Windward Performance
Windward Performance is an owner-operated Oregon aircraft design house building the GosHawk two-seat carbon-fiber motor glider as a kit, plus composite engineering, tooling, and construction services for aviation customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersBend, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Windward Performance does
Windward Performance is an owner-operated aircraft design house based at Bend Municipal Airport in Bend, Oregon. The firm works across all phases of high-performance composite aircraft design, tooling, and construction, taking projects from concept to flight.
The company's flagship product is the GosHawk, a high-performance two-seat motor glider offered as a kit that can be completed under an amateur-built airworthiness certificate or as a motorglider. The airframe uses Toray T700 carbon fiber prepreg combined with Diab Divinycell HP foam core for composite sandwich construction, with one-piece co-cured spars eliminating secondary bonds. Manufacturing is supported by in-house capital assets including a 10' x 10' x 40' high-temperature curing oven and large-format CNC machining for plug and mold production.
Windward Performance monetizes through direct-to-consumer composite aircraft kit sales, optional propulsion packages (electric and HKS 700 power, with motor mounts and propeller options), and optional factory assembly assistance. Beyond kit sales, the firm sells engineering, tooling, and construction services to external customers requiring advanced composite aircraft structures, aerodynamic design, and large-format prepreg curing. The customer base is a long tail of private pilots, recreational aviation enthusiasts, and amateur aircraft builders reached through direct phone and email contact with owner Greg Cole.
Windward Performance firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Windward Performance
- Legal name
- Windward Performance
- Website
- https://windward-performance.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Windward Performance is an owner-operated Oregon aircraft design house building the GosHawk two-seat carbon-fiber motor glider as a kit, plus composite engineering, tooling, and construction services for aviation customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Windward Performance industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Experimental Composite Aircraft Kits
- NAICS
- Aircraft Manufacturing (336411), Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413)
- SIC
- Aircraft (3721), Aircraft & Parts (3720)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Glider & Sailplane Manufacturing (IMABAAAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Training & Light Sport Fixed-Wing Aircraft Manufacturing (IMABAAAE)
Keywords
Where Windward Performance is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bend
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Windward Performance business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Aircraft Kit Sales: Sale of composite aircraft kits including molded oven cured composite parts, flat panels for internal fabrication, drawings, and specifications. Kits can be completed as amateur built or motorglider airworthiness certificates.
- Propulsion System Options: Optional motor mounts, propellers, and propulsion systems for electric and HKS 700 power applications, sold as add-ons to the base kit.
- Engineering Services: Conceptual, preliminary, and detail aircraft design services including advanced 3D CAD modeling and surface lofting for customer projects.
- Tooling Services: CNC machining, mold building, and vacuum infusion services for external customers requiring composite manufacturing capabilities.
- Factory Assistance: Optional factory assistance for wing, horizontal stabilizer, and fuselage closing in factory jigs for customers who prefer professional assembly support.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Aircraft kit with standard components and documentation |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Factory assistance for aircraft assembly |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Windward Performance product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Windward Performance is an aircraft design house that takes ideas from concept to flight, specializing in high-performance composite aircraft design, tooling, and construction. The company sells the GosHawk, a 2-seat motor glider offered as a kit for amateur built or motorglider airworthiness certification, and provides engineering, tooling, and construction services for composite aircraft projects.
Product overview
Windward Performance is an aircraft design house offering a single unified product portfolio centered on the GosHawk 2-seat motor glider kit, complemented by engineering, tooling, and construction services. The company specializes in taking composite aircraft designs from concept to flight, providing high-performance aerodynamic solutions using advanced carbon fiber composite structures.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- GosHawk Motor Glider Kit
Companies that use Windward Performance
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Windward Performance technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Windward Performance partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Windward Performance competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Van's Aircraft: Largest U.S. amateur-built kit aircraft maker (RV series). Comparable direct-to-consumer kit sales motion and amateur-built airworthiness certification pathway, though using primarily aluminum construction.
Direct peers
- Pipistrel (Textron eAviation): Slovenian light/electric aircraft maker (Velis Electro, Taurus motor glider). Comparable in advanced composites, electric propulsion optionality, and high-efficiency light aircraft positioning.
- Grob Aircraft: Manufacturer of composite motor gliders (G109) and training/light aircraft using advanced composite construction. Comparable in composite airframe expertise and high-efficiency flight positioning.
- Schempp-Hirth: Leading European sailplane and motor glider builder (Discus, Ventus, Nimbus lines). Comparable premium positioning and customer overlap with GosHawk in the soaring/motor-gliding enthusiast segment.
- DG Flugzeugbau: German manufacturer of the DG-800 series motor gliders built with composite construction. Closely comparable to GosHawk in form factor, two-seat motor glider category, and composite airframe technology.
- Velocity Aircraft: U.S. builder of composite canard kit aircraft. Comparable composite construction expertise and amateur-built kit business model with direct-to-customer sales.
- Lancair International: U.S. manufacturer of high-performance composite kit aircraft (Legacy, Evolution). Comparable composite construction technology, two-seat high-performance positioning, and kit-direct GTM.
- Alexander Schleicher GmbH: German sailplane and motor glider manufacturer producing ASK and Dimona motor gliders with high-performance composite construction. Closest direct analog to Windward's GosHawk in product category and customer base.
Emerging players
- Sling Aircraft (The Airplane Factory): South Africa/U.S.-based kit aircraft maker (Sling 2, Sling 4) with modern digital marketing and LSA positioning. Comparable kit-direct sales model and similar recreational/private pilot target customer.
- Evektor Aerotechnik: Czech composite light sport and trainer aircraft manufacturer. Comparable in composite airframe production and proximity to amateur-built/light sport recreational pilot markets.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Windward Performance social profiles
Digital presenceWindward Performance financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Windward Performance leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Windward Performance funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Windward Performance M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Windward Performance
What does Windward Performance do?
Windward Performance is an aircraft design house that takes ideas from concept to flight, specializing in high-performance composite aircraft design, tooling, and construction. The company sells the GosHawk, a 2-seat motor glider offered as a kit for amateur built or motorglider airworthiness certification, and provides engineering, tooling, and construction services for composite aircraft projects.
Is Windward Performance a public or private company?
Windward Performance is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Windward Performance founded?
Windward Performance was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Windward Performance based?
Windward Performance is headquartered in Bend, United States, in the North America region.
How does Windward Performance make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Aircraft Kit Sales are the primary driver. The others are propulsion System Options, engineering Services, tooling Services and factory Assistance.
Who are Windward Performance's main competitors?
Van's Aircraft is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are Pipistrel (Textron eAviation), Grob Aircraft, Schempp-Hirth, DG Flugzeugbau, Velocity Aircraft, Lancair International and Alexander Schleicher GmbH. Emerging players are Sling Aircraft (The Airplane Factory) and Evektor Aerotechnik.
Does Windward Performance have an API?
No public API is recorded for Windward Performance.
What industry is Windward Performance in?
Windward Performance's product category is Experimental Composite Aircraft Kits. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAAAG, Glider & Sailplane Manufacturing, with a secondary code of IMABAAAE, Training & Light Sport Fixed-Wing Aircraft Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 336411 and its SIC code is 3721.