Canada's FDC Aero Awarded Contract to Manufacture Composite Airframe for V-100 UAV

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On November 3, Canadian aerospace company Volatus Aerospace selected Quebec-based composite manufacturer FDC Aero Composites to manufacture composite airframe structures and dedicated production tooling for its V-100 unmanned aerial system program. FDC Aero will be responsible for manufacturing the fuselage, wing and tail structures, and will supply dedicated production tooling for the corresponding components. According to the plan announced by both parties, the relevant products are expected to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2026 to Volatus' production facility in Mirabel, Quebec.

FDC Aero's manufacturing base is located in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, and is primarily engaged in the engineering development, machining and assembly of advanced composite structures for aerospace. The V-100 project work awarded this time includes not only aircraft structural components but also dedicated tooling for repeatedly manufacturing these components. Production tooling will be developed in parallel with airframe manufacturing, providing the foundation for establishing a repeatable manufacturing process for the project going forward.

According to the scope of cooperation announced by Volatus, FDC Aero will manufacture the composite fuselage, wing and tail structures for the V-100 and deliver the corresponding components and production tooling to the Mirabel facility.

FDC Aero's existing manufacturing operations cover the aerospace, defense and rail transit sectors, offering services including mold and tooling fabrication, CNC machining, autoclave and oven curing, component integration, surface treatment and assembly. In the field of aerospace composite structure manufacturing, the company possesses process capabilities including prepreg molding, resin transfer molding, vacuum-assisted resin infusion and multi-axis CNC machining. These processes are part of the company's existing manufacturing technology portfolio; the two parties have not yet specifically disclosed which of these forming processes will be used for the V-100 project.

This cooperation enables the company to apply its composite engineering and manufacturing experience to a Canadian unmanned aerial vehicle program. The current focus is on delivering airframe structures and production tooling as required, supporting the subsequent establishment of a stable and repeatable manufacturing process. FDC Aero plans to continue expanding its unmanned aerial vehicle-related business through this project, but has not yet announced the construction of a new manufacturing plant or the addition of dedicated production lines for this purpose.

Manufacturing drones in Canada requires the establishment of a supporting domestic supply system. FDC Aero's participation will supplement the composite manufacturing capability of the V-100 project, complementing the production infrastructure that Volatus is expanding in Mirabel. Volatus is currently advancing the development of local production facilities, industrial manufacturing capabilities and a supplier system in preparation for subsequent V-100 production.

The V-100 project targets the unmanned aerial system application market, and Volatus plans to apply its manufacturing capabilities to defense, security and other domains requiring drones to perform missions. This cooperation clarifies the supply responsibilities for airframe structures and production tooling, but has not yet announced a mass production date for the complete aircraft, aircraft certification results, actual delivery quantities or new end-customer purchase orders.

Under the current project schedule, FDC Aero is expected to deliver the composite structures and tooling to Volatus' Mirabel facility in the fourth quarter of 2026.