Designed by Ron Wilson of Murillo Ontario, it was the winner of the 1995 Scratch Build Design Contest sponsored by Aircraft Spruce and Specialty Co. of Fullerton California and hosted by the Experimental Aircraft Association in Oshkosh Wisconsin. This design won out over 102 entries from all over the world. Aircraft Spruce sponsored the cost of building the airframe and the aircraft was built in one year by Peter Eisenbach of Thunder Bay and Vern Ennis and Harold Spithoff of Kakabeka Falls Ontario.

It was designed with strength, ability to take abuse, ease of repair, good short field performance and stable flight characteristics as the most important features. The strut braced staggered wing biplane design affords good visibility and requires a pilot with only average flying ability but with some experience in high performance taildraggers. The design and basic construction is in accordance with standard aircraft practices and aircraft grade materials are used throughout. The aircraft is conservatively stressed for a limit load of 6 G positive and 4 G negative with a 1.5 safety factor at a gross weight of 650 lbs.

One of the nice things about small biplanes is that they can be built in a fairly small area. The largest piece is the fuselage which is approximately 12 feet long 2 feet wide and 4 feet high. Built on a 12' x 2' table with a minimum of 3 feet of walk around area it can be built in any 17 foot long room. A single car garage is more than adequate and the entire aircraft can be fully assembled in an average 2 car garage. The wing panels are built standing on edge in a 8 foot long jig.

For the best performance and reliability the preferred engine is the four cylinder Rotax 912 or 914. The engine in the prototype is the four cylinder Rotax 912. However the Rotax 582/618 twin cylinder two stroke with a "C" or "E" type gear reduction drive will give good aerobatic performance at a lower cost.

The fuselage is constructed of welded 4130 chrome moly steel tube. A welded steel fuselage is generally considered to be the most durable, is easy to repair and provides the best protection against impact damage. Control linkages to the ailerons and elevator are push-pull rods with bearings on each end. Rudder and steerable tailwheel control is via a common cable. The tail assembly is constructed of 6061 aluminium tube riveted together with 2024-T3 aluminium gusset plates.

The wing is of stressed skin wood construction with a built up box section main spar, built up ribs, plywood sheeting and fabric covered. The builder will also have the option of building the wing entirely of 2024-T3 aluminium with a box section main spar, a channel section rear spar, fully sheeted and flush riveted with 1/8 inch diameter stainless steel blind rivets. The airfoil is GA30-212 semi-symmetrical section designed by Harry Ribblett. This airfoil is noted for its low drag and excellent stall characteristics. The ailerons are semi-full span aluminium tube, static balanced. The fuselage, empennage and ailerons are fabric covered with 1.7 oz PolyFiber fabric.

Unlike most small biplanes the Acrolite is a very easy airplane to fly. Ground handling is excellent and in the air it is very responsive yet stable. Control feel is light but firm enough that there is little tendency to over control the aircraft. Stall occurs at a little less than 45 mph (72.5 kph). straight ahead with just a little shudder to let you know what has happened. There is no tendency for it to fall off one wing and the ailerons work right up through the stall. An intentional spin is almost impossible. The Acrolite has to be forced into a spin. Recovery is immediate after releasing the controls. The Acrolite was designed for entry level or fun aerobatics. Loops, rolls, hammer head turns, Immelman turns and Cuban eights are no problem with a little practice. This is a very honest airplane with absolutely no vices in the air or on the ground. Flying the Acrolite is a real ball, when you move the controls you are rewarded with a smooth quick response and the airplane goes precisely where you want it to. It behaves a lot like a high performance sports car in the air.