Dornier sets up flying boat manufacturing facility in Clark
Posted on | December 7, 2010 |
The Philippines’ first commercial aircraft manufacturing plant has been set up in the Clark Special Economic Zone by Iren Dornier, founding chairman of South East Asian Airlines and Dornier Aviation GmbH, to build the Dornier S-Ray 007, an amphibian multi-purpose aircraft to handle the land and the sea. The S-Ray 007 is also designed for government, civilan, border patrol, search and rescue missions.
“We are building the last two pre-serial aircraft now. These two will be available next year, while the first production line aircraft will roll out by end of second quarter 2011,” said Dornier.
The aircraft will be sold worldwide and targets specifically customers in North and South America, South East Asian Nations, the Northern European, Netherlands, and Mediterranean countries.
The design is based on one of the first successful Dornier flying boat in 1921, Libelle, by German aviation pioneer Claude Dornier, Iren Dornier’s grandfather.
The Dornier S-Ray 007 is made with modern lightweight carbon and composite structure to provide a comparatively high resistance against fatigue, assuring a well-proportional payload and range, and terminate recent corrosion problems on aluminum structures.
The aircraft has excellent aerodynamic and hydrodynamic properties, as well as handling qualities. The high wing attachment provides a shadow environment, where cockpit heat radiation is low. A flap selection of up to 30 degrees flap slows down the aircraft in ground effect to a minimum speed where low speed flight characteristics are favorable.
The aircraft contains an electric-driven tricycle landing gear, which also can be lowered inside the water to move up or down a ramp. The partial free nose wheel reacts as a dampener on water collision in its retracted position. A water rudder assists to control and maneuvers the aircraft even at slow speeds.
Dornier had sent 10 long-time Filipino SEAIR mechanics and engineers to Germany to undergo training and to prepare for the setting-up of the S-Ray manufacturing facilities in Clark which have returned and have begun operations this year.
For inquiries on the Dornier Aviation, and the amphibian S-Ray project, please visit www.Do-SRay,com or contact the project manager, Stefan Leicht, at +63 917 835 0165