Game Composites
A German designer and an Arkansas factory produced the GameBird GB1, a 10g carbon-fibre aerobat certified in 2017 that flight schools and display pilots now buy instead of an Extra.
Game Composites: the company and the aircraft that made its name
A new unlimited aerobat
Game Composites exists to build one aeroplane, the GB1 GameBird, a two-seat carbon-composite aerobatic machine designed by the German aircraft designer Philipp Steinbach with engineers Jing Dai and Robert Finney. The company is registered in London as Game Composites Limited and builds the aircraft in Bentonville, Arkansas, as Game Composites LLC. The GameBird first flew on 15 July 2015 and set out to challenge the established unlimited aerobats on their own ground.
Certified on both sides of the Atlantic
It was certified fast. EASA approved the GB1 in the CS-23 aerobatic category on 12 April 2017, and the FAA followed on 29 August 2017; an FAA production certificate came in June 2019. The numbers explain the appeal: a 303 hp Lycoming AEIO-580 engine, limits of plus and minus 10g, a cruise of about 370 km/h and a range of around 1,900 km, enough to fly to a contest rather than trailer to it.
From air shows to airline academies
That combination of aerobatic strength and touring range drew customers beyond display pilots. Emirates Flight Training Academy in the United Arab Emirates and the Layang-Layang Flying Academy in Malaysia both operate the type for upset and aerobatic training. Wikipedia records at least 107 built, with 32 on the US register by September 2021. Steinbach, Dai and Finney had taken the aircraft from first flight to certification on both sides of the Atlantic in just over two years.
Game Composites in numbers
The company
- In short
- GameBird maker
- Game Composites Ltd (London) and LLC (Bentonville, Arkansas)
- Designer Philipp Steinbach
Production
- Best known for
- GB1 GameBird
- First flight 15 July 2015
- EASA and FAA certified 2017
- At least 107 built
Today
- Now
- In production
- FAA production certificate since June 2019
- Used by flight academies in the UAE and Malaysia
The numbers
- GB1 built
- at least 107
- GB1 on US register
- 322021
- GB1 g limits
- +10 / -10
Every notable Game Composites aircraft
| Aircraft | Role | First flight | Built | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game Composites GB1 GameBird | Two-seat aerobatic aircraft | 2015 | 107+ | In production | EASA certified 12 April 2017; FAA 29 August 2017 |
Game Composites aircraft in the world’s air forces
1 air forces in the Order of Battle fly or flew Game Composites types. 1 of them still have one in service.
| Air force | In service | Formerly flown |
|---|---|---|
| Chilean Air Force | Game Composites GB1 GameBird |
Where Game Composites built, who led it, what it achieved
Factories
- Bentonville works · Bentonville, Arkansas — Production site
People
- Philipp Steinbach · aircraft designer — Designed the GB1 GameBird
Game Composites, year by year
GB1 GameBird first flight
EASA type certificate, CS-23 aerobatic
FAA type certificate
FAA production certificate
32 GB1s on the US register
Everything people ask about Game Composites
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Around Game Composites
Every fact, checked
Verified 2026-10-03.