Happy New Year! 2022 was a significant year for DarkAero, both in terms of progress on the DarkAero 1 and growth of DarkAero as a company. Important milestones were achieved that brought the DarkAero 1 prototype closer to first flight, a new facility was secured for initial production of DarkAero 1 kits, and the offering of DarkAero courses grew.

2022 in Review
The DarkAero master plan has always involved solving three major challenges. The first challenge is getting the prototype DarkAero 1 complete and into flight testing, the second is ramping up production to build DarkAero 1 kits, and the third is funding the whole endeavor. In this look back on 2022, we want to share how our vision for DarkAero is coming together on all of these fronts. 

DarkAero 1 Prototype
In early 2022, we finished work on the canopy which was the last major airframe structure to be assembled. This included installation of the canopy acrylic, integration of the canopy release mechanism, and development of a latch system to keep it secured in flight. 

Next we focused on the first engine start and the first taxi tests. This push was important because we wanted to understand how the entire aircraft would behave as a complete assembly with all systems running. We saw how the engine and the airframe interacted together, as well as how the airplane handled during simple taxiing maneuvers. This information drove much of the development work in the second half of the year as we wrapped up integration of the fuel system, landing gear, and avionics. 

We also performed two rounds of ground vibration testing in 2022, which gave us insight into how the airframe will handle high speed flight. 

In parallel with ground vibration testing, we were able to obtain an empty weight measurement on the entire aircraft for the first time. This was an important milestone because we were able to verify we were on target for the empty weight of the aircraft. Meeting the weight target is important not only for the performance we are targeting, but it also shows that our manufacturing process is tightly controlled and produces parts that match our specifications.

One of the more exciting events at the end of 2022 was meeting with test pilot Sean VanHatten of Initial Approach Aerospace. We discussed the aircraft design with Sean and talked through some tests we will conduct based on his feedback. More importantly, we developed a plan for flight testing the DarkAero 1 in 2023. 

Painting the airframe was a major focus in the last months of 2022, with primer paint now applied to the entire airframe including the cowlings, spinner, and control surfaces.

Kit Production
In parallel to the work on the DarkAero 1 prototype, we’ve been organizing the necessary tools and resources to produce DarkAero 1 kits and move into kit production. In the first half of 2022, we identified and secured a space for the initial phase of kit production. We were able to have the space built to our requirements and move the production tools there which included molds, CNC equipment, and the cure oven.

Over the past year, reservations for DarkAero 1 kits grew from 133 to 177. These numbers are beyond the level of interest we anticipated when we started DarkAero, which has come as a pleasant surprise. The downside of increased demand is longer lead time for new customers who are interested in DarkAero 1 kits. We have remained conservative when discussing kit lead times so that customers have a realistic understanding of the project timeline. The first priority in transitioning to kit production will be manufacturing a quality product, but once that is established, accelerating kit production will become a major focus as well. 

DarkAero Business
DarkAero is self-funded, meaning that we have no outside investors, just what the three of us have invested. We knew founding a company was a risky endeavor, and we didn’t believe in asking people to invest their money if we weren’t prepared to do so ourselves. We also believed in maintaining control of the company vision to help fuel risk taking, creativity, and attempts at new techniques.

Our initial funding provided us with a stable runway for developing the DarkAero 1 prototype, but we also wanted to be in a position to be ready to manufacture the first DarkAero 1 kits. In the background, we built DarkAero into a sustainable business to fund development work and also enable us to build out the new shop space.

An important piece of this business is our courses. We ran 11 sessions of our Aerospace Composites Course in 2022, and developed an online version of the course as well. Students who enrolled in this course expressed interest in learning more about manufacturing and tooling, which led us to also create a Mold Making Course. Two sessions of the Mold Making Course were held in 2022, and an online version is currently under development. 

This year marked a significant milestone as we have now taught over 100 students! Their feedback has allowed us to continually refine and improve the course material. If you're interested in signing up for any of our upcoming course sessions or want to get started with the online version, check out the links below:

Aerospace Composites Course

Mold Making Course

Online Aerospace Composites Course

YouTube
In 2022, over a dozen YouTube videos were released highlighting the DarkAero 1 development process, design philosophy, engineering challenges, and technical solutions. These videos are available to watch on our YouTube Channel. Three live streams were held for our “Mach 2” YouTube community members where we provided more in-depth details and insights on the DarkAero 1 development and production plans. 

Two new YouTube videos were released in December. The first video is a continuation of the wing video series and summarizes the wing manufacturing process, and the second is a review of the DarkAero project in 2022. Check out the videos below:

The next frontier in aviation...

The DarkAero Master Plan (revealed)

Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past year! Whether through reserving a DarkAero 1 kit, joining our YouTube Community, purchasing merchandise, enrolling in one of our courses, enlisting our consulting services, or simply cheering us on, your support has helped make DarkAero a reality. We are proud of the progress we have made on the DarkAero 1 and grateful for the privilege to continue pursuing this endeavor!

DarkAero 2023
In 2023, we plan to continue building upon the foundation we established in 2022. After finalizing the remaining systems work left on the prototype we will resume testing starting with high speed taxi tests, followed by the first flight, and then envelope expansion. After flight testing, we will transition from prototype development to production ramp up with the first kits slated for construction in 2023 at the new facility. It’s been a long road to get to this point, but we’re excited for the year ahead!