In a major leap forward for aviation in the digital age, Istari Digital, Inc., has been awarded a $19.1 million contract by the United States Air Force Research Laboratory to secure the world’s first airworthiness certification for a digital aircraft. This milestone project, called Flyer Øne, is set to revolutionize aviation by developing a digitally certified airplane using state-of-the-art digital engineering processes.
Flyer Øne, named in homage to the Wright Brothers, will be a digital-first, fixed-wing drone that aims to demonstrate and de-risk a new engineering process from design through certification. This project is groundbreaking because, to date, no airplane has ever been digitally certified for real-world flight. Flyer Øne seeks to change that and pave the way for future advancements in aviation.
Dr. Will Roper, Founder and CEO of Istari Digital, expressed his excitement about the project, stating, “The United States Air Force is leading the charge on digital transformation in defense. Certification is the next step to increase digital engineering rigor and transform the industry: Flyer Øne is the needed mechanism – the Kitty Hawk moment.”
This project will bring together an aerospace company with its aircraft design expertise and Istari Digital’s novel digital engineering platform and processes. By adapting existing aircraft models to Istari Digital’s all-digital engineering workflow, the project aims to demonstrate a faster and more cost-effective paradigm that can be applied across the aerospace industry.
The traditional process of physical aircraft prototyping is known to be slow and expensive, which often hinders hardware innovation and stifles engineering creativity. Istari Digital plans to introduce Industry 4.0 practices to aviation, similar to what has revolutionized industries like Formula 1 racing.
Central to this project is Istari Digital’s plug-n-play digital thread technology. Through authoritative digital modeling and simulation, Flyer Øne aims to prove real-world performance and safety to the point of certification. The technology will automatically integrate all the models, simulations, requirements, and certifications across the aircraft’s lifecycle into a true digital thread.
Istari Digital will construct digital versions of the required lifecycle models for development, testing, design reviews, and airworthiness certification. This will mark the first time multiple Department of Defense processes are digitized, increasing rigor and efficiency in the Military Flight Release process.
Flyer Øne is expected to set a precedent for a Formula 1-like digitization in aviation, offering new digital possibilities. Formula 1’s digital agility is a remarkable example, where teams design over 30,000 digital cars per season, most of which never physically exist. Yet, teams confidently certify their real-world performance and safety. Parts are digitally redesigned, tested, and certified every 15 minutes, resulting in significant changes to the car over a single season. Such software-like agility is possible because racing hardware evolves primarily in digital threads.
Dr. Roper emphasized that digital engineering will not revolutionize aerospace overnight but believes in the amazing transformations demonstrated in other industries, such as Formula 1 racing and medical devices. He stated, “It’s time for aerospace to push the boundaries of its digital possibilities.”
Istari Digital, Inc., was founded by Dr. Will Roper and is backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. The company aims to make the vision of digital engineering ecosystems a reality, where all technologies are created digitally. Istari Digital is building the world’s best digital engineering collaboration platform, making digital threads easy and impactful, and laying the groundwork for tomorrow’s engineering metaverse.
This project signifies an important step towards the future of aviation and the industrial metaverse. It showcases the United States Air Force’s commitment to digital transformation and innovation in defense. With Flyer Øne, Istari Digital aims to revolutionize the aerospace industry by introducing digital engineering practices that will accelerate development, increase efficiency, and unleash new possibilities for aircraft design and certification.
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About Istari Digital, Inc.
Istari Digital, Inc. is a company founded by Dr. Will Roper, a leader in digital transformation and innovation. Backed by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Istari Digital aims to create a digital engineering ecosystem where all technologies are designed digitally. The company is building a cutting-edge digital engineering collaboration platform and paving the way for tomorrow’s engineering metaverse. To learn more, visit their website [here](https://www.istaridigital.com/).
