Rotortec

Rotortec GmbH is a German aircraft manufacturer based in Görisried in the Allgäu region of Bavaria. The company was founded by Jochen Steinbeck and focuses on the design and manufacture of autogyros, also known as gyroplanes. Its aircraft are characterized by a rotor system that provides lift through autorotation while a separate propeller supplies forward thrust. The company's first reported design was the Rotortec Cloud Dancer I, a single-seat autogyro with an enclosed cockpit. The design incorporated an electromagnetic clutch for the Carden Drive, a feature presented as an innovative element of the aircraft's propulsion or drive arrangement. The Cloud Dancer I established the basic technical and visual concept for the company's early product family. Rotortec subsequently developed the Cloud Dancer II, a two-seat aircraft with side-by-side seating. The model was publicly presented at the AERO Friedrichshafen aviation exhibition in 2009. Its configuration broadened the product concept beyond the single-seat Cloud Dancer I and positioned the aircraft for shared recreational, training, or utility flying, although the available reference material does not specify its certification scope, production volume, pricing, or primary customer segments. A third design, the Rotortec Cloud Dancer Light, simplified the Cloud Dancer I concept by removing the cockpit fairing. It was intended to meet the German 120 kg ultralight category, with a stated empty weight of 120 kilograms (265 pounds). This version reflects Rotortec's effort to adapt its autogyro design to a lightweight regulatory class and to reduce structural or equipment weight compared with the enclosed-cockpit model. Rotortec's aircraft are supplied complete and ready to fly rather than as partially completed construction kits, according to the available reference material. Beyond the Cloud Dancer family and the company's specialization in autogyros, detailed information about manufacturing capacity, distribution, service support, export markets, current model availability, corporate ownership, financial performance, and present operating status is not established by the supplied sources.

Rotortec GmbH was established in Görisried, in Germany's Allgäu region, by Jochen Steinbeck. The company entered the aircraft-manufacturing field with a focus on autogyros, a category of aircraft that combines an autorotating rotor for lift with a separate engine-driven propeller for forward movement. Its initial aircraft was the Rotortec Cloud Dancer I. This was a single-seat autogyro with an enclosed cockpit. Among the design's notable technical features was an electromagnetic clutch associated with the Carden Drive. The Cloud Dancer I provided the foundation for the company's subsequent aircraft-development work, although the available reference material does not give a first-flight date, certification date, production total, or commercial launch date. Rotortec later expanded the Cloud Dancer concept into the Cloud Dancer II. Unlike the single-seat Cloud Dancer I, the second model used a two-seat, side-by-side arrangement. The aircraft was first exhibited at AERO Friedrichshafen in 2009, giving the company and its design a public presence at a significant European general-aviation trade event. No detailed information is available in the supplied sources about the model's engine, performance, certification, sales network, or production history. The company also developed the Cloud Dancer Light. This aircraft was a simplified derivative of the Cloud Dancer I, with the cockpit fairing removed. Its stated design objective was to qualify for the German 120 kg ultralight class. The aircraft was reported to have an empty weight of 120 kilograms, or approximately 265 pounds. This model illustrates a product strategy centered on adapting a common autogyro design to different weight, equipment, and regulatory requirements. Rotortec's aircraft were supplied complete and ready to fly. That approach distinguishes the company's documented offering from businesses that primarily sell plans, components, or builder-oriented kits, although the available material does not clarify whether all models remained continuously available or how the company supported owners after delivery. The reference material identifies Rotortec as an aircraft manufacturer and lists its principal Cloud Dancer designs, but it does not establish the company's founding year, ownership structure, current management, financial condition, production scale, export footprint, or current operating status. Accordingly, the historical record should be treated as a concise account of the company's known design and exhibition activity rather than a complete corporate chronology.

• 2009

  Cloud Dancer II shown at AERO Friedrichshafen

  [1]Rotortecen.wikipedia.org

  The two-seat, side-by-side Cloud Dancer II was first presented at the AERO Friedrichshafen aviation exhibition.

• Rotortec founded in Görisried

  [1]Rotortecen.wikipedia.org

  Jochen Steinbeck founded Rotortec GmbH in Görisried, Allgäu, Germany. The available source does not state the year of establishment.

• Cloud Dancer I developed

  [1]Rotortecen.wikipedia.org

  Rotortec developed the Cloud Dancer I, a single-seat enclosed-cockpit autogyro featuring an electromagnetic clutch for the Carden Drive.

• Cloud Dancer Light developed for the German 120 kg class

  [1]Rotortecen.wikipedia.org

  Rotortec developed a simplified Cloud Dancer I derivative without a cockpit fairing, designed to meet the German 120 kg ultralight category.

A specialist German aircraft manufacturer focused on compact autogyros, including enclosed single-seat, side-by-side two-seat, and lightweight ultralight configurations.

• Single-seat autogyro

  Rotortec Cloud Dancer I

  The Cloud Dancer I was Rotortec's initial reported aircraft design. It is a single-seat autogyro with an enclosed cockpit. The design uses an electromagnetic clutch for the Carden Drive, a feature identified in the reference material as an innovative part of the aircraft. It represents the enclosed-cockpit foundation from which Rotortec later developed additional Cloud Dancer variants.

• Two-seat autogyro · 2009

  Rotortec Cloud Dancer II

  The Cloud Dancer II is a two-seat autogyro arranged with side-by-side seating. It followed the single-seat Cloud Dancer I and was first shown publicly at AERO Friedrichshafen in 2009. The model extended the Cloud Dancer concept to accommodate two occupants, but the supplied sources do not provide detailed specifications for its engine, performance, certification, production, or customer use.

• Lightweight ultralight autogyro

  Rotortec Cloud Dancer Light

  The Cloud Dancer Light is a simplified version of the Cloud Dancer I. It removes the cockpit fairing and was intended to qualify for the German 120 kg ultralight class. Its reported empty weight is 120 kilograms (265 pounds). The available material does not state its production period, certification outcome, price, or current availability.

1. 1Rotortecen.wikipedia.org