Goodyear GA-400R Gizmo

This article is about the helicopter developed by Goodyear.. For other uses, see 400R (disambiguation).

GA-400R Gizmo
Role	Light Helicopter
National origin	United States of America
Manufacturer	Goodyear Aircraft Company
Designer	Paul Ziegler
First flight	9 May 1954
Introduction	1954

The Goodyear GA-400R Gizmo was a one-man helicopter proposed for duties such as liaison and observation.^[1]

Design and development

Goodyear started developing light helicopters in 1954. The GA-400R was the third in the series. The helicopter was not put into production.^[2]

The one-man helicopter was designed to be lightweight and simple. The airframe is made of welded aluminum tubing. The rotor blades have wooden cores with fiberglass surfaces. The engine is a Johnson outboard marine engine. The transmission used rubber belts. The Gizmo has demonstrated low autorotation sink rates of 1200 ft/min.

Operational history

First test flights were performed at Akron, Ohio in 1954.^[3] The GA-400R was tested by the United States Navy in 1957 at Patuxent River Naval Air Base in Maryland.

In 1966, Goodyear donated the prototype to the EAA Airventure Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.^[4]

Variants

GA-400R - A 55 hp Mercury outboard powerplant.
GA-400R-2, GA-400R-3 - A 38 hp Johnson two stroke powerplant

Specifications (GA-400R)

Data from EAA

General characteristics

Capacity: 1
Length: 18 ft 4 in (5.59 m)
Height: 6 ft (1.8 m)
Empty weight: 290 lb (132 kg)
Gross weight: 490 lb (222 kg)
Fuel capacity: 4 gal
Powerplant: 1 × Johnson Outboard Marine & Mfg. Model RDHE Two cycle piston, 38 hp (28 kW)
Main rotor diameter: × 20 ft (6.1 m)
Main rotor area: 314 sq ft (29.2 m²)

Performance

Maximum speed: 48 kn; 89 km/h (55 mph)
Cruise speed: 35 kn; 64 km/h (40 mph)
Service ceiling: 8,000 ft (2,400 m)
Rate of climb: 400 ft/min (2.0 m/s)

References

↑ Paul Marcel Lambermont, Anthony Pirie. Helicopters and autogyros of the world.
↑ Sport Aviation. April 1958. Missing or empty |title= (help)
↑ William Green, Gerald John Pollinger. The aircraft of the world.
↑ "Goodyear GA-400R-3". Retrieved 30 April 2011.

Aircraft produced by Goodyear

Lighter-than-air

Company designations	RS-1 Type AD Type FA Type FB Type FC Type FD Type TZ Type U GZ-19 GZ-20 GZ-22

U.S. Navy designations	E class F class G class H class J class K class L class M class N class

Heavier-than-air

Military types	AO-2 Inflatoplane AO-3 Inflatoplane FG Corsair F2G Super Corsair GA-400R Gizmo

Civilian types	Duck Drake Inflatoplane

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