| Deutsche Aircraft | |
| Type: | Aircraft manufacturer |
| Key People: | Dave Jackson (CEO)Nico Neumann (COO) |
| Location: | Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany |
| Products: | D328eco |
| Parent: | Sierra Nevada Corporation |
| Homepage: | https://www.deutscheaircraft.com/ |
Deutsche Regional Aircraft GmbH (branded simply as "Deutsche Aircraft") is a German aircraft manufacturer based in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany.
The history of Deutsche Aircraft dates back to German aircraft manufacturer, Dornier Flugzeugwerke. Founded in 1914, Dornier Flugzeugwerke produced many designs for both the civil and military markets.[1]
The Dornier 328 programme began in the mid-1980s and the turboprop formally entered commercial service in October 1993.[2] The concept for the aircraft progressed over the years under the Daimler-Benz group, Fairchild Dornier and AvCraft Aviation.
In 2006, 328 Support Services GmbH (328SSG) was founded and took over the Type Certificate (TC) rights for the Dornier 328 (D328®).[3] In February 2015, US aerospace and engineering company Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) acquired 328 Support Services GmbH.[4]
Deutsche Aircraft began operations as an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) on 7 December 2020, with the support of its parent company, SNC. The headquarters of Deutsche Aircraft is at Oberpfaffenhofen Airport, near Munich.
On 2 February 2021, in an interview with aeroTELEGRAPH, Deutsche Aircraft CEO Dave Jackson stated, "We see three market segments. The biggest and most important is the replacement of ageing turboprops with around 50 seats, for example, the Saab 340, Jetstream or the smaller Dash 8. Many of these aircraft more than 25 years old. We are talking about a potential of around 4,000 aircraft. There are also opportunities in Asia and the West, where people are focusing on more environmentally friendly aircraft because regulations are being tightened with regard to emissions. The third segment is special missions, such as border protection, coast guard or medical transport, where the Dornier 328 has proved very successful."[5]
As the major supplier of parts for the Dornier 328 series,[6] Deutsche Aircraft’s Global Support Centre in Oberpfaffenhofen has offered technical and engineering support for the in-service fleet of D328® aircraft for nearly 20 years, including aircraft maintenance and repair, simulator training and bespoke modifications.
The D328eco is a double engine turboprop, designed to be an elongated version of the Do328. It was scheduled to enter into service in 2026 which has been pushed back to late 2027, supposedly due to new certification requirements.[8] It is designed to run fully on H2-SAF sustainable fuel, and will have a maximum cruising speed of 324 knots. [9]
Derived from the D328eco, the D328MR is designed to excel in diverse mission environments. The aerodynamic design, revolutionary avionics suite and STOL capabilities empower the D328MR to handle any mission with unmatched efficiency and precision, while the modular cabin layout enables a wide range of configurations,[10] including:
To develop the D328eco, Deutsche Aircraft has collaborated with a number of suppliers within the global aviation sector that share similar values, perspectives and goals.
The D328eco will be built at the new Final Assembly Line at Leipzig/Halle Airport. Designed to be 100% carbon neutral, the Industry 4.0, 62,000 square metre facility will have a production capacity for forty-eight D328eco aircraft per year, including a production hall, a hangar for aircraft delivery, a logistics centre and an administration building.[17]
In line with the company’s objective to champion sustainable practices in regional aviation, the modern production line will have a self-sufficient electricity supply through photovoltaic solar panels and the incorporation of the latest heat pumps and energy storage systems. The environmentally-conscious design will also feature a green roof and aims for paperless production.[18]
In May 2023, the ground-breaking ceremony for the Final Assembly Line took place and Deutsche Aircraft announced Private Wings as the launch customer for the D328eco, with an initial purchase of five aircraft.
Many of Deutsche Aircraft’s research projects investigating future flight technologies and emerging energy sources are part of the LuFo Klima Civil Aviation Research Programme,[19] co-funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) and developed in conjunction with research and government institutions such as the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI).
D328ALPHA –The objective of the D328ALPHA demonstrator is to explore and develop technologies aimed at reducing emissions. This one-off modification of the D328® airframe will be used to evaluate, refine and flight-test promising innovations in sustainable aviation. In October 2023, a wind tunnel test campaign was completed to validate next-generation propulsion systems as part of the development of a sustainable, economical and efficient air transport system of the future.[20]
D328 UpLift – In collaboration with the DLR and the BDLI, a D328® aircraft has been modified into a flying laboratory for the research of cutting-edge propulsion, fuel and system technologies under real flight conditions. The aim is to significantly accelerate their practical use to develop a sustainable aircraft for the future.[21] According to Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla, Chairwoman of the DLR Executive Board, “The D328 UpLift research aircraft will perfectly complement DLR’s research fleet as a flying test laboratory for hydrogen technologies and pave the way for a new generation of climate-compatible aircraft in the regional aircraft class.”[22]
E-SAF: Techno-Economics of PtL and PtH2 – Focus North America and Europe (commissioned by Deutsche Aircraft)
Deutsche Aircraft website in Chinese