Home / Capabilities What We Do

Whole-aircraft capability, under one roof.

From the first line on the drawing board to a certified aircraft on the ramp, SAI can plan and perform every critical engineering discipline in-house — the model of a focused Skunk Works applied to heavy aircraft.

01 — Engineering

Design & Systems Integration

Original aircraft design, structural and aerodynamic analysis, and full systems integration. Our engineers carry a "whole-aircraft" understanding — every change is evaluated against the complete platform, not in isolation.

02 — Airframe

Heavy Structural Modification

Major airframe rework, fuselage and wing modification, and structural life extension that returns proven airframes to decades of additional certified service.

03 — Aerodynamics

Aerodynamic & STOL Performance

High-lift devices, wing and control-surface refinement, and configuration work that expand short-field performance, range, and payload.

04 — Propulsion

Re-Engine & Propeller Upgrade

Modern engines and next-generation propellers integrated with new generators and control systems for greater power, efficiency, and dispatch reliability.

05 — Avionics

Glass-Cockpit Modernization

Replacement of legacy analog flight stations with modern, two-crew glass cockpits — improving situational awareness, safety, and crew workload.

06 — Prototyping

Prototyping & Flight Test

Rapid prototyping and company flight-test aircraft let us prove modifications in the air before they reach a customer's fleet.

SAI engineers testing a C-130 STOL Herk scale model in a wind tunnel

STOL Herk · Wind-Tunnel Validation

Engineering Discipline

Proven on the model
before it flies.

SAI's STOL configurations are validated in the wind tunnel before a single part is cut. Aerodynamic data drives the design — so the performance we promise on paper is the performance the aircraft delivers in the air.

Scale-model aerodynamic testing and data correlation
Configuration refinement ahead of flight test
Design decisions backed by measured results

From Analog to Glass

We modernize
what already works.

The C-130 is among the most capable airlifters ever built. What dates it isn't the airframe — it's the systems. SAI rebuilds the cockpit, propulsion, and structure around the platform operators already trust.

Reduced crew workload and a smaller flight crew
Modern navigation, communication, and surveillance compliance
Lower operating cost and improved dispatch reliability
Decades of additional certified airframe life

A legacy C-130 analog cockpit — the starting point for SAI modernization

Baseline analog flight station

Certification

Engineering means nothing
until it's certified.

Certification is where many modification programs stall. It's where SAI is strongest. Our founder personally managed more than 35 FAA certifications across a variety of aircraft — so a modification doesn't just work on paper, it flies, and it's approved to carry the mission.

See It Applied →