Groen Brothers Aviation (GBA), the Utah-based gyroplane developer, is forming a joint venture with Al-Obayya in Saudi Arabia to market and manufacture the Hawk gyroplane in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia.
Al-Obayya is an investment company owned by Prince Turki bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of the Saudi royal family. The joint venture will initially support Hawk marketing, sales and service in the region, including Asian parts of the former Soviet Union where the utility role of the gyroplane family is expected to attract market interest. GBA says it is "anticipated that this entity will eventually become a Federal Aviation Administration-certified Hawk gyroplane production facility for deliveries in that part of the world".
The agreement comes as GBA prepares for the first flight of the Hawk 6G gyroplane - a hybrid single turboprop-powered conversion of a twin piston-engined Cessna 337. Although months later than planned, the 6G has been making "small incremental steps" towards first flight at the company's flight test site at Buckeye, Arizona. The aircraft is being developed as a law enforcement and overnight package delivery technology demonstrator, although GBA is studying plans to convert other Cessna 337s as well as develop a purpose-designed variant for express freight giant FedEx.
Meanwhile, FAA certification of the smaller Hawk 4 gyroplane is set for approval "around a year from now", says GBA. Hawk manufacturing will take place in Utah before transferring to a new production site in Glendale, Arizona. GBA has sold 140 "positions" on the Hawk line.
Source: Flight International
