Deutsche Aircraft completes initial D328eco landing gear testing

Deutsche Aircraft has finished an initial phase of flight evaluation and taxi testing for the D328eco's landing gear. The Oberpfaffenhofen-based manufacturer used a legacy Dornier 328 as a testbed, logging five development flights and more than 15 hours of flying and ground testing since the campaign began on 5 August.

The landing gear was developed in-house. The company will not manufacture it, but has secured full intellectual property rights for the system, which Deutsche Aircraft says gives it greater flexibility and responsiveness. It also notes that landing gear systems have historically posed challenges for regional aviation programmes due to parts shortages and complex lifecycle management.

The test campaign comes as the company prepares to inaugurate its Leipzig-based final assembly line later this month. The revamped D328eco has a 2.1m longer fuselage than its predecessor and seats 40 instead of 32. It will be powered by the latest version of Pratt & Whitney Canada's PW100-series engine and feature Garmin avionics.

Chief executive Nico Neumann said the initial test results provide strong validation of the landing gear system and enable the next phase of flight testing during certification. The validation programme now moves to braking, steering, crosswind and unpaved runway testing. Deutsche Aircraft, owned by Sierra Nevada, is targeting entry into service late next year. No target date has been given for the D328eco's first flight.

The new Leipzig Halle airport factory will be capable of building 48 aircraft per year.