Overview
JMB Aircraft is a Czech manufacturer, based in Choceň, that builds the VL3, a high-performance carbon-fiber two-seater. The design originated with Vanessa Air and was earlier produced by Aveko; JMB has developed and manufactured it for over a decade. The company is active and in production, continually updating the VL3 with new Rotax engine packages, most recently the 160 hp 916iS.
Heritage
JMB Aircraft is run by a Belgian family with a long aviation background through JMB Aviation, which operates a private airfield, flight school, and maintenance facility in Belgium. The company took over the VL3, an established European high-performance ultralight design, and turned it into a globally distributed product with a dealer network spanning more than thirty countries. Successive updates have added turbocharged and higher-output Rotax options and retractable-gear configurations across the range.
Design Signature
JMB builds a single, highly refined platform: the JMB VL3, an autoclave-cured pre-preg carbon-fiber two-seater offered from a fixed-gear 100 hp trainer up to a 160 hp turbocharged retractable cruiser. The flagship retractable variants pair a constant-speed propeller and a standard airframe parachute with cruise speeds that overlap certified four-seat retractables, the company’s defining claim.
For Owners
The VL3 is in current production and actively marketed, with a broad international dealer network. In the United States the high-performance retractable variants are flown on Experimental certificates rather than as Light-Sport aircraft, which shapes registration, insurance, and resale. Because JMB ships from the Czech Republic, US owners should weigh parts logistics and service-network depth against the larger domestic composite manufacturers.