Deutsche Aircraft has reached an important milestone in the certification programme for the landing gear system of its next-generation regional aircraft, following the successful completion of both Low-Speed Taxi (LST) and High-Speed Taxi (HST) testing, as well as the initial phase of flight testing.
The company’s dedicated flying testbed, a legacy D328 aircraft, has now completed its first five development flights. The flights have generated the data required to support the next stage of development and certification.
Flight testing began on 5 August 2026. Since then, the aircraft has accumulated more than 15 hours of test time with the new landing gear system, combining both flight and ground testing activities.
Nico Neumann, CEO of Deutsche Aircraft, described the achievement as an important step forward in the programme.
“The successful completion of the ground and taxi test campaign, together with the first flights of our landing gear testbed, is an important achievement. The results provide strong validation of the landing gear system and enable us to move into the next phase of flight testing as we continue the certification process. Bringing this critical system under our direct control allows us to deliver greater reliability, resilience and long-term support for our operators.”
The milestone comes as Deutsche Aircraft continues work towards certification of the D328eco. Beyond the immediate progress in testing, the company says the achievement reflects its broader effort to strengthen long-term product support and operational readiness for regional aircraft operators worldwide.
The data collected throughout the testing campaign will feed into the certification activities while also supporting the continued maturation of the D328eco programme.
Greater control over a critical aircraft system
Landing gear has historically presented challenges for regional aircraft programmes. Reliance on third-party suppliers, combined with limited access to intellectual property, can create difficulties ranging from spare parts shortages and complicated lifecycle management to greater operational uncertainty for aircraft operators.
Deutsche Aircraft has sought to address these challenges by moving to a new landing gear supplier and securing full intellectual property rights for the system.
As a result, the landing gear architecture will now fall under Deutsche Aircraft’s direct engineering authority. The company expects this greater level of control to provide additional flexibility and responsiveness while supporting long-term product stewardship.
The latest testing milestone therefore represents more than a step in the certification campaign. It also underlines Deutsche Aircraft’s strategy of building a modern, efficient and highly supportable regional aircraft platform, while strengthening long-term operational confidence for airlines and special mission operators around the world.
