GBA Awarded FAA's Blessing Ahead Of Suspension Of
Inspections
Groen Brothers Aviation announced last week the FAA evaluated
its SparrowHawk III kit, produced and sold by GBA's American
Autogyro Division, and determined that it qualifies to be included
in the FAA listing of Eligible Amateur-Built Aircraft Kits. The
primary purpose of the listing is to assist FAA
Inspectors/Designees and other interested individuals by
eliminating the duplication of evaluations for "major portion"
determination when the aircraft is presented for airworthiness
certification as an "Amateur-Built Experimental."
All Amateur-Built/Homebuilt aircraft must be inspected and
registered with the FAA before an Airworthiness Certificate can be
issued. This fairly rigorous process is simplified for the builder
if the kit has been evaluated and qualified by the FAA for
inclusion in their listing of Eligible Amateur-Built Aircraft
Kits.
The Amateur-Built Experimental designation has been in existence
for more than five decades. It defines aircraft that are used for
non-commercial, recreational purposes such as education or personal
use.
Currently, more than 23,000 amateur-built/home-built aircraft
are licensed by the FAA. While some of these are truly "home-built"
by individuals, others, such as the SparrowHawk III, are built from
carefully engineered kits.
"GBA and American Autogyro are pleased with the determination by
the FAA that the SparrowHawk III kit qualifies to be included in
the FAA listing of eligible amateur-built aircraft kits," said GBA
Executive Vice President Robin Wilson, "The SparrowHawk reflects
GBA's more than two decades of gyroplane design and development
experience."
GBA apparently got their inspection in under the wire... as ANN reported February 15
on the FAA's decision to temporarily suspend such courtesy
inspections, due to the agency's decision to reevaulate the
so-called "51 percent" rule.
The quick build SparrowHawk III kit significantly reduces the
time and effort involved in the build process and makes it a more
enjoyable and satisfying part of the whole experience.
Additionally, several critical areas of assembly where special
tooling might be required, or mistakes by the builder could lead to
compromising the safety of the aircraft, are completed at the
factory.
Estimated build time for the SparrowHawk III is approximately
300 hours, a notable reduction in build time from the previous
model.