Grob Aerospace

Grob Aerospace is a German aircraft manufacturer.

History

It was founded in 1971 by Dr Burkhart Grob, son of Ernst Grob, who had started producing internal combustion engines in 1926 and later made other parts for the automobile industry. Grob Aerospace became involved in glider manufacture in 1971 when it was sub-contracted by Schempp-Hirth to build the Standard Cirrus under licence. Burkhart Grob was a power pilot and a glider pilot already.

Two hundred Standard Cirruses were built by Grob at its own Tussenhausen-Mattsies airfield between 1971 and 1975. In 1974 Grob decided to continue with glider production independently using its experience with fibre-composite construction. Instead of building competitive gliders, they decided to build for the club market at competitive prices. The result was the G-102 Astir. The two-seat G 103 Twin Astir followed shortly after.

In the late 1970s Grob also decided to build the G 109, the world's first production all-composite motor glider which was certified in 1981. This was following by the G 115 which was certified by the FAA in 1987. In the late 1980s the G 520 Egrett/STRATO 1 high-altitude aircraft was produced which established five world records. Glider production ceased in 1996 and production concentrated on powered aircraft.

The SPn, six-passenger jet, first flew in 2005. The second prototype crashed shortly after takeoff on November 29, 2006 near the production plant in Germany.

On 18 August 2008, Grob Aerospace filed for insolvency, suspending their light-jet production and calling into question timely delivery of Bombardier Aerospace's Learjet 85. [ [http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=busav&id=news/GROB08198.xml&headline=Grob%20Aerospace%20Files%20For%20Insolvency] ]

Aircraft Types

* Grob G-102 Astir - single-seat composite construction Standard Class sailplane
* Grob G103 - two-seat sailplane
**G103 Twin Astir
** G103 Twin II (also available in Acro version (G103a Twin II)
** G103c Twin III (also available in Acro versions)
** The Grob Viking T1 was the UK military version of the G 103 Twin II.
* G 104 Speed-Astir - single-seat 15 metre Class sailplane
* Grob G 109 - self-launching two-seat motorglider
* Grob G 115 - Low wing all-composite two-seat aerobatic monoplane
* G 520 Egrett/STRATO 1
* Grob G 120A - Basic trainer
* Grob SPⁿ business jet and variants
* HALE G 600 High altitude long endurance variant of the SPn
* G 140 four seat turboprop
* GF 200
* Grob Strato

References

External links

* [http://www.grob-aerospace.de/ Grob Aerospace website]
* [http://www.grobspn.com link title]
* [http://www.avbuyer.com/Articles/Article.asp?Id=769 Grob SPn Update from World Aircraft Sales]
* [http://video.images-de-prestige.com/aircrafts.php?com=Grob Grob SPn video]