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Project Pyrobird Emblem
Active Development Seed Funding Open

PROJECT PYROBIRD

Autonomous Intermeshing-Rotor Helicopter — Humanitarian Response Platform

Wildfire suppression. Supply delivery. Search And Rescue.
Twin Rolls-Royce M250-C20. Intermeshing twin rotors. 619 US gallon water payload.
No pilot at risk. Year-round operations across two hemispheres.

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HUMANITARIAN MISSION DECLARATION

Pyrobird is designed exclusively for civilian humanitarian operations. BIG-G Aerospace does not develop, license, or support military applications, weapons integration, or individual surveillance capabilities for any Pyrobird platform or payload module. This declaration is permanent.

THE MISSION

Between 2020 and March 2026, 13 aerial firefighting crew were killed globally. The most recent — a helicopter destroyed at Hout Bay, Cape Town, 25 March 2026. Pyrobird replaces that pilot with a ground operator and a six-layer sensor protection stack.

Aerial Firefighting

Up to 619 US gallons of water or retardant per sortie. Module 1 delivers aerial firefighting capability without crew fatality risk.

Supply Delivery

150 kg hover-winch supply drop module for remote and disaster-affected communities — year-round, off-season operations.

SAR / Mapping

Dedicated sensor pod module for fire mapping, search & rescue support.

12 Months

Fire season SA (Oct–Mar) + EU (Jun–Sep) = year-round operations across two hemispheres

USD 5.03M

Annual gross revenue for a fleet of three aircraft — twin M250-C20 nominal figures

EUR 634M

EIC Accelerator funding open now — EU declared aerial firefighting technology sovereignty a strategic priority

INTERCHANGEABLE MODULES

One airframe. Three mission modules. Rapid swap between roles without structural modification.

Module 1 Render
Water / Retardant Tank
M1

Aerial Firefighting

  • Water payload (Rev 1.0)619 US gal / 2,343 L
  • Retardant payload (Rev 1.0)~560 US gal
  • MTOW3,100 kg (6,834 lb)
  • Payload fraction75.6% of MTOW
  • Engines2× Rolls-Royce M250-C20
Module 2 Render
Supply Drop
M2

Supply Delivery

  • Payload capacity150 kg
  • Gross weight (Rev 1.0)921 kg (29.7% MTOW)
  • Power marginTo be confirmed with final rotor sizing
  • Mechanism8m hover-winch + Dyneema cable
  • OperationsYear-round
Module 3 Render
SAR Pod
M3

SAR / Mapping

  • Optical sensorLivox LiDAR
  • Thermal sensorFLIR Boson
  • Radar altimeterAinstein
  • Traffic awarenessADS-B
  • ApplicationFire mapping / SAR

PRODUCTION POWERPLANT

The rotor, airframe, electronics, and payload modules are built around a single production configuration — the twin Rolls-Royce M250-C20 installation.

PRODUCTION

Rolls-Royce M250-C20 — Twin Installation

Rolls-Royce Turboshaft Free-Turbine

Production Configuration — Revision 1.0

Rolls-Royce M250-C20 Twin Installation
  • Engines2× Rolls-Royce M250-C20 turboshaft (free-turbine)
  • Total power900 shp (2 × 450 shp)
  • Engine dry mass164 kg (82 kg each)
  • Total installed212 kg (both engines)
  • Fuel typeJet-A / Jet-A1 (globally available)
  • Fuel cost / flight hrUSD 169 (Jet-A at bulk rates)
  • TBO3,500 hours each
  • FADECDual-channel Series IV — auto start, hot-start protection
  • Global service33 FIRST Network authorised centres worldwide
  • OEI capabilityControlled descent at MTOW — hover at reduced weight
  • Engine procurementUSD 50,000–90,000 each (reconditioned)

The twin M250-C20 configuration's power, weight, and performance envelope is consistent with proven twin-turboshaft helicopters in this weight class — confirming that a 3,100 kg MTOW is achievable with this engine combination. Rotor sizing for the intermeshing configuration is being finalised.

KEY FEATURES

Intermeshing Twin-Rotor System

Two counter-rotating, two-blade teetering rotors on side-by-side, outward-splayed masts, phase-locked by the gearbox so the blades mesh without contact. Rotor torque cancels without a tail rotor, so all engine power goes into lift. Direct swashplate control by stationary electric servos: no servo-flaps, and only a passive bearing crosses into the rotating system. BGA aerofoil family (BGA-120/112/108), original BIG-G Aerospace IP: spanwise-optimised sections from thick near-symmetric root to thin swept tip. Rotor diameter being finalised.

BGA Aerofoil Family — Original IP

Three-section spanwise blade design for Pyrobird's humanitarian mission regime. BGA-120 (root, 20% thick, semi-blunt TE), BGA-112 (mid, 12% symmetric), BGA-108 (tip, 8% reflexed, 20° aft sweep). Tip Mach: to be confirmed with final rotor sizing. Wholly original BIG-G Aerospace intellectual property.

Fly-By-Wire Electronics Stack

Custom five-board avionics (FCB/MCB/PMB/AIB/EMB) with sensor fusion, FADEC interface for the twin M250-C20 turboshafts, and fully redundant power management.

Rapid-Swap Modular Payload Interface

Structural payload bay allows field-swap between water/retardant tank, supply drop winch module, and reconnaissance sensor pod without specialist tooling.

Six-Layer Envelope Protection

LiDAR, thermal, radar altimeter, ADS-B, dual GNSS, and inertial navigation fused to protect the aircraft and airspace in degraded visual environments including smoke and night ops.

Dual-Hemisphere Year-Round Operations

Fire season South Africa (Oct–Mar) + EU (Jun–Sep) eliminates off-season downtime. Supply delivery module sustains revenue through remaining months.

Zero Crew Fatality Risk

Autonomous operation managed from a ground control station. No pilot, no crew, no fatality risk on cliff terrain, high-wind corridors, or night fire operations.

DEVELOPMENT STATUS

Phase 1 — Concept, Requirements & Design Study

Complete

Mission requirements defined. Rev 1.0 design study complete. Twin M250-C20 engine configuration confirmed. Rotor with BGA aerofoil family specified (since revised to an intermeshing twin-rotor system). MTOW 3,100 kg validated against proven twin-turboshaft precedent. Financial model validated. EIC short proposal ready to submit.

Phase 2 — Seed Round & Investor Campaign

In Progress

Raising USD 554,675 seed to fund the full-scale prototype (twin M250-C20 Rev 1.0), all three modules, SACAA Part 101 certification, and EIC full proposal. EIC Accelerator: EUR 634M open now. CERIS opens 15 May 2026.

Phase 3 — Prototype Build (Twin M250-C20 — Rev 1.0)

Pending

Full-scale PCB fabrication, intermeshing twin-rotor system, CFRP airframe, twin-engine combining gearbox with phase-locked intermeshing rotor outputs, twin M250-C20 installation, all three payload modules including 619 gal water tank, and ground test stand construction.

Phase 4 — Ground Testing, SACAA Part 101 & First Flight

Pending

Rotor whirl tower testing, systems integration, regulatory approval, and incremental flight test campaign.

Phase 5 — EIC Series A & Production Fleet (Twin M250-C20 — Rev 1.0)

Pending

EIC Series A: EUR 2.5M grant + EUR 3–8M equity. First production aircraft on twin Rolls-Royce M250-C20 configuration — 619 US gallon water payload, 3,100 kg MTOW, intermeshing twin-rotor system with BGA aerofoil family. Fleet deployment across South Africa and Europe.

INVEST IN PYROBIRD

Seed round: USD 554,675. Funds the full-scale prototype (twin M250-C20 Rev 1.0), all three payload modules including 619 US gal water system, SACAA Part 101, and EIC full proposal.

EIC Accelerator EUR 634M open now  ·  CERIS opens 15 May 2026  ·  Horizon Europe rolling 2026–2027

All Projects

STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL — FOR AUTHORISED RECIPIENTS ONLY. Pyrobird is designed exclusively for civilian humanitarian operations. Not for military use. Not for weapons.