CompositesWorld
Issue link: https://cw.epubxp.com/i/919214
JANUARY 2018 28 CompositesWorld ยป Given all the attention paid to composites use in the Boeing 787, Airbus A350 XWB and other large, high-profile aircraft, it is easy sometimes to forget that those who build general aviation (GA) aircraft not only embraced composites long before the major airframers, but also continue to do so in ways unheard of in the big planes. Innovation in layup methods, manufacturing processes, out-of-autoclave cure, adhesive bonding and nondestructive testing abound in the GA environment, all developed with the goal of making these craft as efficient, safe and affordable as possible. Arguably, no GA aircraft manufacturer is more committed to composites use than Diamond Aircraft. For decades, it has pushed the composites envelope to manufacture a line of single- and twin-engine aircraft for a variety of uses, ranging from pilot training to commuting to surveillance. Along the way, the company has developed a creative suite of materials, processes, assembly methods and aircraft architectures that enable it to easily mix and match manufacturing solutions for a variety of aircraft types. David-Alexander Bausek (Fig. 1, p. 29), the company's head of production, says this push-the-limits culture flows down from CEO Christian Dries, whose intentionally high-risk/high-reward environment is designed to drive innovation. "ere is a risk that we will fail, but it is very innovative," Bausek says. "And in most cases, we succeed." Plant tour: Diamond Aircraft Austria, Wiener Neustadt, Austria Composite from the beginning The twin-engine, seven-seat DA62 is the most recent entry to the market from general aviation specialist Diamond Aircraft (Wiener Neustadt, Austria), which has from its inception applied composites to the primary structures of its aircraft. Diamond Aircraft also produces the single-engine DA40, the twin-engine DA42 and the DART 450 single-engine trainer. Coming later this year is the single-engine DA50. Source | Diamond Aircraft Composites use among general aviation manufacturers is far from unusual, but none apply them quite like this airframer does. By Jeff Sloan / Editor-in-Chief