Groen Brothers Aviation
Encyclopedia
Groen Brothers Aviation, Inc. (GBA) is a U.S. corporation that designs vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL
) rotorwing gyroplanes
and gyrodynes.
Since the company's inception 25 years ago, GBA has invested millions of dollars into research of the design, engineering, development, and testing of gyroplane and gyrodyne aircraft. GBA's vertical lift rotorcraft technologies enable aircraft to be runway-independent and not constrained by physics-imposed speed, range, and payload limitations of a helicopter.
The company was founded in 1986 by David Groen and his late brother Jay Groen. David Groen is the company Chairman, President, and CEO.
GBA has been featured in national magazines, newspapers, radio, and television programs, including a cover story in Aviation Week & Space Technology. In 2001, Time
magazine listed GBA's Hawk Gyroplane as one of their featured "Inventions of the Year."
Groen Brothers Aviation, Inc. is a fully reporting publicly held corporation, registered in the state of Utah, and traded on the OTC Bulletin Board since 1990 under the stock symbol "GNBA." Its corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility are located in Salt Lake City, Utah.
GBA has three U.S. patents and several international patents associated with their variable pitch rotor system.
Following a successful flight of a proof-of-concept aircraft in 1987, GBA designed, manufactured, and flew several prototype gyroplanes of increasing size and complexity during the 1990s. Each of these gyroplanes was ultra-short takeoff and landing (USTOL) aircraft.
By 1999, Groen Brothers Aviation had designed and manufactured their first piston-engine version of the four-seat Hawk 4 Gyroplane. This aircraft flew in September 1999, followed by the turbine-engine version in July 2000. The latter aircraft, powered by a Rolls-Royce Model 250 420shp turboprop engine, was the world’s first turbine powered gyroplane.
GBA was also the first company to analyze gyroplane rotor blade airfoil performance, which resulted in natural laminar-flow airfoils for the rotor blades of the Hawk 4 and successor gyroplanes. The airfoil design optimizes the lift/drag relationship for the Hawk rotor system.
In 2002, GBA contracted with the Utah Olympic Public Safety Command (UOPSC) to provide perimeter patrol around the Salt Lake City International Airport during the 2002 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. The Hawk 4 completed 67 missions and accumulated 75 hours of maintenance free flight time during its 90-day operational contract.
In February, 2003, GBA produced a “Stabilization Augmentation Kit,” designed to improve in-flight stability and safety for kit gyroplanes on the market. The company entered the full kit market with its own design of a two-seat gyroplane called the SparrowHawk. The line was eventually discontinued, but renewed again by American Autogyro, a subsidiary of Groen Brothers Aviation created to produce, sell, and distribute the kits as a separate business.
In November, 2005, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) selected a GBA-led team to design a proof-of-concept high-speed, long-range, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft designed for use in combat search and rescue roles. This modern rotorcraft, named the “Heliplane” by DARPA, would meet economy and performance goals not considered achievable by any other type of VTOL aircraft. GBA completed its work for Phase I in 2009. While the Heliplane project continues to be a DARPA program, the funding required to commence the next phase has not been allocated.
GBA continues to work on the development of more advanced gyroplanes and gyrodynes.
VTOL
A vertical take-off and landing aircraft is one that can hover, take off and land vertically. This classification includes fixed-wing aircraft as well as helicopters and other aircraft with powered rotors, such as cyclogyros/cyclocopters and tiltrotors...
) rotorwing gyroplanes
Autogyro
An autogyro , also known as gyroplane, gyrocopter, or rotaplane, is a type of rotorcraft which uses an unpowered rotor in autorotation to develop lift, and an engine-powered propeller, similar to that of a fixed-wing aircraft, to provide thrust...
and gyrodynes.
Since the company's inception 25 years ago, GBA has invested millions of dollars into research of the design, engineering, development, and testing of gyroplane and gyrodyne aircraft. GBA's vertical lift rotorcraft technologies enable aircraft to be runway-independent and not constrained by physics-imposed speed, range, and payload limitations of a helicopter.
The company was founded in 1986 by David Groen and his late brother Jay Groen. David Groen is the company Chairman, President, and CEO.
GBA has been featured in national magazines, newspapers, radio, and television programs, including a cover story in Aviation Week & Space Technology. In 2001, Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine listed GBA's Hawk Gyroplane as one of their featured "Inventions of the Year."
Groen Brothers Aviation, Inc. is a fully reporting publicly held corporation, registered in the state of Utah, and traded on the OTC Bulletin Board since 1990 under the stock symbol "GNBA." Its corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility are located in Salt Lake City, Utah.
History
Jay and David Groen entered the gyroplane market by altering the aircraft’s rotor system. Adapting the collective pitch controlled rotor system used in helicopters, the Groens improved the gyroplane’s ability to achieve vertical takeoff and landing, and to stabilize flight at high or low speeds.GBA has three U.S. patents and several international patents associated with their variable pitch rotor system.
Following a successful flight of a proof-of-concept aircraft in 1987, GBA designed, manufactured, and flew several prototype gyroplanes of increasing size and complexity during the 1990s. Each of these gyroplanes was ultra-short takeoff and landing (USTOL) aircraft.
By 1999, Groen Brothers Aviation had designed and manufactured their first piston-engine version of the four-seat Hawk 4 Gyroplane. This aircraft flew in September 1999, followed by the turbine-engine version in July 2000. The latter aircraft, powered by a Rolls-Royce Model 250 420shp turboprop engine, was the world’s first turbine powered gyroplane.
GBA was also the first company to analyze gyroplane rotor blade airfoil performance, which resulted in natural laminar-flow airfoils for the rotor blades of the Hawk 4 and successor gyroplanes. The airfoil design optimizes the lift/drag relationship for the Hawk rotor system.
In 2002, GBA contracted with the Utah Olympic Public Safety Command (UOPSC) to provide perimeter patrol around the Salt Lake City International Airport during the 2002 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. The Hawk 4 completed 67 missions and accumulated 75 hours of maintenance free flight time during its 90-day operational contract.
In February, 2003, GBA produced a “Stabilization Augmentation Kit,” designed to improve in-flight stability and safety for kit gyroplanes on the market. The company entered the full kit market with its own design of a two-seat gyroplane called the SparrowHawk. The line was eventually discontinued, but renewed again by American Autogyro, a subsidiary of Groen Brothers Aviation created to produce, sell, and distribute the kits as a separate business.
In November, 2005, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) selected a GBA-led team to design a proof-of-concept high-speed, long-range, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft designed for use in combat search and rescue roles. This modern rotorcraft, named the “Heliplane” by DARPA, would meet economy and performance goals not considered achievable by any other type of VTOL aircraft. GBA completed its work for Phase I in 2009. While the Heliplane project continues to be a DARPA program, the funding required to commence the next phase has not been allocated.
GBA continues to work on the development of more advanced gyroplanes and gyrodynes.
Aircraft Flight Test Programs
- Hawk Point Five: single seat gyroplane with collective pitch-controlled rotor, open-frame gyroplane. First aircraft built by GBA. (1987)
- Hawk 1: single seat gyroplane with collective pitch-controlled rotor, retractable landing gear, fully enclosed stressed skin monocoque design.
- H2X: side-by-side two seat version of the Hawk 1 gyroplane.
- Hawk 4: four seat gyroplane with piston engine, designed to meet FAA type certification. (1999) Eventually incorporated a Rolls-Royce gas turbine engine, named the Hawk 4T. (2000)
- RevCon 6-X: test conversion of a Cessna 337 Skymaster airplane. This aircraft conversion tested the theory of using fixed-wing airplanes as the basic airframes for gyroplanes to reduce cost and shorten development time.
- SparrowHawk: two seat gyroplane with aluminum frame, centerline thrust aircraft, wide-molded fiberglass cabin with adjustable seating. (2003)
Aircraft Design Programs
- GBA GyroLiner: commuter airliner.
- GBA GyroLifter: heavy-lift gyroplanes and gyrodynes of various sizes up to 160,000 lbs. GVW.
- GBA-DARPA HeliplaneGBA-DARPA HeliplaneWith funding from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency , Groen Brothers Aviation is designing a proof-of-concept, long-range, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft intended to cruise at twice the speed of conventional helicopters....
: gyrodyne capable of 400 mph, 1,000 nautical miles range, HOGE at 4,000 feet and 95°F. - ArrowHawk: seven seat turboprop gyroplane.
- ShadowHawk: tandem two seat gyroplane for aerial observation.