La Mouette
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 1974 |
| Founder | Gérard Thevenot, Jean-Marc Thevenot |
| Headquarters | Fontaine-lès-Dijon , France |
| Products | Hang gliders, paragliders, ultralight trikes, paramotors (past) |
La Mouette () is a French manufacturer of aircraft located in Fontaine-lès-Dijon, focusing on the development and production of hang gliders, paragliders, and ultralight trikes. The firm has also been involved in producing paramotors in the past.
Established in 1974 by the Thevenot brothers, Gérard and Jean-Marc, La Mouette began by creating adaptations of the American Seagull hang glider. They chose the French term for seagull as both their model's name and the company’s identity. The introduction of the La Mouette Atlas came in 1979, a model that stayed in production until 2012 and achieved sales exceeding 8,000 units.
By 1986, La Mouette had branched out into manufacturing paramotors and, in 1995, they unveiled the "topless" hang glider design, which eliminated the kingpost and upper flying wires to boost aerodynamic efficiency.
During 2010–2011, the company innovated with the creation of an electric aircraft known as the Samson, marking a step towards eco-friendly aviation solutions.
Operating under the Helite brand, La Mouette developed the rigid wing hang glider Tsunami alongside the powered parachute Skydancer. Helite has since transitioned into a business that specializes in producing air bag systems for activities involving significant risk.
Aircraft
| Model name | Year of first flight | Quantity produced | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas | 1979 | over 8000 | hang glider |
| Profil | hang glider | ||
| Hermes | hang glider | ||
| Racer | hang glider | ||
| Sphinx | hang glider | ||
| Top Model | hang glider | ||
| Topless | 1995 | hang glider | |
| Top Secret | hang glider | ||
| Helite Tsunami | rigid wing hang glider | ||
| Cosmos | ultralight trike |