[1][2] The aircraft was designed to comply with the US FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles rules, including the category's maximum empty weight of 254 lb (115 kg).
It features a very minimalist design, a cable-braced hang glider-style high-wing, weight-shift controls, a single-seat, open cockpit, tricycle landing gear and a single engine in pusher configuration.
[1][2] The aircraft is made from bolted-together aluminum tubing, with its single or double-surface wing covered in Dacron sailcloth.
Its 34 ft (10.4 m) span wing is supported by a single tube-type kingpost and uses an "A" frame control bar.
[1][2] The LiteTrike was designed to use any hang glider wing that the owner might have and to facilitate this the manufacturer provided strengthening kits with keel sleeves and thicker flying wires.