Sonaca to Build Out Phantom 3500 Program’s 20-Meter Laminar Flow Wing

Source | Sonaca Group

Sonaca Group (Gosselies (Charleroi), Belgium) announces the signing of a multiyear contract with Otto Aerospace (Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.) for the development of the Phantom 3500 business jet.

At the heart of the program is a concept known as natural laminar flow, which helps reduce aerodynamic drag by maintaining a smoother airflow over the aircraft’s surfaces. While the principle has been known for decades, applying it successfully to a large aircraft wing remains a major engineering challenge.

Under this partnership, Sonaca will be responsible, in close collaboration with Otto Aerospace, for the design, industrialization and manufacturing of the prototype’s wings, fixed leading edges and empennage. The group will also support certification activities.

While the Sonaca announcement doesn’t explicitly state materials use in describing the wing, previous coverage verifies the aircraft’s use of carbon fiber composites to achieve efficiency targets. Sonaca itself maintains established composites manufacturing capabilities, in addition to its more widely known metallics expertise, with dedicated composite sites internationally — including a Spanish facility that specializes in the manufacture of aeronautical components from composite materials, including large structural parts. Materials the prototype wing will leverage will likely be detailed further down the line.

Around 50 engineers from Sonaca’s Belgian and Brazilian development teams are currently involved in the Phantom 3500 program, with the first deliveries scheduled for 2027.

Beyond its improved environmental performance, the Phantom 3500 is expected to offer greater operational flexibility, enabling access to a wider range of airports than conventional business jets. For Yves Delatte, CEO of Sonaca Group, the program reflects the type of technological challenge that aligns with Sonaca’s expertise. “Industrializing a 20-meter laminar flow wing with the level of precision required for aircraft certification is a challenge,” Delatte says. “This is exactly the kind of engineering challenge that defines Sonaca’s expertise.”

The agreement is also part of a broader collaboration with Otto Aerospace and supports Sonaca’s strategy of expanding its presence in innovative, technology-driven programs alongside its commercial aerospace, defense and space activities.