It is the mission of Groen Brothers Aviation to design and build gyroplanes that have the quality, durability and longevity of the Douglas DC3, creating aircraft that truly qualify to be called the "DC3 of gyroplanes."
The Hawk 4 Gyroplane with be the first in a series of VTOL capable aircraft. Development & certification of the Hawk 6 (six place) and Hawk 8 (eight place) will follow the Hawk 4, and preliminary designs of larger aircraft have been completed. FAA type certification process for the Hawk 4 began in March 1998 and is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2001. Assembly of the first Hawk 4, which began in September, 1998, has been completed. The flight test program for the Hawk 4 is now underway at our Flight Operations Facility in Buckeye, AZ. We have an order for 200 Hawk Gyroplanes from the Shanghai Energy and Chemical Corporation (SECC) of China. SECC has also asked for and received an option to purchase 300 additional Gyroplanes.
GBA has brought the gyroplane into the modern age, employing the most sophisticated aerodynamics, materials, and manufacturing and design techniques. The company's proprietary rotor system gives the pilot in-flight collective pitch control of the rotor, allowing maximum performance from the rotor system, no matter the external conditions (weight, airspeed, altitude, temperature, etc.). Collective pitch control allows higher maximum speeds and lower minimum speeds, enabling the pilot to recover from low rotor rpm conditions and also permitting vertical takeoff and landing. The company's proprietary rotor blade airfoil design enables our gyroplanes to fly at airspeeds that are far above what has been typical for helicopters. Larger gyroplanes will be equipped with load sharing wings for high speed flight and tip jets to augment vertical takeoff and landing. Using superior technology, Groen Brothers Aviation is bringing the gyroplane into the 21st Century. GBA, a fully-reporting public corporation, is traded over-the-counter on the OTC Bulletin Board under the he stock symbol "GNBA". Please visit our home page at www.GBAgyros.com for more information.
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Groen Brothers Aviation, Inc. (GBA) of Salt Lake City, Utah has developed and is certifying with the FAA the Hawk 4 (four place) Gyroplane. With its design and performance, which are the product of a successful flight testing of three prototypes over ten years, the Hawk 4 provides VTOL capabilities with its patented variable pitch rotor head and offers a safe, economic alternative for the rotor craft and fixed wing market.
In March of 1986, David and Jay Groen joined forces to form a company that would bring the Gyroplane into it's rightful place in modern aviation. Together, they worked to invent the technology upon which the company's patents are based. Groen Brothers Aviation has grown to include a full time staff of sixty-eight. The Flight Operations Facility, opened in March of 1999 in Buckeye, AZ, will be used for flight testing and training.
