The majority of the DarkAero 1 prototype airframe is complete. This includes all major structures like the fuselage, wing, stabilizers, and landing gear. Remaining airframe tasks will focus on integrating and refining systems through the ground test program.

Primer paint has been applied to all external surfaces of the DarkAero 1 airframe. This protects the airframe structures from environmental hazards during the flight test program. Final top coat will be applied after flight testing.

Through the process of drop testing the DarkAero 1 prototype, the design of the main landing gear was refined and validated to handle expected operation loads.

The wing of the DarkAero 1 prototype was successfully tested to normal category loading conditions plus a safety factor.

The DarkAero 1 prototype underwent a series of ground vibration tests to determine if any hazardous airframe vibration modes exist within the flight envelope of the aircraft.

The DarkAero 1 prototype taxied under its own power for the first time, marking a key step toward flight readiness.

The team has chosen Sean Van Hatten of Initial Approach Aerospace to act as the test pilot for the DarkAero 1 prototype. The test area has been selected, and a test plan for first flights has been established. Sean has also provided feedback on the aircraft that led to refinement work prior to flight testing.

The DarkAero 1 does not use a fuel selector valve to switch between tanks, but instead uses a central sump plumbed with check valves to collect fuel and feed the engine. Testing of this system architecture was conducted to confirm that fuel could still flow from the sump throughout a range of bank angles and varying pressure conditions.

Like the wing, the horizontal stabilizer and empennage undergo a range of loads during flight maneuvers. These structures were successfully tested with simulated loads to confirm they can withstand flight conditions.

The team has completed initial load testing on all control surfaces on the DarkAero 1 prototype. These tests helped inform system changes that will be implemented and validated in a follow-up phase of tests.

Over 125 individual drops were conducted on the airframe and landing gear to explore their capability across a range of landing conditions.

The molds required for production of the major airframe structures of the DarkAero 1 are complete. Several molds may require changes as lessons are learned in the process of ground testing and flight testing.

The space to produce the first DarkAero 1 kits has been secured, and all equipment required to produce parts has been moved here. As engineering services contracts are expanded and kit production ramps up, additional space will be secured.

The team is now at a size capable of producing DarkAero 1 kits at a rate of 5-10 per year. As the first set of kits are built and production processes are optimized, the team will be expanded to target a production output of 50 kits a year.

The team has been able to further refine the manufacturing processes, workflow, and quality checks necessary to reliably produce the first DarkAero 1 kits. DarkAero built this capability through maintaining multiple different contract projects running in parallel to DarkAero 1 development. This has been important for better anticipating the challenges that will be associated with initial kit production.

To bring a new product like an aircraft to market, a “valley of death” must be crossed. This involves surviving the capital intensive development phase of the product before it can be sold profitably at scale. Completion of the first prototype is often mistaken as the valley exit, while the larger challenge of scaling manufacturing for production gets ignored. In the background, DarkAero has been quietly designing, building, and testing multiple aerospace vehicle platforms through its services business. This has been important for funding DarkAero 1 development, and also for building the capability to produce DarkAero 1 kits, allowing the “valley of death” to be crossed before the first kits are ever shipped while also eliminating the need for outside investment.