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An Island aviation company with a promising improvement on a critical aircraft part has been supported under the latest round of Innovation PEI’s Pilot and Discovery Fund, says Innovation and Advanced Learning Minister Allen Roach.

“3 Points Aviation has quickly become a very important part of the Island aerospace industry. The development of new longer-lasting aircraft parts will only help to strengthen this company’s presence in the marketplace,” said Minister Roach. “As the province’s lead economic development agency, Innovation PEI will provide support to help these innovators explore the commercial potential of their work.”

Each successful company under the Pilot and Discovery Fund will receive $25,000 in funding to further its research and development work. The objective of this project is to design a replacement housing for the spoiler servo actuator used on all DHC-8 model aircraft.

“Programs like these further go to prove that the Team at Innovation PEI listen to business and understand the challenges to compete in today’s market,” said John Druken, president of 3 Points Aviation. “Having a partnership where communicating regularly leads to solutions, only goes to prove we made the right decision to position our company here on PEI.”

Research and development requires up-front costs that can be difficult for small businesses in the province to cover. In response to this challenge, Innovation PEI released the Pilot and Discovery Fund. This helps bridge the gap between development costs incurred and revenue generation of a commercial ready product.

Including the 10 projects receiving support in 2014 Pilot and Discovery Fund, support has been offered to 66 projects since the fund was launched in 2008.

Information on the Pilot and Discovery Fund and the application process is available at www.innovationpei.com/pdfund

About 3 Points Aviation

3 Points Aviation was established in 2004 to provide after-market support to the legacy models of Dash 8 aircraft for Commuter airlines. This was accomplished by purchasing and dismantling aircraft, re-certifying and repairing usable parts, and supplying them to operators on an exchange or outright basis. Since its inception, the business has grown to include a repair and manufacturing division. Headquartered in Prince Edward Island, the local operations include Manufacturing, Repair, Overhaul, Engineering, Sales, Administration and Quality. There are currently 65 employees in PEI.

The objective of this project is to design a replacement housing for the spoiler servo actuator used on all DHC-8 model aircraft. The Spoiler Servo Actuator Assembly is a hydraulically powered mechanical device used to extend or retract the actuator piston and, in turn, the spoiler itself.