AAI SparrowHawk
American Autogyro Inc · United States · first flew 2003 · light aircraft
The AAI SparrowHawk is an American two-seat pusher ultralight autogyro, available in kit form for amateur construction.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, rotary |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 3.73 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Cruciform |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Pusher autogyro with the engine behind an enclosed glass-fibre cabin
- Two-bladed metal rotor on a mast mounted on a vertical member
- Tail unit on two centreline booms with a finless rudder and endplate fins
A 160 hp Subaru EJ25 sits uncowled behind the cabin, which seats two side by side and has almost triangular sides. A tricycle undercarriage is supplemented by a small tailwheel.
Specifications
- The AAI SparrowHawk has a length of 3.73 m (12 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.14 m (30 ft).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
American Autogyros Inc was formed in late 2002 as a division of Groen Brothers Aviation to improve the stability of existing autogyros. A proof-of-concept machine, based on the pod of an RAF 2000, first flew in February 2003, and the first AAI-built production prototype flew on 25 February 2004.
Variants
Versions were the SparrowHawk I, II, III and APV, plus the Russian Spinus.
Where you'll see it
The first kit-built SparrowHawk flew in Russia on 23 September 2004. 125 kits had been sold by mid-2008 and 45 were on the US civil register by November 2009. In 2008 Groen Brothers announced its intention to sell off the programme.
Related aircraft
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