The all-composite Phantom 3500 features a windowless cabin and is expected to enter service in 2030. Flight testing is planned to begin in 2027.
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Business jet developer Otto Aviation has selected Mecaer Aviation Group to develop and supply the landing gear system and primary flight control actuation system for the Phantom 3500. The all-composite Phantom 3500 features a windowless cabin and is expected to enter service in 2030, with flight testing planned to begin in 2027.
To meet the goals of providing midsize-jet performance in a light jet platform, the Mecaer landing gear will feature “complex retraction and articulation kinematics to fit within the aircraft’s tight contours while maintaining structural and operational integrity,” according to Otto Aviation. The landing gear bays are compact and aerodynamically optimized, and the gear’s design will use “advanced multi-link geometries and space-efficient shock absorption systems to preserve the aircraft’s smooth external surface and low-drag profile.”
According to CEO Paul Touw, the jet’s mechanical flight controls will be easier to certify and fly-by-wire controls are too heavy for the 19,000-pound-mtow Phantom 3500. “When you go to fly-by-wire,” he said, “you’ve got to put augmented electronics and actuators all over the place, and that adds weight. So you really don’t save on a fly-by-wire system until you probably cross the 25,000-pound Rubicon, at least for the technology that exists today.”
“Mecaer Aviation Group brings deep technical expertise, world-class capabilities, and a collaborative spirit that aligns perfectly with our vision for the Phantom 3500,” said Scott Drennan, president and COO of Otto Aviation. “Their ability to engineer high-performance systems that integrate seamlessly with our unique airframe geometry is a major enabler for our program. We’re proud to have them as a partner in redefining the future of private aviation.”
Otto Selects Mecaer Landing Gear and Flight Controls
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Business jet developer Otto Aviation has selected Mecaer Aviation Group to develop and supply the landing gear system and primary flight control actuation system for the Phantom 3500. The all-composite Phantom 3500 features a windowless cabin and is expected to enter service in 2030, with flight testing planned to begin in 2027.
To meet the goals of providing midsize-jet performance in a light jet platform, the Mecaer landing gear will feature “complex retraction and articulation kinematics to fit within the aircraft’s tight contours while maintaining structural and operational integrity,” according to Otto Aviation. The landing gear bays are compact and aerodynamically optimized, and the gear’s design will use “advanced multi-link geometries and space-efficient shock absorption systems to preserve the aircraft’s smooth external surface and low-drag profile.”
According to CEO Paul Touw, the jet’s mechanical flight controls will be easier to certify and fly-by-wire controls are too heavy for the 19,000-pound-mtow Phantom 3500. “When you go to fly-by-wire,” he said, “you’ve got to put augmented electronics and actuators all over the place, and that adds weight. So you really don’t save on a fly-by-wire system until you probably cross the 25,000-pound Rubicon, at least for the technology that exists today.”