Deutsche Aircraft has pushed back the first flight of its initial D328eco prototype until the middle of next year, although the airframer insists a late 2027 service-entry goal remains unaffected.
Meanwhile, the manufacturer has taken delivery of the first of the two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127XT-S engines that will power the turboprop and plans to begin its installation in the coming weeks.
Oberpfaffenhofen-based Deutsche Aircraft in May rolled out the prototype – designated TAC1 – minus its engines as a cost-saving measure. At the time, it said it hoped to perform the turboprop’s maiden sortie later in 2025.
But the company now says TAC1 will not take to the skies until next year. “As part of our ongoing commitment to delivering a certified and market-ready aircraft, our first flight is planned for 2026.
“This update does not affect our entry into service timeline, which remains firmly set for Q4 2027.”
The airframfer says ground runs of the twin-turboprop will begin in the early part of 2026, leading to a flight test around mid-year.
Progress towards the maiden sortie remains “steady”, it says, and in the coming weeks the Garmin G5000 Prime flightdeck and the first PW127XT-S engine will be fitted to the prototype.
The second powerplant is en route to the Oberpfaffenhofen site, Deutsche Aircraft adds.
In addition, installation of the electrical wiring interconnection system harnesses – the aircraft’s basic electrical infrastructure – will begin by the fourth quarter.
An “advanced evolution” of the original Dornier 328, in addition to the updated engines and new avionics, the aircraft boasts redesigned landing gear and a fuselage stretched by 2.1m (6.9ft) to accommodate 40 seats instead of its predecessor’s 32.
The TAC1 prototype has been created by combining two fuselages from the original Do 328 programme – mating the centre fuselage of one with the nose and empennage of the other.
Deutsche Aircraft plans to build the D328eco at a new final assembly line Leipzig, eastern Germany. That facility is currently under construction and the airframer says it is “on track” to move into the first building on the site in December.
This article has been edited to clarify the timeline in the sixth paragraph.
