Game Composites turns to firefighting
GB2 built to suppress with speed
Game Composites is building a single-engine firebomber that its designer says will carry more and fly farther and faster than any other aircraft in its category.
The GB2 Stormbird is an all-composite, two-seat, low-wing design capable of carrying 1,200 gallons of fire retardant at speeds in excess of 200 knots. Unlike existing single-engine firebombers that began as agricultural airplanes, or multiengine models that are repurposed military aircraft or airliners, the GB2 is a clean-sheet design made specifically for aerial firefighting.
Lightweight carbon-fiber construction is meant to give the GB2 exceptional strength, speed, and lifting capacity. The GB2 is projected to have an empty weight of 6,000 pounds and maximum takeoff weight of 19,000 pounds. If those goals are met, the GB2’s useful load will be more than double its empty weight—an astonishingly high mark.
Composite materials also are impervious to corrosion and can be molded in aerodynamic shapes. The two-seat, tandem design is meant to accommodate an observer or second crewmember.
Flight tests of the GB2 prototype are scheduled to begin in late 2025 and the first deliveries are set to take place one year later. Final FAA type certification for the GB2 is expected in 2027.
Game Composites is based in Bentonville, Arkansas, and has been producing the GB1 Gamebird unlimited aerobatic aircraft since 2017. Philipp Steinbach is the designer of both the GB1 and GB2 and is known for producing composite aircraft with exceptional speed, strength, and endurance.
Game Composites is owned by Steuart Walton, an accomplished pilot, former Walmart executive, and Bentonville civic booster.
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