We recently completed the first taxi test run on the DarkAero 1 prototype aircraft! Prior to the test, there were several preliminary tests that were completed including the first and second static engine test runs. These tests helped us verify that there were no outstanding installation issues with the engine and that all our engine monitoring data was properly functioning. This gave us enough confidence to proceed forward with the first taxi test for the aircraft! It was always meant to be just a machine, but it's starting to feel like something more...
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FIRST TAXI TEST! - DarkAero 1DarkAero, Inc2022-08-12 | Learn how to make your own high-quality carbon fiber parts! Sign up for DarkAero courses here: darkaero.com/courses
We recently completed the first taxi test run on the DarkAero 1 prototype aircraft! Prior to the test, there were several preliminary tests that were completed including the first and second static engine test runs. These tests helped us verify that there were no outstanding installation issues with the engine and that all our engine monitoring data was properly functioning. This gave us enough confidence to proceed forward with the first taxi test for the aircraft! It was always meant to be just a machine, but it's starting to feel like something more...
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darkaero.com instagram.com/darkaeroinc linkedin.com/company/darkaero-incHow this machine transformed our capability overnightDarkAero, Inc2024-04-24 | Recently, we parted ways with our Tormach PCNC 1100 and progressed to a completely new machine that will dramatically increase our CNC machining capability: the new Tormach 1500MX. This video gets into the details behind this machine, how it's already helping us make parts for the DarkAero 1 prototype, and how it will carry us into making production parts for kits.
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0:00 - Intro 1:00 - DarkAero 1 Prototype 1:53 - 1500MX Specs, Features 3:55 - Machining Demo 7:16 - The Key Advantage of this Machine 9:58 - Final Thoughts
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In today's video, we go over the ground testing that is being done to prep the DarkAero 1 for upcoming flight tests as well as the work that's being wrapped up in the cabin.
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0:00 - Intro 0:19 - Testing the Wing Tanks 3:20 - Load Testing the Control Surfaces 6:13 - Seat Belt Installation 8:06 - Announcement
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In this video, we dive into the details behind the decision to use a split flap design over other common options like the plain flap and how the mechanism for the flap system on the DarkAero 1 works. We also address some misconceptions that surround split flap designs, specifically around the drag they produce when deployed.
Additional resources on the lift and drag characteristics of split flaps vs plain flaps:
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0:00 - Intro 1:34 - Flap Design Options 7:50 - Which has more Drag? 10:08 - How our flaps work 13:01 - What's Next?
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In this video, we dive into the flight controls for the DarkAero 1 and some of the recent work we’ve been doing to refine the control system before flight testing. We discuss the split rudder design, how we packaged the controls into a small airframe, and the interesting material we used to counterbalance the ailerons and elevators.
The DarkAero 1 is engineered to fly fast while maintaining high efficiency, and we located the propeller at the front of the airplane even though it has long been theorized that placing the prop at the back so it pushes would be better for speed and efficiency. So why is our propeller at the front? Would the DarkAero 1 actually be better with the prop in back?
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This video is about carbon fiber and some of the myths surrounding this material. We used carbon fiber extensively in the DarkAero 1, and its material properties are part of what allows us to achieve our design goals for the aircraft. Carbon fiber can be complicated to design and work with, so it’s understandable that there are some misconceptions surrounding this material. Let's dive deeper into these myths and gain a better understanding of carbon fiber.
0:00 - Intro 0:31 - Myth 1: All Carbon Fiber is the Same 3:38 - Myth 2: Carbon Fiber Compression Strength 5:17 - Myth 3: Carbon Fiber Fatigue Strength 9:27 - Summary
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The DarkAero 1 fuel sump was recently tested, and it did not perform as expected. The testing revealed a leak, which led to a redesign of the sump to fix the leak but also improve it overall. Let's take a look at the engineering process of redesigning this key piece of hardware.
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In this video we discuss the challenges of installing the UL Power UL520iS engine in the DarkAero 1. Specifically, the packaging problem of fitting a six cylinder engine into the aircraft while still providing forward baggage space.
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In this video, we explain how we made the DarkAero 1 landing gear smarter through the addition of logic control and how we built our system to simplify the challenge of actuating all three gear struts.
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0:00 - Intro 0:52 - Retract Requirements 1:39 - The Path to Smarter Gear 3:37 - Let's Move the Gear! 5:59 - Electric vs Hydraulic 7:16 - What's Next?
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darkaero.com instagram.com/darkaeroinc linkedin.com/company/darkaero-incWe have all three landing gear struts operating together now! New video coming soon!DarkAero, Inc2023-05-27 | ...Rotating the DarkAero 1 fuselageDarkAero, Inc2023-05-26 | Sometimes it’s useful to reorient things for better access or better ergonomics during the assembly of a kitplane. The lighter the construction, the easier it is to move, so keeping things light means easier to build!
The fuselage of the DarkAero 1 is light enough that two people can roll it inverted during construction without much difficulty. An example of this operation can be seen here as we repositioned the fuselage this morning for improved access while installing the antennas and seatbelt hard points.Engineering softer landings (drop testing)DarkAero, Inc2023-04-29 | Thank you to Onshape for sponsoring this video! Get started with Onshape today: https://Onshape.pro/DarkAero
In this video we'll be drop testing the nose gear of the DarkAero 1 prototype. The goal is to simulate a bad landing in a safe and controlled manner so that we can verify that the nose gear will perform as expected before we proceed into flight testing.
Before we drop the nose gear to see how it performs, we'll take a closer look at the gear design, the test rig, and discuss the importance of this test.
0:00 - Intro 0:40 - DarkAero 1's Mission 1:56 - Nose Gear Engineering 4:46 - Why Drop Test The Gear? 6:20 - Test Setup 8:07 - Testing Results 10:00 - Outro
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Throughout the development of the DarkAero 1, we've often been asked, "Will you make an electric version of the aircraft?" In this video we explore the underlying physics that govern this problem and look at what it would take to go electric.
0:00 - Intro 0:34 - Gravimetric Energy Density 3:54 - Electric Motors 4:59 - Hydrogen? 5:38 - Where Electric Works 6:46 - Why Weight Matters 8:00 - Final Thoughts
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In this video, we discuss one of the major tasks we've been focused on lately leading up to flight testing, which is our retract system for the main landing gear.
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darkaero.com instagram.com/darkaeroinc linkedin.com/company/darkaero-incDarkAero 1 landing gear lock up and downDarkAero, Inc2023-03-21 | ...New Torque Links for Nose Landing Gear: Exciting Upgrades Coming Soon!DarkAero, Inc2023-03-08 | We’ve been working in the background on a few modifications to some landing gear parts. These are the new torque links for the nose landing gear. They interface with a few new parts that we are excited to share more about very soon!DarkAero 1 landing gear retract motion.DarkAero, Inc2023-02-20 | ...“Don’t paint it!” …(we painted it)DarkAero, Inc2023-02-01 | Learn how to make your own high-quality carbon fiber parts: darkaero.com/courses
We recently finished up applying primer to the airframe of the DarkAero 1. We had the airplane disassembled for that project but now we are in the process of putting everything back together.
We thought it would be a good time to pause and show you the results of the paint work since the airplane obviously looks pretty different compared to its original naked carbon look. We also wanted to discuss some more of the details and lessons learned from painting and talk through what is next before we fly the airplane.
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Nikafshar S, Zabihi O, Ahmadi M, Mirmohseni A, Taseidifar M, Naebe M. The Effects of UV Light on the Chemical and Mechanical Properties of a Transparent Epoxy-Diamine System in the Presence of an Organic UV Absorber. Materials (Basel). 2017 Feb 14;10(2):180. doi: 10.3390/ma10020180. PMID: 28772538; PMCID: PMC5459211.How to make a carbon fiber part in under 1 minute.DarkAero, Inc2023-01-16 | ...Carbon fibers are smaller than you thinkDarkAero, Inc2023-01-13 | Follow along with us to learn more about aerospace composites and carbon fiber!How to make ‘forged’ carbon fiber partsDarkAero, Inc2023-01-08 | To learn more about how to make ‘forged’ carbon and other carbon fiber parts, check out our Aerospace Composites Course at darkaero.com/coursesHow repeatability affects carbon fiber part weight.DarkAero, Inc2023-01-06 | ...Engineering the fastest, longest-range aircraft you can build in your garageDarkAero, Inc2022-12-29 | Learn how to make your own high-quality carbon fiber parts: darkaero.com/courses
2022 was a significant year for DarkAero, both in terms of progress on the DarkAero 1 and growth of DarkAero as a company. Important milestones were achieved that brought the DarkAero 1 prototype closer to first flight, a new facility was secured for initial production of DarkAero 1 kits, and the offering of DarkAero courses grew. Thank you all for your support! We can't wait to share more in 2023!
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darkaero.com instagram.com/darkaeroinc linkedin.com/company/darkaero-incEliminate surface voids on carbon fiber partsDarkAero, Inc2022-12-28 | ...How to make lighter carbon fiber partsDarkAero, Inc2022-12-20 | Wet layup is a quick and easy way to make a composite part. However, by compressing a part made using wet layup under vacuum and drawing the excess resin into a consumable layer, you can dramatically decrease the final part weight while maintaining its strength.The next frontier in aviation...DarkAero, Inc2022-12-16 | Try Onshape for free: https://Onshape.pro/DarkAero
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00:00 - Design for Manufacturing 1:21 - Onshape CAD Model 2:58 - Mold Patterns 4:37 - Molds 8:43 - Infusion Process 9:25 - Automation 10:30 - Assembly 11:21 - Post Curing 13:09 - Why Manufacturing Matters
In this video, we show how we built the carbon fiber wing for the DarkAero 1, but more importantly discuss one of the most overlooked aspects of composites, which is mass production. Why is it so hard to manufacture composite structures? Is automation possible? What are some of the secrets we figured out to tackle manufacturing for the DarkAero 1?
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darkaero.com facebook.com/darkaeroinc instagram.com/darkaeroinc linkedin.com/company/darkaero-incCreate 3D parts from a flat mold?DarkAero, Inc2022-12-11 | Is it possible to create 3D carbon fiber parts using only a flat plate mold?Don’t make this part out of carbon fiber.DarkAero, Inc2022-12-08 | Subscribe if you'd like to learn more about these types of design challenges on our aircraft, the DarkAero 1.How we made our composite fuel sumpDarkAero, Inc2022-12-06 | Ever wonder what's needed to make a carbon fiber part? You need a mold, but how do you make a mold?How infusible cores workDarkAero, Inc2022-12-04 | How do you create composite parts that are lightweight, strong, and take on a honeycomb look to them?Why no one wants to paint carbon fiberDarkAero, Inc2022-11-28 | The traditional process of preparing a composite airplane for paint isn’t enjoyable. We wanted to improve upon that for the DarkAero 1.Why no one wants to paint carbon fiberDarkAero, Inc2022-11-24 | Learn how to make your own high-quality carbon fiber parts: darkaero.com/courses
Many questions have been asked about whether the DarkAero 1 prototype would be painted or if the raw carbon fiber look would remain. We chose to paint the prototype for several reasons. Find out why in this video!
Start learning about aircraft design and composites today by checking out the DarkAero Knowledge Base: darkaero.com/knowledge/composites
Paint Equipment Used: GORILLASPRO Inflatable Paint Booth 26x15x10Ft: amzn.to/3VntnfD DeVilbiss HVLP Spray Gun, Gravity amzn.to/3Vq5m7W DeVilbiss DeKups Demo Kit amzn.to/3Ovs2S1 DeVilbiss DeKups Disposable Cup and Lid, White (24 oz) amzn.to/3Ovs2S1 DeVilbiss DeKups Disk Filter - 24/34 oz. Capacity amzn.to/3OB2EtX DeVilbiss DC101 Paint Prep Wipe, (Box of 300) amzn.to/3EZLvqQ DeVilbiss Digital Gauge with Air Adjusting Valve amzn.to/3OAr46X DeVilbiss DAD500 3-Stage Desiccant Dryer Unit amzn.to/3EA1af0 Quincy QT-54 Splash Lubricated Reciprocating Air Compressor: amzn.to/3EuLLfU
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The wing of the DarkAero 1 is strong enough to support thousands of pounds of lift load while remaining exceptionally light. Part of the secret behind this is it's made from carbon fiber composite. However, there's more to its structure than meets the eye. In this video, we discuss the design of the composite structures inside the wing of the DarkAero 1 and what makes them different.
0:00 - Intro 0:18 - Design Requirements 1:51 - Lift Load Distribution Defined 2:57 - Conventional I-Beam Wing Spars 6:11 - The DarkAero "Hollow Grid" Approach 7:32 - Advantages of "Hollow Grid" 8:52 - Advantages of Using Composites 10:15 - Physically Test or Simulate? 11:40 - Summary
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If you’re interested in aviation, you’ve probably spent enough time looking at airplanes to notice there's a huge variety in the size and shape of airplane wings. Long wings, short wings, folding wings, swept wings…. if you can imagine it, someone's probably already built it and tested it. But why are there so many different wing configurations, and how do engineers come up with all these designs for airplane wings? Let’s look at the wing design for the DarkAero 1 to begin answering these questions.
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We have been working on ground vibration testing the DarkAero 1 prototype. The objective of this effort is to characterize the vibration mode shapes, natural frequencies, and damping of the airframe. This will help us build a model of the aircraft to predict flutter speeds and ultimately the Vne or never exceed speed of the airplane.
0:00 - Intro 0:52 - Sam Jaeger 1:05 - What is Aeroelasticity? 1:36 - Aeroelasticity Fundamentals 2:54 - Degrees of Freedom & Modes 3:51 - Divergence 4:58 - Flutter 6:45 - Ground Vibration Testing (GVT) 9:25 - Next Steps
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We have helped students accelerate their progress building experimental aircraft, eVTOLs, drones, UAVs, boats, racecars, electric vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, and military hardware.DarkAero 1 getting closer to first flightDarkAero, Inc2022-08-26 | youtu.be/cdc1Pb-o0N0How we built the DarkAero 1 impossibly light...DarkAero, Inc2022-07-16 | Try Onshape for free at: https://Onshape.pro/DarkAero
One of the unique aspects of the DarkAero 1 is its light empty weight, which is targeted to be around 750 lbs. We discuss the engineering and manufacturing principles we applied in the development process to achieved this number.
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00:00 Intro 00:32 Weight the Aircraft 02:06 Comparing Aircraft Empty Weight Numbers 04:05 Smaller is Lighter 04:43 More Power Less Weight 06:12 Consolidate Integrate Eliminate 07:17 Use Light Materials 08:31 Be Precise Be Accurate 09:56 Design for Iteration 11:10 Become a Minimalist 12:18 Weigh Everything Track Everything 13:38 Every Gram Matters 14:22 Recap 14:58 Next Steps for DarkAero 1
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The DarkAero 1 was designed specifically around the UL520iS engine made by UL Power. More information about this engine can be found at: ulpower.com/en/engines/ul520/ul520is
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There are a number of tools that we used to get the engine to a state where we could test run it. A big component of this was establishing proper torque values. For this we used a combination of 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" torque wrenches. These tools along with others that will be needed to build the DarkAero 1 are called out in our Build Tools Page: darkaero.com/knowledge/tools
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Short cut links to some of the most used tools for the engine install: 1/4" Tekton Torque Wrench: amzn.to/3IotiTW 3/8" Tekton Torque Wrench: amzn.to/3yLbkI6 1/2" Tekton Torque Wrench: amzn.to/3uuWvGT
Tekton 1/4" Drive Socket Set: amzn.to/3yJF1Jy Tekton Screwdriver Set: amzn.to/3ymaakzHow to set up an aerospace factoryDarkAero, Inc2022-05-29 | For more details on the DarkAero Mold Making Course, please send us an email at: course@darkaero.com.
The new shop received its first set of equipment including the DarkAero 1 production molds, a new router, and desks/chairs to teach the Aerospace Composites Course. With the production molds moved up to the new shop, the hangar is a lot more open and easier to work in which has already been helpful as we wrap up work with the DarkAero 1 prototype. There are a lot more tools and equipment we need to bring to the new shop but we are excited to get started! Work is still progressing a long for the DarkAero 1 prototype, and we'll have more to share on that soon.
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There are a lot of other small tools that will be necessary for pilot production that we didn't get a chance to talk about in this video. Some other tools we plan to use for pilot production:
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We are getting closer to the first engine start for the DarkAero 1 prototype. There are still a lot of little tasks to wrap up before we can. This video covers several of those tasks.
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We get asked what tools we recommend for working with composites. Here are some of the most common ones we work with:
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Let's take a look at some of the small but critical mechanisms we have been working on for the DarkAero 1 prototype. These include the canopy latch, throttle control, and canopy jettison.
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We get asked what tools we recommend for working with composites. Here are some of the most common ones we work with:
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00:00 - Intro 00:28 - Keeping the Canopy From Opening in Flight 04:31 - How We're Throttling the Engine 9:17 - Why Have a Glare Shield? 12:28 - The Canopy Jettison Mechanism 14:41 - Our Next Major MilestoneThis Canopy is DIFFERENT | Hinged and Installed - The DarkAero 1 CanopyDarkAero, Inc2022-02-15 | An update on the work we've been putting in to both install our canopy and finalize its hinge mechanism.
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