Brantly

Slagorde · Vliegtuigfabrikanten · Verenigde Staten

Brantly

Brantly Helicopter Corporation · Brantly-Hynes Helicopter Inc. · Brantly International Inc.

A Philadelphia inventor’s tiny two-seat helicopter that has passed through nearly a dozen owners, from Learjet to a Chinese helicopter king, and is still built today.

1945Opgericht
ActiefStatus
4Vliegtuigen geregistreerd
LandVerenigde StatenOpgericht1945OprichtersNewby O. BrantlyHoofdkwartierCoppell, TexasEigenaarChinese investors (major interest held by Cheng Shenzong since 2007)StatusActief
Het verhaal

Brantly: the company and the aircraft that made its name

Inspired by Sikorsky

Newby O. Brantly was so impressed by the Sikorsky VS-300 that he set out to design his own helicopter, founding the Brantly Helicopter Corporation in Philadelphia in 1945. His coaxial B-1 flew in 1946 but never went into production. He started again with a simple two-seater, the B-2, which first flew on 21 February 1953 and was certified in 1959 after a move to Frederick, Oklahoma. The five-seat Brantly 305 followed in 1964. The Army evaluated five B-2s as the YHO-3 in 1958.

Eigenaren komen en gaan.

Ownership became a revolving door. Lear Jet bought the company in 1966, when the Frederick plant had 100 employees; ARDC took the rights in 1969 and stopped in 1970; Michael Hynes revived it in the 1970s, and attorney F. Lee Bailey’s Franklin Capital bought in. In 1989 James Kimura built a new factory in Vernon, Texas, as Brantly International, and in 1994 ownership passed to Beijing’s FESCO. Brantly-Hynes later put the B-2 and 305 back into production.

Made in China

In 2007 Cheng Shenzong, called China’s helicopter king, took a major interest. The Vernon factory closed at the end of 2010 and offices moved to Coppell, Texas. Today the B-2B is built only in China, by Qingdao Haili Helicopters, more than 70 years after Brantly’s first sketch. US shipments had dwindled long before: industry statistics recorded only 12 B-2Bs delivered between 1981 and 2007. The B-2B has a three-bladed articulated rotor, an all-metal fuselage and a choice of skids, wheels or floats.

A Philadelphia inventor’s tiny two-seat helicopter that has passed through nearly a dozen owners, from Learjet to a Chinese helicopter king, and is still built today.Brantly · verified 2026-10-03
In één oogopslag

Brantly in numbers

Het bedrijf

Kortom
Founded 1945

  • Founded in Philadelphia by Newby O. Brantly
  • Owned by Lear Jet 1966–1969
  • Offices in Coppell, Texas

Productie

Het meest bekend om
Brantly B-2

  • B-2 two-seat helicopter: 334 built
  • Brantly 305 five-seater
  • Five YHO-3 evaluated by the US Army

Vandaag

Nu
Built in China

  • Qingdao Haili Helicopters is the only B-2B maker

Status based on Wikipedia; recent output not confirmed.

De cijfers

Brantly B-2 built
334
Employees at Frederick plant
1001966
Medewerkers
20
US B-2B shipments
121981–2007
Het vliegtuig

Every notable Brantly aircraft

Vliegtuig Rol Eerste vlucht Gebouwd Status Opmerking
Brantly B-1 Coaxial helicopter prototype 1946 Gepensioneerd Not produced
Brantly B-2 Two-seat light helicopter 1953 334 In productie B-2B now built by Qingdao Haili in China
Brantly YHO-3 Army evaluation helicopter 5 Gepensioneerd B-2s evaluated in the Light Observation Helicopter competition
Brantly 305 Five-seat light helicopter 1964 Gepensioneerd FAA certified 1965
Plaatsen, mensen, archieven

Where Brantly built, who led it, what it achieved

Fabrieken

  • Philadelphia · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — Original base, 1945
  • Frederick plant · Frederick, Oklahoma — From 1957; 180,000 sq ft factory
  • Vernon factory · Wilbarger County Airport, Vernon, Texas — Built 1989, closed end of 2010
  • Qingdao Haili Helicopters · Qingdao, China — Current sole manufacturer of the B-2B

Mensen

  • Newby O. Brantly · founder, designer — Designed the B-1, B-2 and 305
  • Michael K. Hynes · owner — Acquired the rights in 1972; Brantly-Hynes from 1975
  • James T. Kimura · owner — Built the Vernon factory in 1989
  • Cheng Shenzong · investor — Took a major interest in 2007
Tijdlijn

Brantly, year by year

1945

Brantly Helicopter Corporation founded in Philadelphia

1946

Coaxial B-1 flies

1953

B-2 first flies

1957

Move to Frederick, Oklahoma

1959

B-2 certified

1964

Brantly 305 first flies

1966

Lear Jet acquires the company

1969

Factory moves to Wichita; rights sold to ARDC

1975

Renamed Brantly-Hynes; Franklin Capital buys in

1989

Vernon factory built; renamed Brantly International

1994

Ownership passes to FESCO of Beijing

2007

Cheng Shenzong takes a major interest

2010

Vernon factory closes; offices move to Coppell

De stamboom

Before and after Brantly

Kwam eerderLearjetOwner 1966–1969Lees de Learjet-pagina
Vragen en antwoorden

Everything people ask about Brantly

Is Brantly still in business?
Brantly International keeps offices in Coppell, Texas, and the B-2B is built in China by Qingdao Haili Helicopters.
How many Brantly B-2 helicopters were built?
About 334.
Who founded Brantly?
Newby O. Brantly, in Philadelphia in 1945.
Did Learjet own Brantly?
Yes, from 1966 to 1969.

Vervolg de rondleiding

Around Brantly

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Geverifieerd op 3 oktober 2026.