11/30/2008. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "Design of the Grasshopper began in 1965, two years later the Ministry of Technology awarded a research contract and construction of two prototypes was started at Redhill, Surrey. Powered by two 145 hp Continental IO-300-C six-cylinder engines the pictured first prototype started exhaustive ground trials in 1969 and was first flown in June 1970

G-AXFM (Ron Smith Collection)

First flight of the first prototype was preceded by the second, G-AXFM, on August 18, 1969.

Construction of a pre-production aircraft, G-AZAU c/n GB.3, was started in August 1971, however it was never completed. G-AWRP was flown for only sixteen months, subsequently stored at Blackpool Airport. In 1993 it was transferred to the Helicopter Museum at Weston-super-Mare for preservation."