AvCraft scraps plans to outsource 328Jet wings

AvCraft Aviation, the Leesburg, Va.-based parent company of Germany’s Fairchild Dornier, has decided to build the wings for the Dornier 328Jet at its plant

By Gregory Polek • Senior Editor

October 4, 2007

AvCraft Aviation, the Leesburg, Va.-based parent company of Germany’s Fairchild Dornier, has decided to build the wings for the Dornier 328Jet at its plant outside Munich after signing a deal with EAG Engineering + Design to supply the airfoils’ production tooling. The April 13 announcement came after a standoff with San Antonio’s M7 Aerospace over the value of the only existing tooling ended months of failed negotiation. The deal with EAG frees AvCraft to start building 328Jets from scratch by year-end

Although new tooling will undoubtedly cost more than M7’s asking price, AvCraft CEO Ben Bartel emphasized other benefits. “After studying a number of options, we determined there was insufficient life left in the former tooling in San Antonio, Texas,” he said. “The new tooling will save us time and cost in the long run, and we can be assured of a very high-quality wing structure.”

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