Innovative design, extremely low fuel consumption, and high-tech PVC-based special bonding agents have made Austria a world leader in the small aircraft construction sector. Diamond Aircraft Industries, Austria’s only aviation manufacturer but the world’s second largest private aircraft manufacturer, set out, in 1990, to make flying simpler, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly. Developing the world’s first aircraft based on Diesel motors and light-weight construction, Diamond succeeded in producing aircraft with no more than approximately one half the fuel consumption of a Cessna in the same category, but meeting the strictest safety requirements. PVC products are also expected to lay a major future role Europe’s most fibre bonding agent manufacturing process, scheduled to start operation in January 2004.

Aircraft construction at Wiener Neustadt uses the so-called “sandwich” method of construction, in which airplane parts such as fuselage, wings, control surfaces, and high deformation resistance interior components are fitted together, layer by layer, in a lamination process. The top layer of the “sandwich” consists of carbon or glass fibre-reinforced synthetic material wrapped around a core of meshed PVC resin foam. This resin form insert – although extremely light-weight – possesses great shear resistance, distributing the stress over a greater surface area. "The resin foam gives the components added stability, at the cost of only negligible added weight. We use PVC resin foam because it is durable, easily workable, and has good mechanical properties”, says Gerald Sperl, Quality Assurance Head at Diamond Aircraft.