Daher Aircraft

Overview:

Daher is a prominent French aerospace manufacturer recognized for its cutting-edge aircraft. Established in 1863, the company excels in producing efficient, high-performance aircraft. The TBM series represents Daher’s single-engine turboprop line, with models known for speed and versatility, ideal for business and personal travel. Acquiring Quest Aircraft in 2019, Daher expanded its portfolio to include the Kodiak, a rugged and adaptable utility turboprop, catering to various missions. Daher’s commitment to innovation and quality engineering is evident in these aircraft, reflecting its status as a key player in the global aviation industry.

History and Evolution:

Daher, as a company, played a pioneering role in the integration of manufacturing and service provision. Throughout its history, Daher has actively contributed to various industrial revolutions, developing expertise in shipping, lifting, transportation, and logistics. Today, the company specializes in designing and operating logistics services for the aerospace and advanced technology industries. With a manufacturing legacy dating back to 1911 and the pioneering plane maker Morane-Saulnier, Daher is recognized as the world’s oldest operating aircraft manufacturer, thanks to its current TBM range of single-engine turboprop aircraft.

Products and Services Offered:

Daher offers a diverse range of products and services in the aerospace industry. As the world’s oldest operating aircraft manufacturer, Daher specializes in manufacturing single-engine turboprop aircraft, specifically the TBM range. Additionally, the company provides logistics services tailored for the aerospace and advanced technology sectors. Daher’s offerings encompass a wide spectrum, from aircraft manufacturing to comprehensive logistics solutions, showcasing its commitment to innovation and excellence in the aerospace industry.

Product Line and Notable Features:

Daher’s aircraft product line is primarily represented by its TBM series of single-engine turboprop aircraft. Notable features of these aircraft include advanced avionics, fuel efficiency, high cruise speeds, and a legacy of being the world’s oldest operating aircraft manufacturer. The TBM series is well-regarded for its cutting-edge design, incorporating the latest in aerospace technology to deliver reliable and efficient performance. Daher’s long-standing involvement in manufacturing, dating back to 1911, underscores the company’s expertise and commitment to innovation in the aviation industry.

Sustainability Efforts:

Daher has established three innovation centers to propel advancements in aviation: Shap’in focuses on designing lighter, more efficient, and recyclable aeronautical structures; Log’in works to minimize the environmental impact of industrial logistics; and Fly’in is dedicated to developing hybrid and carbon-free aircraft for the future. Collaborating with partners, customers, and startups, the goal is to create solutions that contribute to achieving a “Net Zero” impact by 2050, with a significant milestone by 2035 in alignment with the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Technological Advances:

Incorporating environmental considerations into its R&D roadmap, Daher emphasizes decarbonization in response to the aerospace sector’s evolving landscape accelerated by the COVID-19 crisis. Leveraging its TBM aircraft as a unique experimentation platform, Daher collaborates on 13 CORAC R&D projects, focusing on reducing aerostructure weight and improving production processes for energy efficiency. The company is at the forefront of thermoplastics research, leading the TRAMPOLINE 2 project and successfully utilizing recycled thermoplastic composite scraps in TBM rudder pedals, showcasing environmental benefits and cost efficiency. Daher’s ongoing project, CARAC TP, aims to identify optimal thermoplastic composites for aerospace applications through comprehensive testing and analysis.

Notable Customers and Partnerships:

Daher and Ascendance Flight Technologies have joined forces to explore innovative ways of hybridizing Daher aircraft propulsion systems, aiming to reduce CO2 emissions. This collaboration aligns with Daher Group’s strategic plan, Take Off 2027, emphasizing innovation and decarbonization. Ascendance Flight Technologies, a pioneer in low-carbon aviation, brings its expertise in hybrid-electric propulsion systems to the partnership, focusing on architecture, modeling, integration, and testing. This venture allows Ascendance Flight Technologies to test its technology on Daher’s successful CS23-category aircraft, contributing to the broader goal of decarbonizing aviation by 2050.

Future Outlook:

Daher’s aviation division, aiming to expand its product lineup, plans to introduce a hybrid-electric TBM aircraft by 2027. To accommodate this expansion, Daher will establish a third production facility in Stuart, Florida, alongside its existing locations in Sandpoint, Idaho, and Tarbes, France. The new facility will increase total annual output to 120 to 130 airplanes, addressing growing demand. The hybrid-electric TBM, influenced by the EcoPulse technology demonstrator, is anticipated to enter service in 2027, aligning with Daher’s commitment to innovation and sustainability.