Dornier Seawings and Diamond Aircraft bring the Seastar ́s new fuselage and wing to fruition

Thanks to the combined efforts of Dornier Seawings and Diamond Aircraft Industries Inc. (Canada), the first centre fuselage and prototype wing of the Dornier Seastar CD2 were delivered to the Dornier hangar at Oberpfaffenhofen airport just in time to kick off the 1st quarter of 2017 with a positive spirit. Not only do the fuselage and wing represent the first and most constructively complex components of the entire airframe, it was a manufacturing feat to recreate the modernized components based on a design that was already certified 30 years ago.

This technical milestone has several achievements which stand out. Thanks in great part to the work of Diamond Canada in cooperation with Seawings’ on-site support team, the quality of these first components are excellent, proving the reliability and quality workmanship of Diamond ́s production team.

The fuselage has been realized in its full scope, as an all-composite, non-riveted design which is unique in its class lending the Seastar an advantage of low-maintenance operation and increased reliability. Precision engineering and manufacturing were also delivered, based on a comment from Jürgen Altmann, Head of Quality Supply Chain and Quality Manufacturing at Dornier Seawings: „what ́samazing is, that when the team measured the dimensions of the 30 year old fuselage design compared against the new frame they found it matched within millimetres.“

Peter Maurer, CEO of Diamond Aircraft Industries Inc. (Canada), commented. “The Seastar fuselage isan impressive and complex composite assembly with unique features that were challenging to build. Compounding the challenge was the requirement that it be fully conforming, a task that was well mastered through excellent cooperation between Diamond and Dornier Seawings technical teams. Withthemostdifficultpartofthebuildbehindus,welookforwardtocompletingtheremaining components of the first airframe and starting production of the subsequent aircraft that are destinedfor customer delivery.”

Now that the wing has arrived in accordance with the timeline, the company will begin to finalize the layout and functionality of the systems and components installed within the wing. Dornier Seawings can furthermore continue forward with the assembly of the new prototype Seastar MSN 1003, in order to bring it closer to the planned roll-out in summer 2017.