Grob Aircraft

Last updated

Grob Aircraft
Company type Privately held company
Industry Aerospace
FoundedGermany (1971 (1971))
FounderBurkhart Grob
Headquarters
Tussenhausen
,
Germany
Key people
André Hiebeler [1] (CEO)
Products Aircraft
Number of employees
270 (2020) [2]
Parent H3 Aerospace GmbH & Co KG
Website www.grob-aircraft.com
Grob G 103 Twin Astir sailplane Grob 103 C-GIAK 09.JPG
Grob G 103 Twin Astir sailplane
Grob G 109 B motor glider, built in 1986 Grob.g109b.glider.arp.jpg
Grob G 109 B motor glider, built in 1986
Grob 115E 'Tutor T1' operated by the Royal Air Force Grob G 115E EA-3.JPG
Grob 115E 'Tutor T1' operated by the Royal Air Force
Grob SP GROB SPn D-CSPN r.jpg
Grob SP

Grob Aircraft, formerly Grob Aerospace, is a German aircraft manufacturer, specialising in gliders and general aviation.

Contents

Since its foundation in 1971, Grob Aircraft produced a range of aircraft. Initially focusing on gliders, it soon grew into other markets. The company has produced a range of trainer aircraft, many of which have been operated in quantity by a number of military air wings. It has also produced specialised high-altitude intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft. According to Grob Aircraft, it has delivered over 4,500 airframes which have cumulatively flown over seven million hours across hundreds of operators spread over five continents. [3]

Since the 1970s, the copious use of carbon fiber reinforced polymer in the manufacture of its aircraft has been a hallmark of the firm's designs. [4] [5] Over 75% of the components of its aircraft, including composite (carbon fibre and glass fibre reinforced polymer) elements, are manufactured in-house at the firm's facility in Tussenhausen-Mattsies, Germany.[ citation needed ]

History

Early activities

The company was founded as Grob Aerospace during 1971 by Dr. Burkhart Grob (26 March 1926 - 20 May 2016). [5] Dr. Grob had been a qualified pilot as well as a mechanical engineer who ran a business producing machine tooling prior to creating the company; he had been inspired to produce his own glider after being informed of the lengthy production time involved in glider production at the time, convinced that it could be done better. Accordingly, Grob Aerospace had been founded with the vision of producing full-composite gliders that would be highly cost-competitive while facilitating a high rate of construction. [5]

At the onset of operations, Grob Aerospace was involved in the production of gliders, having quickly secured subcontracting work from the existing German manufacturer Schempp-Hirth to build the firm's Standard Cirrus glider under licence. In excess of 200 Standard Cirruses were produced by Grob, the initial example being constructed at its machining workshop in Mindelheim. [5] As the firm's production capacity expanded, Grob Aerospace relocated its operational base to a larger facility at the newly established Tussenhausen-Mattsies airfield. [5]

In 1974, Grob began to pursue independent glider production, harnessing its accumulated experience with composite construction. Instead of producing gliders that directly competed with the larger established manufacturers, the company differentiated its product by orientating itself towards the club market and adopting competitive pricing for its new product, the G-102 Astir, the first Grob-designed glider. [5] During its long production life, over a thousand examples of the type would be produced. The G-102 was quickly followed by the larger two-seat G 103 Twin Astir line of sailplanes.[ citation needed ]

Powered aircraft

During the late 1970s, Grob also branched out into motorised aircraft, developing the G 109. [5] First flown on 14 March 1980, [6] it was the world's first production all-composite motor glider upon receiving its type certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 1981. [7] In addition to widespread civilian use of the type, perhaps the most prominent operator of the G 109 was the Royal Air Force, who adopted it for their Volunteer Gliding Squadrons (VGS) to train Air Cadets through the Gliding Induction and Gliding Scholarship courses up until 5 May 2018; in RAF service, the Grob 109B was designated Vigilant T1. [8]

The G 109 was only the start of Grob Aerospace's motorised aircraft lineup. It was followed by the larger G 115, an all-composite two-seat aerobatic monoplane, which received certification from the FAA during 1987. [5] Not all of the firm's designs were taken forward into production; the GF 200, a relatively unorthodox business aircraft, flew during the early 1990s but never progressed beyond test flights. The G160 Ranger, another business aircraft somewhat similar to the Pilatus PC12, similarly did not enter production. [5] During 1996, Grob Aerospace decided to end production of gliders in favour of concentrating its manufacturing base on its powered aircraft instead.[ citation needed ]

During the 1980s, Grob Aerospace partnered with American defense firm E-Systems and engine manufacturer Garrett to develop the G 520, otherwise known as Egrett/STRATO 1, a specialised high-altitude aircraft. [9] First flown on 24 June 1987, the type soon established five world records. [10] [11] [12] [13] During 1992, the German Air Force placed an order for a batch of nine EGRETT II aircraft, as well as for a single two-seat trainer and one of the demonstrators. [14] However, in February 1993, the German order was cancelled; this outcome was attributed to the peace dividend following the collapse of the Soviet Union and a decrease in military tensions. [14]

SPn program

previous corporate logo Grobaerospace logo.jpg
previous corporate logo

During the mid-2000s, Grob Aerospace secretively embarked on a jet-powered light aircraft programme, the Grob G180 SPn. In response to perceived market demand, this aircraft would possess both the short-field and cargo-carrying performance traditionally associated with turboprop-powered aircraft, as well as the extensive use of composite materials. [15] The aircraft's requirements were defined in close collaboration with the Swiss-based company ExecuJet Aviation Group. Following its public unveiling, it was initially referred to as the SPn Utility Jet. [15] Plans for a family of aircraft based on the type were mooted at one stage. [16] [17] During June 2005, Grob Aerospace president Dr Andreas Plesske stated of the G180 SPn: "We have created a new category of jet aircraft". [15]

The G180 SPn performed its maiden flight on 20 July 2005. [18] The second prototype crashed shortly after takeoff on 29 November 2006 close to the production plant in Germany; chief test pilot Gérard Guillaumaud, the aircraft's sole occupant, was killed. [19] During February 2007, following a three-month break, flight testing resumed; by this point, certification was targeted for early 2008. [20]

During November 2008, development of the G180 SPn was put on hold by the insolvency of Grob Aerospace. [21] Prior to the company's collapse, around 100 orders had been secured for the G180, which had a list price of €5.9 million ($8.7 million). [21] [22] While subsequent attempts had been made to raise investment to resume development, these came amid the Great Recession. [23] Grob Aerospace's largest creditor did not approve the sale of the G180 SPn to Guizhou Aircraft Industry Corporation. Niall Olver, Grob Aerospace's former CEO, was appointed by the creditor to find new investors to buy the assets of the G180 SPn with the aim of restarting the program by June 2009. During March 2009, Olver indicated that the then-current plan was to complete certification and commence production near the middle of 2012. [24] The rights to the aircraft became the property of Allied Aviation Technologies. [21]

2008 insolvency

Initial Grob H3 logo Logo Grob Aircraft H3.jpg
Initial Grob H3 logo

On 18 August 2008, Grob Aerospace filed for insolvency. As a consequence, the firm suspended the majority of its activities, including all light-jet production; this shutdown raised questions over the timely delivery of Bombardier Aerospace's Learjet 85 prototypes, of which Grob had been contracted to produce. While efforts were made to seek new investors to rescue the company, most of Grob's employees were released on 3 November 2008. [25] [26] Niall Olver, Grob's chief executive officer, stated of the suspension:

This unfortunate situation has arisen fairly rapidly off the back of recent delays in the SPn program, resulting in commensurately increased cash requirement to see the aircraft through to certification. Our current loan provider has elected to discontinue support, with immediate effect. [25]

On 16 December 2008, Grob insolvency administrator, Dr. Michael Jaffé, announced that two parties had expressed interest in taking over the insolvent company, Munich based H3 Aerospace and the Chinese Guizhou Aircraft Industry Corporation. Both companies offered around $4.5 million for Grob, while Guizhou had also offered an additional $3.5 million to separately acquire the SPn jet program. [27]

Grob Aircraft AG

G 120TP, G 120A, G 115E Grob Aircraft Fleet.JPG
G 120TP, G 120A, G 115E
Formation flight of G 120TP (D-ETPX) and G 120A (D-ESAI) Grob Aircraft Formation.jpg
Formation flight of G 120TP (D-ETPX) and G 120A (D-ESAI)

In January 2009, it was announced that H3 Aerospace had reached an agreement to acquire the training aircraft and support business of Grob Aerospace; shortly thereafter, it was rebranded as Grob Aircraft AG. [5] The production of training aircraft, which had been halted during November 2008 due to insolvency, was restarted during February 2009. [24] [28]

During 2010, Grob Aircraft introduced the G 120TP, a new single engine training aircraft, powered by a 450SHP Rolls-Royce B250F turboprop engine and equipped with a Mühlbauer MT5 (five blade) composite propeller. This aircraft was specifically designed to perform a wider range of the training syllabus than its contemporary peers, allowing more training to be performed using this single type. [5] Since the start of serial production of the G 120TP, in excess of 100 aircraft have been delivered to seven worldwide fleet customers. [29]

In April 2012, it was announced that Argentina's government-controlled Aircraft Factory FAdeA plans to produce 100 IA-63 Pampa II training and combat aircraft at its plant in Córdoba in association with Grob Aircraft AG. The Pampa II aircraft will have several parts for its updated version supplied by Grob. [30]

Grob Aircraft also offers the Grob G 520 Egrett for special mission applications.

Grob Training Systems (GTS)

Grob Training Systems provides a ground-based training system (GBTS) for the G 120TP, which includes aircrew and maintenance technician training as well as training system logistics support. The system typically consists of computer-based classroom training and G 120TP Flight Training Devices. [31]

The G 120TP Flight Training Device (FTD) features a G 120TP cockpit that is used to train basic and emergency procedures. A dome display screen is mounted to allow advanced flight maneuvers and formation flight training, in addition to basic flight training. [32]

Products

Grob Aircraft G 120TP Grob120-D-ETPG.jpg
Grob Aircraft G 120TP
Produced by Grob Aircraft AG
Produced by Grob Aerospace GmbH

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piaggio Aerospace</span> Multinational aerospace manufacturing company headquartered in Genoa

Piaggio Aerospace, formerly known as, is a multinational aerospace manufacturing company headquartered in Villanova d'Albenga, Italy. The company designs, develops, manufactures and maintains aircraft, aero-engines, aerospace components and aerostructures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze</span> Polish aerospace manufacturer

PZL was the largest Polish aerospace manufacturer of the interwar period, and a brand of their aircraft. Based in Warsaw between 1928 and 1939, PZL introduced a variety of well-regarded aircraft, most notably the PZL P.11 fighter, the PZL.23 Karaś light bomber, and the PZL.37 Łoś medium bomber.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schweizer Aircraft</span> American aircraft manufacturer

The Schweizer Aircraft Corporation was an American manufacturer of sailplanes, agricultural aircraft and helicopters located in Horseheads, New York. It was incorporated in 1939 by three Schweizer brothers, who built their first glider, the SGP 1-1, in 1930. Previously the oldest privately owned aircraft company in the United States, Schweizer was acquired by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation of Stratford, Connecticut in 2004, and became a diversified aerospace company. Schweizer Aircraft ceased operations in 2012. It was sold to Schweizer RSG in 2018 and production lines were opened in Fort Worth, Texas. The company was producing two helicopter models in 2021. The 300C and 300CBI

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Einar Enevoldson</span> American test pilot (1932–2021)

Einar K. Enevoldson was the director of the Perlan Project. He was a civilian research pilot for NASA's Hugh L. Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, from 1968 until 1986. He was involved in many research programs, including those with experimental wings, propulsion and digital computer flight control systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aircraft Industries</span> Czech civil aircraft manufacturer

Aircraft Industries, a.s., operating as Let, is a Czech civil aircraft manufacturer. Its most successful design has been the L-410 Turbolet, of which more than 1300 units have been built. Its head office is in Kunovice, Zlín Region. Let was owned by the Russian company UGMK from 2008 to 2022, when it was acquired by Czech-based Omnipol Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolladen-Schneider LS4</span> Single seat German glider 1980

The Rolladen-Schneider LS4 is a Standard Class single seat glider manufactured by Rolladen-Schneider Flugzeugbau GmbH between 1980 and 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nottingham University Gliding Club</span> Student club

The University of Nottingham Gliding Club is the gliding club of the University of Nottingham. The aim of the club is to provide affordable flying in order to introduce as many members as possible to unpowered flight. Affiliated with the Cranwell Gliding Club (CGC), the club is open to any full or associate member of the University of Nottingham Students' Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairchild Dornier 328JET</span> Regional airliner

The Fairchild-Dornier 328JET is a commuter airliner, based upon the turboprop-powered Dornier 328, developed by the German aircraft manufacturer Dornier Luftfahrt GmbH. It would be the last Dornier-designed aircraft to reach production before the company's collapse during the early 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grob G 120</span> German light aircraft

The Grob G 120 is a two-seat training and aerobatic low-wing aircraft with a carbon composite airframe, built by Grob Aircraft. It is based on the Grob G 115TA training aircraft and is specially designed for military and civil pilots training. It has a tricycle landing gear and a low tailplane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grob G102 Astir</span> German single-seat glider, 1974

The G102 Astir is a single-seat glassfibre Club Class sailplane, designed by Burkhart Grob and built by Grob Aircraft. It was the first Grob-designed sailplane, with the first flight in December 1974. Grob had previously built the Schempp-Hirth Standard Cirrus under licence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grob G103a Twin II</span> German two-seat glider

The G103 Twin II is a high-performance two-seat sailplane manufactured in Germany by Grob Aircraft. The aircraft is of T-tail configuration, and is fitted with upper-surface airbrakes and a non-retractable undercarriage. Of fiberglass construction, it is designed for training, high performance cross-country racing and simple aerobatic flying.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grob G 520</span> Type of aircraft

The Grob G 520 is a turboprop long-endurance, high-altitude reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft built by Grob Aircraft with short runway capabilities and full approval for all-weather IFR/icing operations according to LBA/FAA Part 23 regulations. Developed and certified in 1991, the Grob G 520 is one of the world's largest fully composite manned aircraft and holder of several world records. Production was resumed in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grob G104 Speed Astir</span> Competition sailplane built by Grob Aircraft, 1978

The Grob G104 Speed Astir was a competition sailplane produced in Germany in the late 1970s as Grob's first design in the 15 metre class.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grob G103 Twin Astir</span> German two-seat glider, 1976

The Grob G 103 Twin Astir is a glass-reinforced plastic two-seat sailplane that was developed in Germany in the 1970s by Grob Aircraft AG as a counterpart to the single-seat G 102 Astir, then in production. Construction throughout is similar, although to preserve the centre of gravity of the design, the wings were given a slight forward sweep. While many two-seat derivatives of single-seat sailplanes have fixed undercarriage, due to the added space restrictions created by the second seat, Grob devised a novel retraction system for the Twin Astir. The single wheel was designed to rotate 90° sideways before retracting "flat" under the rear seat, resulting in a rather unusual seating position. This was only incorporated in early examples, later on, the wheel was fixed. Factory options offered to customers included whether the front seat should be equipped with flight instruments, and whether water ballast capacity should be installed.

The Grob Strato 2C was a German experimental high altitude research aircraft. Powered by two turbocharged piston engines and featuring an extremely long span wing of composite construction, one aircraft was built in the 1990s, but was abandoned despite setting a world altitude record for piston-engined aircraft on its last flight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grob G180 SPn</span> Type of aircraft

The Grob G180 SPn is a low-wing twin-engined composite corporate jet designed and built by German aircraft manufacturer Grob Aerospace. Development was suspended during 2008 in response to the Grob's insolvency; since then, multiple efforts have been made to re-launch the programme. Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) has bought the Intellectual Property rights of the aircraft and will manufacture it in India.

The Bangabandhu Aeronautical Center, or BAC is a Bangladeshi state-owned major defense contractor and aerospace, arms, defense and advanced technology company headquartered in Kurmitola, Dhaka. It was formed by the Ministry of Defence in 2011, and is managed by the Bangladesh Air Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grob G 120TP</span> Two-seat turboprop training and aerobatic low-wing aircraft

The Grob G 120TP is a two-seat turboprop training and aerobatic low-wing aircraft with a composite airframe, built by Grob Aircraft. It is based on the Grob G 120A training aircraft and has been developed for military and civil pilots training. It has a retractable tricycle landing gear and a low tailplane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polyteknikkojen Ilmailukerho</span>

Polyteknikkojen Ilmailukerho (PIK) is the student flying club of the Aalto University. As well as a flying club, it develops light aircraft and gliders, often on a small scale but sometimes its designs have been produced in quantity. Approximately 536 aircraft have been built by the organisation and its sub-contractors. It is similar to the Akafliegs of German universities in that students make designs with advice from staff to give practical experience before seeking employment.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Grob Aircraft. "Company Portrait". grob-aircraft.com. Archived from the original on 22 October 2018. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  2. ↑ Wolff, Oliver. "Mattsieser Flugzeugbauer Grob Aircraft wieder im Aufwind". Augsburger Allgemeine.
  3. ↑ Grob Aircraft SE. "Company Portrait".
  4. ↑ "One of the Last German Airplane Manufacturers — Grob Aerospace". Archived from the original on 11 May 2009. Retrieved 25 February 2009.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "The breakthrough Grob 120TP trainer". aero-space.eu. 20 February 2019.
  6. ↑ Hardy 1982, p. 155.
  7. ↑ "G-109b." Grob Aerospace, Retrieved: 23 August 2008.
  8. ↑ "Royal Air Force Equipment". RAF. Archived from the original on 3 July 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2009.
  9. ↑ Taylor 1996, p. 172.
  10. ↑ G 520 – Records http://grob-aircraft.com/index.php/records.html
  11. ↑ Staff (1 September 1988). "Class C-1e (Landplanes: take off weight 3 000 to 6 000 kg) – Time to climb to a height of 15 000 m". Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  12. ↑ Staff (1 September 1988). "Class C-1e (Landplanes: take off weight 3 000 to 6 000 kg) – Altitude in horizontal flight". Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  13. ↑ Staff (1 September 1988). "Class C-1e (Landplanes: take off weight 3 000 to 6 000 kg) – Altitude". Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  14. 1 2 Lambert 1993, pp. 138–140.
  15. 1 2 3 "Grob clocks up first SPn Utility Jet sales." Flight International, 14 June 2005.
  16. ↑ Sarsfield, Kate. "Grob plans family based on SPn light jet." Flight International, 1 October 2007.
  17. ↑ "Grob business jet tipped as rival to Global Hawk." Flight International, 22 November 2005.
  18. ↑ Wastnage, Justine. "Grob plans North American marketing drive for utility jet." Flight International, 20 September 2005.
  19. ↑ Sarsfield, Kate (December 2006). "Chief test pilot killed as aircraft comes down near factory during demonstration flight" . Retrieved 7 September 2009.
  20. ↑ Sarsfield, Kate. "Grob SPn light jet restarts test flights after receiving thumbs up from German aviation safety authorities." Flight International, 23 February 2007.
  21. 1 2 3 Sarsfield, Kate (29 September 2010). "Daher Socata trials SPn business jet with a view to adoption". London: Flightglobal . Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  22. ↑ Collins, Peter. "FLIGHT TEST: Grob Aircraft G120TP - Pocket rocket." Flight International, 1 February 2011.
  23. ↑ Doyle, Andrew. "Grob Aerospace files for insolvency in wake of SPn development delays." Flight International, 19 August 2008.
  24. 1 2 Sarsfield, Kate (March 2009). "SPn light business jet nearer to resurrection" . Retrieved 13 March 2009.
  25. 1 2 Collogan, David (August 2008). "Grob Aerospace Files For Insolvency". Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2008.
  26. ↑ Marsh, Alton K. (October 2008). "Credit crunch felt by GA manufacturers". Archived from the original on 3 November 2008. Retrieved 31 October 2008.
  27. ↑ Stocker, Thomas (December 2008). "Two Buyers Interested in Acquiring Grob". Archived from the original on 22 December 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2008.
  28. ↑ "Grob Aerospace Buyer Found". aviationweek.com. Retrieved 25 February 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  29. ↑ "G 120TP – GROB AIRCRAFT AG". grob-aircraft.com. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  30. ↑ "Argentine factory begins production of Pampa training aircraft with German help." mercopress.com, 10 April 2012.
  31. ↑ Grob Aircraft AG. "Training Systems". grob-aircraft.com. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  32. ↑ "G 120TP – GROB AIRCRAFT SE". grob-aircraft.com. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  33. ↑ Bredow, Wolfgang. "Grob G 160 Ranger". www.bredow-web.de. Retrieved 26 April 2017.

Bibliography

48°06′43″N10°31′25″E / 48.11194°N 10.52361°E / 48.11194; 10.52361

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.