Glasair Aviation Glasair

Single Piston

The Glasair is a family of high-performance composite kit aircraft designed by Tom Hamilton in the early 1980s and produced by Glasair Aviation (formerly Stoddard-Hamilton Aircraft). Built primarily from fiberglass and foam sandwich construction, the Glasair pioneered the use of pre-molded composite components in the homebuilt market, dramatically reducing construction time compared to traditional tube-and-fabric designs. The original Glasair I was a single-seat speedster, but the line evolved through the two-seat Glasair II and culminated in the Glasair III, a sleek four-seat cross-country machine capable of cruise speeds exceeding 200 knots with a 300-horsepower Lycoming engine. The Glasair III in particular earned a reputation as one of the fastest fixed-gear piston singles available to homebuilders, rivaling certified aircraft costing several times more. The design's clean aerodynamics, retractable gear option (Glasair RG variants), and efficient laminar-flow wing made it a favorite among builders seeking both speed and cross-country capability. While construction requires moderate skill and typically 1,500 to 2,000 hours of build time, the Glasair's performance envelope and relatively forgiving handling characteristics have made it a staple of the experimental aircraft community for over four decades. SkyMeter has tracked 199 flights across 92 airframes and 84 operators, with FREEMAN MATTHEW D the largest observed operator.