous
Chateau Montebello - February 1-3, 2013

30 YEARS OF CHALLENGERS
1983 to 2013! Time flies and so do 4,000 Challengers!
Click here for classic Return From Montebello video!
Click here, here, here and here for 2013 photos galore!
Click here for 2013 COPA Flight article and pictures!
Click here for 2013 poster, theme and agenda!

Click the poster on the left above for large English and French versions.
Click the COPA cover on the right above for full article and pics.

22nd Annual Challenger Winter Rendezvous
Chateau Montebello - February 3-5, 2012

SNOW 'n FUN was FABULOUS!
Sun & Wind Perfect! Ice & Snow Perfect!
Over 90 Planes!
Click here for Tomorrow is Today video!
Click here for photos galore!
Click here for COPA Flight article and pictures!
Click here for 2012 theme and agenda!

Click the poster on the left above for large English and French versions.
Click the COPA cover on the right above for full article and pics.

21st Annual Challenger Winter Rendezvous
Chateau Montebello - February 4-6, 2011

WINTER FLYING - THEN & NOW
Blue Sky / Warm Air / Light Wind
Click here for Full Emotion video!
Click here for More than a Feeling video!
Click here for COPA Flight article and pictures!
Click here for 2011 theme and agenda!

Click the poster on the left above for large English and French versions.
Click the COPA cover on the right above for full article and pics.

Annual Challenger
Winter Rendezvous

36 Challengers on skis!
250 Challenger aficionados!

Click for reports and pictures:

2009 2008 2007 2006
2005 2004 2003

Challenger
Canada

Sample Happenings - 2006
Spring, Summer, Fall

Sample Happenings - 2005

1000 Mile Club
Seven League Boots

If you have any questions or are ready to order your Challenger,
contact us via e-mail, phone or mail.

National Ultralight is located in Hangar/Office facilities at historic Edenvale Aerodrome.
We are an hour north of Toronto, Ontario between Barrie and Collingwood on Highway 26.
Click here for map and directions.

If you wish, we'll notify you automatically by e-mail when this site is updated!


Site Map | 10 Best Reasons | Airplane | Experience | Owners | FAQ | Company | Contact Us

Last update January 1, 2024. Copyright 1983-2024 National Ultralight Inc. All rights reserved.
Text, images and graphics from this site may not be reproduced or linked without permission.