Catalina Aircraft Company will open a new Engineering and Technology Center in Vero Beach, Florida, to support development of its SPAR amphibious aircraft and bring its design work into a multi-tenant facility with aerospace and hardtech start-ups. The centre is planned to house digital engineering tools, a scale wind tunnel, a wave tank, 3-D printing and materials laboratories, while also providing testing capacity for other users to help offset costs.
The company is positioning the hub as a base for faster aerodynamic, structural and amphibious hull development as it works towards FAA Part 25 certification for the SPAR. Bennett Biever, Catalina’s vice-president of business development, said the facility would allow the company to design, build and test the aircraft in Vero Beach while supporting the local aerospace ecosystem.
Catalina is developing the SPAR as a multi-mission platform for aerial firefighting, transport, patrol, humanitarian support and search and rescue. The company is also linking the project to Vero Beach and the wider Treasure Coast’s aviation heritage, with the new centre intended to strengthen the area’s role in aerospace engineering and testing.