Goodyear GA-400R Gizmo
Goodyear Aircraft Company · United States · first flew 1954 · helicopter
The Goodyear GA-400R Gizmo is a one-man helicopter proposed in the 1950s for duties such as liaison and observation.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, rotary |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 6.4 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- One-man light helicopter with a welded aluminium tube airframe
- Single two-stroke Johnson outboard marine engine
- Rotor blades with wooden cores and fibreglass surfaces
The Gizmo is lightweight and simple, with a rotor 6.1 m in diameter and a Johnson outboard marine engine. It has demonstrated low autorotation sink rates of 1,200 ft/min.
Specifications
- The Goodyear GA-400R Gizmo has a length of 6.4 m (21 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 6.1 m (20 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 105 km/h (65 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Goodyear started developing light helicopters in 1954, and the GA-400R was the third in the series. The airframe is made of welded aluminium tubing, and the transmission used rubber belts. First test flights were performed at Akron, Ohio in 1954.
Variants
The GA-400R had a 55 hp Mercury outboard powerplant, and the GA-400R-3 had a 38 hp Johnson two-stroke powerplant.
Where you'll see it
The helicopter was not put into production. The United States Navy tested the GA-400R in 1957 at Patuxent River, and in 1966 Goodyear donated the prototype to the EAA museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
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