The contract, awarded to a GBA led team in November 2005, is for Phase One of a potential multi-year $40 million four-phase Program.  Phase One is a fifteen month $6.4 million award to perform trade studies, develop appropriate risk mitigation, perform extensive advanced computer modeling of the entire vehicle, develop the preliminary design for the Heliplane, and complete the rotor system design.  The Company estimates its share of Phase One payments will approximate $4.3 million, with the remaining portion to be paid by the Company to subcontractors and consultants hired by the Company.

Payments under this contract are conditional upon the Company attaining several milestone objectives during the course of Phase One of the contract.

DARPA is the central research and development organization for the US Department of Defense (DoD). It manages and directs a $2 billion budget for basic and applied research for DoD, emphasizing technology development projects where payoff is high and where success may provide dramatic advances in the capabilities of this country's combat forces. DARPA has around 240 Personnel managing a $2 billion budget.

In December 2005, the Company completed the first milestone of the DARPA Heliplane contract and recognized contract revenue of $390,000. During March 2006, the Company completed the second milestone of the DARPA contract and recognized contract revenue of $760,000. The Company is now moving toward the completion of the fourth milestone.

GBA's team, in addition to a highly renowned team of aerospace consultants, includes:

The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), whose Center of Excellence in Rotorcraft Technology has done extensive research on the gyrodyne concept.

Adam Aircraft Industries, known for its innovative use of modern composite materials and rapid prototyping processes that has allowed Adam to bring to market two new high-performance aircraft: the six passenger "center-line-twin" A500 and the A700 personal jet.

Williams International, has developed more than 40 different small gas turbine engine systems for both military and commercial air vehicles, including the Adam A700 and other modern business jets.

The objective expressed by DARPA is to obtain performance out of a rotary-wing aircraft that is comparable with fixed-wing airplanes in speed and efficiency.  This aircraft type could be the next generation rotor wing aircraft, meeting economy and performance goals not considered achievable by any other type of VTOL aircraft.  As the Company's gyrodyne technology is scalable to much larger aircraft, it has potential applications for both heavy lift, high speed VTOL military aircraft and for runway independent commercial airliners. The Company has been actively engaged in discussions with government agencies and potential aerospace strategic partners in this country with respect to military and commercial gyrodynes.

GBA is recognized as the world’s leading authority on autorotative flight and is the leading advocate for gyrodyne technology.  Gyrodynes use tip–jets to spin rotors for vertical or Ultra-Short Take Off and initial flight, then transfer their loads to conventional wings and propellers. This allows the tip-jets to be shut down and the aircraft to operate in autorotation as a gyroplane. Use of powered rotors for short-term hovering/takeoff and main engines for forward thrust eliminates the need for much of the cost, weight, and complexity found in helicopters, while permitting much higher forward speeds.  It also offers additional safety, as in the event of loss of power, the aircraft will remain in autorotation and will descend under control of the pilot. 

GBA and DARPA believe the Heliplane combines the best characteristics of a helicopter with those of a fixed-wing aircraft, giving it the ability to take off and land vertically, hover with low disc loading and low downwash, yet fly as fast as a turboprop and more efficiently than a helicopter.

More than forty years ago, a British aircraft manufacturer, Fairey Aviation Company, Ltd., developed a revolutionary new 44 passenger gyrodyne called the Rotodyne. This 200 mph VTOL airliner was, in its day, the fastest way to get from downtown London to downtown Paris. If it existed today, even without modern improvements, it would still be the fastest, safest, method of travel between those two city centers.

Groen Brothers Aviation is aiming to rapidly bring the gyrodyne into the modern age, using current technology for design, materials and engines, production of safe, fast, VTOL long range, high payload rotorcraft.  These aircraft will have the ability to hover and be economical, reliable and easy to maintain.

Gyrodyne components and flight control systems can be incorporated into certain existing production high wing airplanes with only small modification to the airframe. The time and cost savings benefits of using an existing production airplane are possible because neither the airframe nor most of its systems will need to be designed, engineered, developed, structural loads measured, analyzed, tested, redesigned and engineered, tested again and then prepared for production. And, since the technology exists with GBA, engineering risks are far lower. 

Using an airplane that is already in production also means that the production plan, materials management system and massive supplier chain, quality assurance system, tooling, and production line are already in place and do not need to be designed, developed and paid for again, nor will there be a production learning curve to overcome. The only components that will be needed for this development are the tip-jets (which have no moving parts), rotorblades, rotor head, mast and flight control system. Since the airframe is suspended from the rotor exactly from where it is suspended from its wing, in flight loads to the airframe should not be significantly changed.

This concept was successfully tested by Groen Brothers Aviation through modifying a Cessna Skymaster airplane.  The experimental aircraft was named   “RevCon6.” First the two piston engines were removed. The forward engine was replaced with a Rolls-Royce model 250 gas turbine engine, and the aft engine was replaced with a large clam-shell cargo door. The wings were clipped and the existing twin boom tail was inverted to give rotor clearance. The rotor system from one of GBA's Hawk 4 Gyroplanes was directly connected to the high wing attach points that were already carrying the Skymaster's fuselage.

This conversion, using minimal assets, took less than one year from first conception to first flight. This aircraft demonstrated its exceptional stability and ease of flight, characteristic of a well designed gyroplane.

The same process would permit the quick and economical introduction of VTOL GyroLiners in the 19, 35, 50, and 75 passenger sizes.  These runway independent airliners could provide safe and reliable, regional point-to-point transport and alleviate the continued congesting of air travel systems, a topic of major concern for the airline industry as growth begins to return. 

Much larger gyrodynes can also be developed at a fraction of the cost of developing similar helicopters, vectored thrust aircraft, tiltrotor or tiltwing aircraft, even if the gyrodyne is entirely designed new from the ground up, because of the inherent simplicity of the gyrodyne. 

Using an adaptation of its same technology, GBA is offering a gyroplane solution to meet the US Army’s need for a vertical take-off and landing heavy lift transport. GBA’s concept was originally in response to a Department of Defense study contract announced in 2003 to examine different concepts for meeting the Army’s need for an Advanced Maneuver Transport (AMT). 

In July of 2005, GBA joined the Georgia Institute of Technology Team in a joint Heavy Lift Proposal for the US Army.  The proposal called for using a C130 Hercules as a test vehicle, fitting it with a tip-jet powered rotor designed by the Team. The GBA Heavy Lift GyroLifter concept is based on the successful flight characteristics of the Fairy Rotodyne.  The proposal, extensively researched by Georgia Tech, was not rewarded one of the five contracts worth roughly $3 million for Concept Design Analysis development.  However, in the debriefing by the Army and NASA personnel following the decision, the company was encouraged by the reception the proposal had received and the potential for future participation in the project.

GBA continues to promote the gyrodyne concept and was pleased to have had the support of Georgia Tech, Shafer Corporation and Dancila LLC. Lockheed Martin, manufacturer of the Hercules, and Rolls-Royce, manufacturer of the engines in the C130 had pledged their support had the proposal been chosen.

The GBA GyroLifter could rapidly be made available as an interim fast, long range VTOL transport capable of carrying large loads of troops and equipment long distances without the need for runways at either end of the mission.   This aircraft would, in speed, range, economy, reliability, mission readiness, and cargo/troop hauling capacity, be unequaled by any aircraft capable of taking off and landing vertically (and able to hover) that is now available, could timely be made available, or is planned.

A variant of this design could be the critical multi-role aircraft necessary for an effective seabasing strategy for the military service. Other military variants of this gyrodyne technology can also be developed, including: large two man gunships; small, light observation and courier aircraft; and VTOL UAVs.

In addition to its uses as proposed for an AMT, the GyroLifter could also serve in a wildfire suppression role. Using this aircraft in a “dual use” role as an aerial fire fighting vehicle was first suggested by William B. Scott, Rocky Mountain Bureau Chief for Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine (AW&ST). Mr. Scott, in his article from the November 3, 2003 issue of AW&ST, notes that the fast moving fires in Southern California underscore the importance of a timely “initial attack” to preclude heavy losses of life and property. Because of its high speed response time and ability to fly low and slow safely, the GBA GyroLifter fitted with a water cannon could fight fires day or night as an initial attack aircraft. Its 3,000 gallon tank provides ample water/retardant for accurately and quickly dousing spot-fires before they become large uncontrolled burns.

The GBA GyroLifter Monsoon™ would give the organizations charged with fighting fires in our national forests what they prefer: the “on site” quick-turnaround capabilities and low speed water/retardant drop accuracy of a helicopter, with the reliability, load carrying capacity, high speed deployment, and low operating cost of a fixed wing fire bomber.

The GBA Monsoon™ could land on the scene, close to fire fighting operations, to refill with retardant, or hover over nearby lakes and other available bodies of water, drop a snorkel line, re-supply itself with water, then quickly return for the next run. The high speed pumps can load its capacity of 3,000 gallons of water in 90 seconds. Round trip sorties would take a fraction of the time that fixed wing options now need. Since the water drop apparatus can be easily removed and reinstalled, the GBA Monsoon™ can double as a personnel carrier for inserting or extracting large numbers of firefighters and their supplies, at virtually any location. This also makes the aircraft available for other cargo/passenger operations when not needed in its fire fighting roles.

With its water cannon, this aircraft would also be useful in fighting fires in high rise office buildings. In the case of the World Trade Center disaster, two GBA Monsoon™ with water cannons could have sprayed 6,000 gallons of water into those fires every seven minutes, refilling from the Hudson river.

GBA’s GyroLifter concept has garnered much attention in many of the world’s top aviation magazines including: Aviation Week & Space Technology, Air International, Defense & Public Service Helicopter and Flight International. Popular Mechanics and New Scientist magazines have also published articles on the potential of the GyroLifter.

The Hawk 4

Groen Brothers Aviation, Inc. has developed the world’s first turbine powered gyroplane. Powered by a 420 shp Rolls-Royce Model 250 series gas turbine engine, the five place (pilot and four passengers) Hawk 4 gyroplane brings to aviation a unique aircraft with many utilitarian qualities. The Hawk’s performance and exceptional versatility also offer a safe and affordable alternative to helicopters and airplanes in many applications.

Based on the lessons learned during successful flight testing of three prototypes over 10 years, the Hawk 4, with its patented variable pitch rotor head, provides USTOL (ultra short takeoff and landing) capabilities, as short as 25 feet under sea level standard conditions.

Thus the Hawk 4 provides operators with takeoff distances unimaginable to operators of fixed wing aircraft and very close to those of helicopters. The aircraft’s simple, robust, design translates into lower operating costs than any comparable turbine powered helicopter. The wide operating speed range, from 46 mph to nearly 150 mph, of this highly maneuverable gyroplane also ensures the Hawk 4 a new niche in the aviation marketplace. Easy to fly and always in autorotation, the Hawk 4 offers uncompromising safety in the realm of flight.

During its operational period for the Utah Olympic Public Safety Command (UOPSC), the Hawk 4 "Homeland Defender"™ gyroplane completed 67 missions and accumulated 75 hours of maintenance free flight time. The gyroplane’s inherent simplicity along with the patented rotor system, proprietary airfoil design, the dependability of Rolls-Royce’s turbine engine and GBA’s engineering excellence combined to make their tenure with UOPSC an unqualified success. 

The Hawk 4 is an ideal aircraft for aerial observation as it proved during its mission with UOPSC.  State and local governments are allowed by the federal government to fly non-certified aircraft in public service.  Thus it can be used by any of the many other governmental agencies in the public use market, such as Law Enforcement, Border Patrol and the DEA without a requirement for FAA certification. With the increased governmental concern for the nation’s security since 9/11 and the subsequent terrorist attacks, the opportunity for the Hawk 4 to serve a greater role in America’s security has greatly increased.

Members from Law Enforcement agencies took the opportunity during the UOPSC tenure to serve as observers and get a first hand look at the Hawk 4's unique agility, maneuverability and dependability in an aerial observation role.

GBA has received letters from fifty-five government agencies, representing twenty-seven states, requesting federal funding for the Hawk 4 Gyroplane.  Almost all of these requests are from Law Enforcement departments.  These many agencies are specifically seeking the Hawk 4, instead of helicopters or fixed wing aircraft, because of the gyroplanes inherent simplicity, low cost, safety and ease of pilot training.  GBA is seeking to qualify the aircraft for funding through the Office of Domestic Preparedness grant program.

The market for the Hawk 4 gyroplane is large. The world has become dependent upon helicopters as the only viable form of flight when runways are not available, or if slow flight is required. The Hawk 4 is a low cost alternative which can out-perform helicopters and airplanes in many roles, as diverse as oil exploration and power line survey, to agricultural spraying, and from numerous people searching for economical air-taxi service. As helicopters have become commonplace in the world, many potential users have realized how useful vertical flight would be if only they could afford it. The market studies and forecasts show that this pent-up demand is as important to the company's marketing plans as the opportunity to sell to individuals, companies and agencies already flying helicopters.

The Hawk 4 is designed and built to FAA type-certification standards and will be certified for commercial operation in the future.

The advantages of the Hawk 4 in police work, include low operating cost, high utilization rate, and high performance. 

The Company's business plan for the Hawk 4 is now oriented toward offering this aircraft in its already well tested form to the US government, and to governments of friendly countries. This would give the Company the opportunity to receive revenues ahead of FAA certification, and as a result, to reduce the funding need to permit the start of production of the Hawk 4. The Company is confident that the safety, reliability, maneuverability and low operating cost of the Hawk 4 will permit it to perform competitively with helicopters (and airplanes) for many missions requiring low, slow flight, but without the requirement for a runway for take-off or landing.

The initial market for the SparrowHawk II lies with builders of home-built aircraft from kits.  The SparrowHawk II offers improved performance, added comfort and robustness, and greatly eases the effort, and reduces the time, needed by the customer to build the aircraft.  All aircraft now being delivered are manufactured to the SparrowHawk II standard.  Management believes that there are larger, untapped markets, other than the kit market, for fully assembled small gyroplanes.

An emerging market for such aircraft is arising within the United States as a result of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) definition of a new category of aircraft, namely the Light Sport Aircraft (LSA). The Company has therefore initiated the design of a new light gyroplane, called the SportHawk to meet the LSA regulations expected to be applicable to gyroplanes in 2008.  Meanwhile the Company can participate initially with the SparrowHawk II in the LSA classification through a subcategory called the Experimental Light Sport Aircraft (E-LSA).

A variation of the LSA design, called the ShadowHawk, is also being developed that incorporates additional capabilities that are expected to enable this model to be a very attractive, low cost patrol aircraft for law enforcement agencies, both in the United States and overseas, and have other manned and unmanned applications.

GBA EXPANDS CORPORATE/MANUFACTURING FACILITY

Due to the additional staff and space requirements associated with the recent DARPA contract, along with the relocation of the Corporate Headquarters for the SparrowHawk manufacturing and shipping operations from its Flight Operations Facility, the Company has taken over the entire building at the Salt Lake City, Utah facility. This increases the Company’s available space by 60%, giving Groen Brothers Aviation a total of more than 38,000 square feet.

Groen Brothers Aviation

2640 West California
Salt Lake City, UT 84104

Phone: 801-973-0177