[4] The WEST Gamma 60 wind turbine project team included Hamilton Standard, ENEL, Aeritalia, Finmeccanica (now Leonardo), ENEA (Italy), and Sulzer.

[10] Doman, along with noted German-born aerospace engineer Kurt Hohenemser (a partner and confidant of the well-known German airplane and helicopter designer Anton Flettner), maintained that a flexible two-bladed helicopter type wind turbine rotor design that is compliant with the forces of nature was more suitable for producing electricity than the rigid industry standard three-bladed airplane type wind turbine rotors that, by design, can only be constructed to resist the forces of nature.

[1][10] The Gamma 60 was designed for high wind power output, long life, low investments, and reduced maintenance costs to satisfy the requirements of electricity utilities.

[4] Evolution of the Gamma 60 wind turbine can be traced back to World War II when Sikorsky Aircraft (now owned by Lockheed Martin, but then a division of United Technologies Corporation) hired American engineer Glidden Doman to address helicopter structural and dynamic problems including blade failures.

[22] After an intense competition involving 5 European consortium competitors, the team of Hamilton Standard and the Swedish shipyard Karlskronavarvet (now Saab Kockums) was awarded a contract to develop the WTS-3, a two-bladed, downwind, horizontal-axis wind turbine rated at 3 MW.

[23] The other bid winner was Karlstads Mekaniska Werkstad KMW (also known as Kamewa), which proposed a 75 m, two-bladed, upwind turbine with a beveled gear that enabled placing the asynchronous generator inside the tower rather than the nacelle.

[23] The stiff WTS-75 system design without damping was problematic, possibly contributing to the cracks that appeared in the steel beams of the blades.

[2][8][15] The outcome of Doman's work was a strong patent in his name and the conclusion that such a variable speed system (i.e. the Gamma turbine) should be developed.

[2][8][15] Gamma, the Italian acronym for WEST's (Wind Energy Systems Taranto SpA) project - “Advanced Multi Megawatt Wind Generator” (Generatore Anemoelettrico Multi Megawatt Avanzato), began in 1986 and explored all available technology to create a turbine design optimized for economic performance.

[8][26][25] Based on direct and indirect experiences spanning 50 years, Doman concluded that upwind turbine configuration is better than downwind from a loading standpoint and that zero Delta three angle is important for rotor stability.

[1][3][8] A primary objective of the Gamma 60 project was to test power control of a two-bladed teetering hinge turbine by yawing the rotor rather than pitching the blades.

[10] Doman’s work was further inspired by German aerospace engineer Kurt Hohenemser who declared that wind turbines should be two-bladed, fixed pitch, and controlled by yawing to achieve the highest reliability.

[11] Dr. Hohenemser, along with his mentor Anton Flettner, developed helicopters for the U.S. military after being among the first German immigrants in the United States after World War II.

[1] Power from the Gamma 60 turbine is controlled by yawing the rotor, a maneuver made possible by the load alleviation resulting from the soft-system design.

[1] Features including the teetering hinge that eliminate major vibratory loading, allow a Gamma system to be very lightweight and yet have essentially infinite fatigue life.

[8][19] The teetering hinge, along with the lower shaft torque due to higher running speed, leads to a very lightweight system.

[9][25] As participants in the project team, ENEA (Italy) provided research and development; Hamilton Standard contributed with system design, control software, and blade manufacturing; Sulzer fabricated the shaft and yaw drives, Finmeccanica (via Ansaldo) manufactured the generator and control system.

[9][25] The WEST Gamma 60 prototype was installed at Alta Nurra, Sardinia, Italy in April 1992 and was followed by its very first grid connection in June 1992.

[9][25] Additionally, a US utility, after reviewing a cost saving study and price quotation, requested to buy a set of 10 Gamma wind turbines under the condition that the units would not be left “orphaned” by West.