Daimler-Benz Aerospace

Aircraft Group

42,220 Employees
DM 8.738 bn. Turnover

The Aircraft Group comprises all activities of

Daimler-Benz Aerospace Airbus

Fokker

regional aircraft

military aircraft
and holds a 40-percent share in the German-French helicopter joint venture,

Eurocopter.

Large passenger aircraft

In the field of large passenger aircraft, Daimler-Benz Aerospace holds a share of 37.9 percent in the European Airbus Consortium through Daimler-Benz Aerospace Airbus GmbH (Hamburg) and is thus the principal partner among with Aerospatiale (France). British Aerospace has a share of 20 percent, the Spanish Casa 4.2 percent. Daimler-Benz Aerospace Airbus is supplying major assemblies for Airbus-family aircraft and is also in charge of the entire interior equipment of these aircraft, except for the A330 and the A340 models.

Since June 1992, the A321 has its final assembly in Hamburg. The first of these A321 aircraft was delivered to Deutsche Lufthansa in January 1994. Since March 1995, final assembly of the youngest member of the Airbus family, the A319, also takes place in Hamburg. Work on this new 135-seat airliner was initiated in June 1993. The maiden flight will take place at the start of September 1995. It is now for the first time since 1945 that large commercial aircraft are entirely built in Germany.

Since July 1991, as result of the German reunification, there are also Daimler-Benz Aerospace Airbus production capacities in the Eastern part of Germany. Branches of Flugzeugwerft Dresden GmbH have been integrated into the newly founded Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (Dresden), in which Daimler-Benz Aerospace Airbus holds a share of 100 percent. Among other activities, the Dresden plant manufactures the rear fuselages of the Fokker 100 and the new Fokker 70, as well as Airbus components.

Design and development of new aircraft requires much time. That is why Daimler-Benz Aerospace Airbus even today is working in international cooperations on the aircraft of tomorrow. One of these projects for the future is VLCT (Very Large Commercial Transport Aircraft). A joint feasibility study on VLCT, carried out by the European Airbus partners and the US aircraft manufacturer Boeing, with the involvement of Airbus Industrie in the role of consultants, is just in progress. The study is assuming a range of about 13,000 kilometres at a capacity of 500 and more seats. It is intended to involve additional partners (from Japan and the CIS among others) the project.

The project on supersonic aircraft is of a similar global character. At present, research groups are working on the respective studies. The findings of the recently completed feasibility study on Cryoplane have been positive. The Cryoplane is developed in German-Russian cooperation and can be operated by using liquid hydrogen instead of kerosene.

Regional Aircraft

In the field of regional aircraft, Daimler-Benz Aerospace is to be found in the commuter aircraft market with the 19-seat Dornier 228 and the 33-seat Dornier 328. In 1993, the first Dornier 328 aircraft were delivered to the regional airlines Air Engiadina (Switzerland) and Horizon Air (USA). The Erfurt based Eastwest Airlines was the first German airline to receive a Dornier 328 in May 1994. At present, a total of 76 firm orders and 75 options from 17 customers are in the Dornier 328 order book. 113 of them come from the United States, the most important market segment for this regional aircraft, which represents over 50 percent of the total market worldwide. 30 aircraft already have been delivered to their customers. With 46 firm orders the share of Dornier 328 in the world market was as big as 40 percent in 1994.

Since the majority takeover of the Dutch aircraft manufacturing company Fokker, the production palette of Daimler-Benz Aerospace has been completed by the Fokker 50. The aircraft holds a share of 22 percent in the international market for 40- to 70-seat turboprop aircraft. The company has already secured a total of 204 orders for the Fokker 50. Dasa has also become the system leader in the market for regional jets: The 107-seat Fokker 100 and the 79-seat Fokker 70 hold a 50-percent share of the international market in this category. 274 firm orders for the Fokker 100, and 59 for the Fokker 70 have been secured.The first Fokker 70 has been delivered on October 25, 1994. Dasa's acquisition of the controlling interest in Fokker enabled the two companies to create the economic and industrial prerequisites of establishing a future-oriented and competitive structure in European regional aircraft manufacturing.

Dasa's product spectrum now ranges from 20-seat commuter aircraft to the 440-seat, long-range airliner from Airbus. In a further step, Dasa will team up with the Chinese and South Korean aerospace industry to develop a new 100-120 seat regional jet. Customers will be able to take delivery of the new airliner after the year 2000.

Military Aircraft

The development of the European fighter aircraft Eurofighter 2000 is the key project of the Military Aircraft Division. On March 27, 1994, the first prototype successfully took off for its maiden flight from Dasa's Flight Test Center at Manching. Apart from Dasa, British Aerospace (UK), Alenia (Italy), and Casa (Spain) are the other partners in the Eurofighter program. In cooperation with the US company Rockwell International, the division is also conducting the X-31A experimental program on the research of flying at extremely high angles of attack. The development of the Ranger 2000 training aircraft is another joint program of the division and its American partner.

Within the scope of the tri-national Tornado program (Germany, United Kingdom, Italy), the complete center fuselage of the aircraft is made at the division's Augsburg site. Maintenance and repairs are carried out in Manching. The Manching site of Dasa will become the support centre for military aircraft operated by the German Armed Forces.

Helicopter

In January 1992, Dasa allocated its helicopter activities to a joint venture with the French company Aerospatiale in order to strengthen the competitive capability of the European helicopter industry. The Eurocopter Holding (Daimler-Benz Aerospace is holding a 40-percent and Aerospatiale a 60-percent interest in) covers the entire product range from one-engine, light helicopters to medium-weight, transport helicopters. Due to the merger, this bi-national company has become the second largest helicopter supplier and the largest civil helicopter exporting firm in the world.

To the other Dasa business areas:

Space Systems

Defense and Civil Systems

Propulsion Systems