RotorWay International
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| Privately owned company | |
| Industry | Helicopters, Aviation, Engineering, Manufacturing |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Founder | B.J. Schramm |
| Headquarters | Chandler, Arizona, United States |
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Number of locations
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11 worldwide |
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Key people
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Grant Norwitz, CEO Mark Porter, COO Lynda Wishart, CFO |
| Products | Kit Helicopters |
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Number of employees
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~250 |
| Parent | RotorWay Aviation |
| Website | http://www.rotorway.com |
Grant Norwitz, CEO Mark Porter, COO
RotorWay International, located in Chandler, Arizona, is a manufacturer of kit helicopters. The company was founded by B.J. Schramm in 1961 as RotorWay Aircraft. RotorWay International was bought February 14, 2007 by a small group of investors comprising the company's upper level management — Grant Norwitz, CEO, Bill Adams, COO, and Judy Craven, CFO. Of these, only Norwitz was still with the company in mid-2008.
By 2015 the company name had been changed to the RotorWay Helicopter Manufacturing Company.
In 1961, RotorWay's founder, B.J. Schramm, tested the company's first prototype, the Javelin. The Javelin used a 40 hp (30 kW) motorcycle engine, and was the forerunner of RotorWay's first production helicopter, the Scorpion, which was offered in 1967.
The Scorpion, priced at $6,300 (not including the cost of the engine), was the first real kit helicopter on the market that flew. The Scorpion was intended for the sport-flying public, rather than the commercial market and this dictated the cost and weight of the aircraft. Originally, costs were intended to be under $10,000, but inflation changed that. The original Scorpion weighed between 1200 and 1300 pounds. It featured a standard gear reduction drive, a semi-articulated two-bladed rotor system, and a one-person capacity.
An improved version of the Scorpion was introduced in 1971. Among the modifications in the new version were all-aluminum rotor blades, a 115 hp (86 kW) OMC 2-cycle engine (Evinrude Vulcan V-4 outboard motor) and a heavier drive system (shafts and bearings).
In 1971, the Scorpion II was introduced with an OMC 125 hp (93 kW), 2-cycle engine which provided enough power to fly two lightweight people, unlike previous versions.
In 1974, the company eliminated the 2-cycle engine and, unable to find a manufacturer to make their 4-cycle engine suitable for the helicopter, began production of their own engine. This engine, called the RotorWay RW133, was a 4-cycle engine that was able to provide a cruise speed of 80 mph (130 km/h) with a range of 120 miles (193 km) and a useful load of 420 pounds.
The RW 133 engine was installed in the Scorpion II, which was renamed the Scorpion 133. The Scorpion 133 had a list price of $13,500, a gross weight of 1,235 lb (560 kg), and a range of 130 nautical miles (79 nautical miles (146 km) with two people).
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Wikipedia