Elixir Aircraft innovation revolutionizes flight training

It is also the only new aircraft capable of training beginner pilots all the way to a commercial pilot certificate. On top of all this the Elixir is equipped with improved environmental and safety features. To achieve this, we have decided to create an innovative OneShot airframe produced using a composite manufacturing process, which has long been used to build professional racing sailboats, and more recently adopted by the automotive and aviation industries.

While those projects focused on single parts, Elixir Aircraft are the first to succeed in creating the entire wing of an aircraft in OneShot. Thanks to three years of intensive R&D work, including advanced software simulation, materials laboratory tests and real parts static tests, Elixir Aircraft designed a unique airframe, including a wing spanning 28 feet that is manufactured in one single piece thanks to the OneShot process.

Elixir Aircraft is therefore the first and only aircraft manufacturer in the world to succeed in the design and fabrication of a complex OneShot airframe, drawing on our previous experiences in ocean racing, mastering the design, certification and manufacturing of OneShot aircraft parts.

From the beginning of aviation, only three generations of general aircraft have been designed: wood and canvas, aluminium, and composite airframes. Surprisingly, wood-and-canvas, developed at the turn of the twentieth century, is still produced, though it requires skilled craftsmen and is expensive by today’s standards. Metallic aircraft designs that date to the 1950s now dominate the market, while 1970s composite technology (mix of traditional metallic spars and ribs) is the favorite solution for uncertified light aircraft.

All of these older technologies are complex, requiring a huge number of parts (around 17,000 parts references for certain aircraft manufacturers). They require a long manufacturing process, and are difficult to maintain and repair.

Just as it did with boat building, the OneShot process will revolutionize general aviation. Aircraft will be made with far fewer parts and components. For example, a wing traditionally made of thousands of different parts (spar, ribs, stringers, rivets, etc.) can now be produced as a single piece. Overall, our airplane is made with fewer than 1,000 parts references, (excluding engine), compared with tens of thousands for other light aircraft. This reduction in complexity is a huge achievement, producing numerous benefits for both manufacturer and operators. Operators will see a cost reduction of up to 70 percent compared to legacy aircraft used today

OneShot benefits for manufacturers:

• Simplified manufacturing, with large parts being easier to produce and very high dimensional precision allowing for direct assemblies with little adjustment work.
• Significantly reduced assembly time.
• Improved finish and strength due to the absence of corrosion and fewer assembly points: no more structural riveting, screwing or bonding.
• Enhanced safety for operators and the environment thanks to less bonding and sanding, and approximately 80 percent less exposure to epoxy resin vapor and sanding dust than traditional composite structures.

OneShot benefits for operators:

• Simplified inspection and maintenance, offering huge savings.
• Simplified after-sales service, particularly given the smaller number of parts to stock.
• Significant cost savings.
• Lighter weight, enabling a higher payload and fuel economy.

In other words, this fourth-generation technology makes aircraft simpler and less expensive to buy and operate while reducing carbon emissions and boosting safety.

Elixir Aircraft will be at EAA Airventure Oshkosh booth #356-357, stop by to guess the weight of OneShot fuselage and chance to win an Elixir goodie pack.