Game Aerospace’s GB2 firefighting aircraft completed its first flight in Bentonville, Arkansas, on September 23, 2026, beginning flight testing of a new single-engine airtanker designed to carry 1,200 gallons of water or retardant.
Company CEO, co-founder and test pilot Philipp Steinbach flew the prototype from Louise Thaden Field. Game Aerospace said the aircraft performed as expected while completing the evaluations planned for the maiden flight. The company is pursuing FAA Part 23 standard-category certification.
Game Aerospace, which also builds the GB1 GameBird aerobatic aircraft, developed the GB2 specifically for aerial firefighting. The company says it designed the aircraft to improve the speed and efficiency of initial attacks on wildfires, using input from operators, pilots, ground crews and government agencies to optimize the design.
The composite aircraft uses a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67F turboprop engine and has a maximum takeoff weight of 19,000 pounds. Alongside its firefighting hopper, the design includes fuel tanks with a capacity of 400 gallons.
Its tandem cockpit has flight and engine controls at both seats. Controls on the throttle and stick allow the pilot to keep both hands on the primary flight controls during critical portions of a mission.
The aircraft’s engine intake offers three selectable configurations: ram recovery, a particle barrier filter and an inertial separator. Published dimensions include a 67-foot wingspan and a length of 42 feet.
Game lists Garmin avionics and a GFC 600 autopilot among the GB2’s equipment. The company says the autopilot will reduce workload during flights to and from a fire, giving pilots extra time to coordinate with ground crews and other aircraft before entering the drop area.