Wed, Dec 22, 2010
Helicopter Industry Veteran To Lead The Reintroduction Of The
Brantly B-2B Light Helicopter
Helicopter industry veteran Kyle B. Hardman has joined Brantly
International Helicopters as its new president, according to a
company news release Tuesday.
Kyle Hardman
"We are extremely pleased to have Mr.
Hardman join Brantly International," said Cheng Shenzong, Chairman
of the Qindao Brantly Investment Group, owners of Brantly
International. "His depth of experience as a program leader and
helicopter engineer will be invaluable in guiding our efforts to
bring the Brantly B-2B light helicopter back into
production."
"I can't begin to express my excitement about this opportunity and
the gratitude for the trust they have shown in me to take this
project forward," Hardman said. "I guess you can say helicopters
are in my blood. My father was with Bell for 36 years. I grew up
across the street from the factory."
"People have forgotten what an
incredible machine the Brantly B-2B is. At the height of its
production, the company built one-half of the civilian helicopters
manufactured in the U.S.," he added. "Being able to start the
program with a proven design like the B-2B and improve it with
today's computer-aided design and manufacturing techniques is going
to help us make a great helicopter even better."
Hardman stated that the company is currently in the process of
selecting a location for its new factory and is looking at sites in
the Dallas/Fort Worth area as well as in other states.
Brantly B-2B
"After the building is completed,
state-of-the-art production tooling and equipment will be installed
and the training, production and re-certification process will
begin with the FAA," he said. "With its mix of performance and low
operating costs, I think the market is going to be very happy to
see the B-2B back in production."
Prior to joining Brantly, Hardman was a Principal Engineer with
Bell Helicopter Textron in Fort Worth, Texas. Before that he was
Lead Engineer Senior with Vought Aircraft. Hardman is an aircraft
owner with single- and multi-engine land, seaplane and glider
ratings. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 1985 with a
Bachelor of Engineering Technology degree.
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