Re:Build to deliver composite control surfaces for Otto’s Phantom 3500 jet
Leveraging its expertise in composite structures, Re:Build is enabling Otto’s laminar flow design through tightly toleranced, low-drag control surface assemblies.
Phantom 3500 aircraft rendering. Source | Otto Aerospace
Re:Build Manufacturing (Framingham, Mass., U.S.) has been selected to work with (previously Otto Aviation, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.) to design and manufacture the structural control surfaces for Otto’s Phantom 3500 aircraft.
The Phantom 3500’s distinctive laminar flow fuselage and high-aspect ratio wing demands precision-tooled, tight-tolerance control surfaces to support low-drag flight, enabling Otto to meet its goal of burning 60% less fuel than its super-midsize jet competitors, and reducing emissions by up to 90% when combined with sustainable aviation fuel. To meet these specifications, Re:Build is working closely with the Otto engineering team to produce designs that meet structural requirements while also using tooling and assembly strategies that enable the surfaces to meet the tolerance levels required to minimize aerodynamic drag dramatically.
The Phantom 3500 is an all-composite airframe requiring tight-tolerance structural interfaces to the wing and empennage to support the required aerodynamic profile and enable Otto’s laminar flow concept. Re:Build’s team of engineers and composites manufacturing experts are collaborating with Otto’s internal engineering team to ensure the control surfaces will enable the critical aerodynamic requirements of the aircraft.
“Our goal is to engage with customers and products at the forefront of high-impact industries, where we can simultaneously solve for quality, timeliness and cost, all of which further Re:Build’s mission of onshoring advanced manufacturing,” says Miles Arnone, co-founder and CEO of Re:Build Manufacturing. “Collaborating with Otto on their laminar flow design is an example of the level of engineering expertise and rigor, coupled with stringent manufacturing quality, required to enable the U.S. manufacturing ecosystem.”
The highly optimized aerodynamic design of the control surfaces demonstrates Re:Build’s ability to develop and produce cutting-edge aerospace structural assemblies, seamlessly integrating them into the larger engineering teams and visions of its customers. Re:Build will leverage its aerospace structures design and analysis expertise along with its thermoset composite manufacturing capabilities for this effort. The company is collaborating with Otto on the development of the initial pre-production airframes, followed by scale production as the vehicle transitions from certification to production.
The Phantom 3500 is expected to begin flight testing in 2027, with entry into service targeted for 2030.
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