Game Composites’ GB1 GameBird has made several advances since the airplane achieved FAA and EASA certification last year. The two-seat, fully aerobatic airplane has received the sign off to install Garmin’s popular G3X glass avionics as the primary source of flight data. Game Composites has chosen to offer the G3X as standard equipment, providing ADS-B In and Out, FIS-B, electronic engine monitoring and much more to each airplane rolling out of the factory.
The company is also making progress in production. The first production GB1 took flight on November 20 and Game Composites’ CEO Philipp Steinbach, who also designed the GB1, said the initial production rate is one airplane per month. By mid-2019, Steinbach plans to increase the rate to two airplanes per month. With 19 airplanes currently on order, that takes the backlog toward the end of next year. The price tag for the airplane is $400,000.
While the GameBird is designed primarily for aerobatics, with a roll rate of 400 degrees per second and maximum load factor of +/- 10 G, there is more versatility built into this carbon fiber airplane than other aerobatic airplanes. With a quick addition or removal of a weight in the tail section, the airplane can be made more stable for cross country flight. With a separate baggage compartment, cruise speed of 200 knots and range of 1,000 nm with a VFR reserve, the GameBird is a highly capable crosscountry machine. Adding to the versatility, the company claims the airplane can accommodate pilots with a wide range of heights, from 5 feet to 6 feet 6 inches.
Learn more about the GameBird in this article.
