Groen Brothers Aviation (GBA) has begun selling its Hawk 4 gyroplane, which is under development with a first flight planned for August. Four dealers and two private customers have placed deposits on 86 aircraft, worth over $26 million. The company expects to announce further US dealerships soon.
The first of up to 20 North American dealerships has been sold to an organisation in Phoenix, Arizona. The deal includes cash deposits on 28 Hawk 4s, priced at $295,000 each. The new GBA Gyroplane dealership will be based at Chandler Airport, south east of Phoenix, and will handle sales, service and training.
Dealerships have also been sold to organisations in Anchorage, Alaska; Cincinnati, Ohio and Salt Lake City, Utah. The agreements cover deposits for an additional 56 aircraft.
Salt Lake-based GBA plans to certificate the vertical take-off and landing aircraft and begin deliveries by the end of next year. GBA sees the four-seat Hawk 4 as a viable alternative to a helicopter, able to operate from a heliport but with a faster cruise speed and lower operating cost. Powered by a twin-turbocharged, 260kW (350hp), Teledyne Continental TSIO-550, the Hawk 4 is designed to have a speed range in autogyro mode of 30-130kt (55-240km/h).
GBA is building four aircraft for the certification-test programme. The first has been delivered to the company's flight operations centre in Buckeye, Arizona, and two will be displayed at the Experimental Aircraft Association Air Venture show at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, 23 July-3 August.
The first flight is planned for soon after the show, says GBA.
Source: Flight International
