Istari Digital partnering with Lockheed’s Skunk Works to demonstrate digital aircraft certification
September 2, 2024
Istari Digital and Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works are partnering to demonstrate an innovative digital aircraft certification process, announcing the arrangement on Monday 26 August, 2024.
Istari Digital was founded by Will Roper, the former Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology & Logistics in 2022 and is backed by Eric Schmidt, the former Google CEO. The company is building what it claims is the world’s leading digital engineering collaboration platform. Roper’s intention is to develop digital engineering technology that will streamline hardware development in the same way that collaborative tools have transformed the development of software.
Roper’s company will demonstrate the process of digitally certifying an aircraft before it’s built, as part of a $19 million USAF contract awarded to Istari last year through the Flyer Øne programme. Istari’s Model Øne programme will create an internet of models connecting digital engineering tools across the Department of Defense, aiming to simplify and accelerate technological development.
Roper was reportedly inspired by a visit to the British Formula One team, McLaren Racing, which uses digital engineering to rapidly iterate car designs. Roper hopes that digitally certifying an aircraft before it is built, could make it quicker and simpler to develop and test future military aircraft. This would accelerate a process which sees “everything being built at a glacial pace.”
Traditionally, certification would involve building and flying a physical aircraft, collecting data and submitting an airworthiness package for approval. For the Flyer One programme, the required data will be collected through digital models and simulation before building an aircraft flying it to ensure that its flight performance matches the digital modelling.
As a test case, Istari will use Flyer One to certify modifications to the existing X-56A UAV, an aircraft built by Lockheed’s Skunk Works in 2013. The modifications to the X-56A include changes to the aircraft’s landing gear and cameras together with upgrades intended to address obsolescence.
