According to Grob Aircraft, it has delivered over 4,500 airframes which have cumulatively flown over seven million hours across hundreds of operators spread over five continents.

[5] As the firm's production capacity expanded, Grob Aerospace relocated its operational base to a larger facility at the newly established Tussenhausen-Mattsies airfield.

[5] First flown on 14 March 1980,[6] it was the world's first production all-composite motor glider upon receiving its type certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 1981.

[5] Not all of the firm's designs were taken forward into production; the GF 200, a relatively unorthodox business aircraft, flew during the early 1990s but never progressed beyond test flights.

[5] During 1996, Grob Aerospace decided to end production of gliders in favour of concentrating its manufacturing base on its powered aircraft instead.

[citation needed] During the 1980s, Grob Aerospace partnered with American defense firm E-Systems and engine manufacturer Garrett to develop the G 520, otherwise known as Egrett/STRATO 1, a specialised high-altitude aircraft.

[10][11][12][13] During 1992, the German Air Force placed an order for a batch of nine EGRETT II aircraft, as well as for a single two-seat trainer and one of the demonstrators.

[14] However, in February 1993, the German order was cancelled; this outcome was attributed to the peace dividend following the collapse of the Soviet Union and a decrease in military tensions.

[16][17] During June 2005, Grob Aerospace president Dr Andreas Plesske stated of the G180 SPn: "We have created a new category of jet aircraft".

[18] The second prototype crashed shortly after takeoff on 29 November 2006 close to the production plant in Germany; chief test pilot Gérard Guillaumaud, the aircraft's sole occupant, was killed.

Niall Olver, Grob Aerospace's former CEO, was appointed by the creditor to find new investors to buy the assets of the G180 SPn with the aim of restarting the program by June 2009.

As a consequence, the firm suspended the majority of its activities, including all light-jet production; this shutdown raised questions over the timely delivery of Bombardier Aerospace's Learjet 85 prototypes, of which Grob had been contracted to produce.

[25][26] Niall Olver, Grob's chief executive officer, stated of the suspension: This unfortunate situation has arisen fairly rapidly off the back of recent delays in the SPn program, resulting in commensurately increased cash requirement to see the aircraft through to certification.