The Midwest Aerosport Formula GT is a rare example of a late-1990s composite kit aircraft designed for the high-performance homebuilt market. Developed by Performance Aircraft of Olathe, Kansas, the aircraft was designed in 1997 as a touring and sport aerobatic platform. The design emphasized ease of assembly, utilizing highly pre-fabricated composite components to reduce the construction time typically associated with plans-built or metal kit aircraft.
Production of the Formula GT was extremely limited, with only one completed airframe documented in aviation records. This prototype, registered as N260GT, was manufactured in April 2002 and introduced to the public at the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh event in July 2002. By the time of its introduction, the aircraft had already accumulated 100 flight hours, indicating that its first flight occurred between its design inception in 1997 and the summer of 2002, though the exact date of the maiden flight remains unknown. There is no evidence in the published record of any further aircraft being completed beyond this single prototype.
Technically, the Formula GT is a low-wing monoplane with a two-seat, side-by-side cockpit. It is powered by a single Lycoming IO-540 horizontally-opposed, six-cylinder, fuel-injected piston engine producing 260 horsepower (190 kW). According to ICAO Doc 8643, the aircraft has a wingspan of 8.9 meters, a length of 6.7 meters, and a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 1.1 tonnes (1,100 kg). The aircraft is classified as a landplane with a light wake turbulence category.
Throughout its service life, the Formula GT has remained in private hands. Originally registered in the United States as N260GT, the aircraft was later exported to South Africa, where it was registered as ZU-FGT. The U.S. registration was officially cancelled in 2021. As of the late 2010s, the aircraft was observed operating from Springs Aerodrome (FASI) in South Africa and has been described as the only flying example of its type in the world. Due to its extreme rarity and inclusion in the ICAO type designator list (FGT) despite its one-off production, the aircraft remains a curiosity within the composite homebuilt community.