Glasair Aviation
Industry | Aerospace |
---|---|
Founded | 1979 |
Founder | Tom Hamilton |
Headquarters | Arlington, Washington |
Products | Homebuilt aircraft kits |
Owner | Jilin Hanxing Group |
Website | glasairaviation.com |
Glasair Aviation USA, LLC is a Chinese-owned aircraft manufacturer based in Arlington, Washington that produces the Glasair and Sportsman 2+2 line of homebuilt aircraft.
History
Tom Hamilton began flight testing the Glasair TD and founded Stoddard-Hamilton Aircraft in 1979. Glasair Aviation was formed in 2001 when Thomas W. Wathen purchased the Glasair assets from bankrupt Stoddard-Hamilton Aircraft, Inc. and signed an agreement with Arlington Aircraft Development, Inc. (AADI) to buy all rights to and assets of the GlaStar model. The new companies New Glasair, LLC and New GlaStar, LLC are marketed under the Glasair Aviation name.[1][2] More than 3000 Glasair kits have been delivered worldwide.
In July 2012 the company was sold to the Jilin Hanxing Group of China, who formed a new company Glasair Aircraft USA, LLC. Jilin Hanxing Group indicated that they intend to certify the Glastar design and otherwise retain production in Arlington, Washington. TieJi Fang, chairman of the Jilin Hanxing Group, said that he envisions the company producing trainers for flight schools and eventually personal aircraft for the Chinese market. He stated that purchasing Glasair was "the first step in a very long journey".[3][4]
Aircraft
Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
---|---|---|---|
Glasair I | 1979 | 807[5] | Low-wing, two seat kit aircraft |
Glasair II | 1989 | 1200 | Low-wing, two seat kit aircraft |
Glasair III | 1986 | 500 | Low-wing, two seat kit aircraft |
GlaStar | 1994 | 300 | High-wing, two seat kit aircraft |
Sportsman 2+2 | 2003 | 400 | High-wing, four seat kit aircraft |
Glasair Merlin LSA[6] | 2015 | 1 | High-wing, two seat SLSA aircraft |
See also
- Plane Driven PD-1, experimental modification to allow the aircraft to be roadable.
References
- ↑ Glasair Aviation, LLC (n.d.). "A bit of history". Retrieved 2009-06-01.
- ↑ "EAA news - New Glastar purchase of AADI". Retrieved 2007-01-14.
- ↑ "Glasair Sold To Chinese Company". Avweb.com. Retrieved 2012-07-23.
- ↑ Bertorelli, Paul (23 July 2012). "Glasair Buy: Part of a Grander Plan". AVweb. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
- ↑ Bud Daviddson (May 2014). "35 Years of Fast Glas". Sport Aivation: 53.
- ↑ "Glasair adds LSA and Certified Aircraft". Sport Aviation: 14. May 2014.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stoddard-Hamilton. |