Sonaca of Belgium to develop wings for Otto Aerospace’s ultra-efficient Phantom 3500 business jet

Belgian aerospace company Sonaca has signed a multi-year agreement worth tens of millions of euros with Texas-based Otto Aerospace to design and manufacture the wings, fixed leading edges and tail section for the Phantom 3500, an advanced business jet unveiled at the Farnborough International Airshow.

The Phantom 3500 is being developed as an 8-10 seat business aircraft with a strong focus on laminar-flow aerodynamics, a technology designed to minimise drag by maintaining smooth airflow over the aircraft’s surfaces. Inspired by the hydrodynamic efficiency of dolphins, the design aims to achieve what Otto Aerospace describes as the most aerodynamically efficient aircraft ever created.

Around 50 engineers from Sonaca’s Belgian and Brazilian operations will work on the programme. The aircraft’s nearly 20-metre wings will be designed in Belgium and assembled in Brazil, with the prototype scheduled for delivery by the middle of next year. Industrialising laminar-flow technology on such a large wing, where even tiny surface imperfections can generate drag-inducing vortices, is a technical challenge. The aircraft will also feature a “dry wing” design, with fuel tanks located outside the wings.

The Phantom 3500 promises to reduce fuel consumption by up to 50% compared with conventional business jets. Combined with the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), Otto Aerospace says the aircraft could cut CO? emissions by as much as 90%. The aircraft also dispenses with traditional cabin windows, replacing them with high-definition panoramic displays that reduce weight while preserving aerodynamic efficiency.

Headquartered in Gosselies, Belgium, Sonaca is the world’s third-largest independent aerostructures supplier, serving manufacturers including Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Dassault Aviation, Embraer and Pilatus. The group employs approximately 6,700 people in seven countries and reported record revenues of USD 849.4 million last year. The financial value of the Otto Aerospace contract has not been disclosed, although Belgian media suggested it could be worth tens of millions of euros.