DDZ Projects Founder

Over 44 years of experience in aircraft development and production programs, operating in many senior and specialist roles within numerous aircraft companies’, including Airbus, Agusta Westland/Leonardo helicopters, Atlas/Denel helicopters, AVIC (Seaplane), BAe (Military and Commercial), and at Rolls Royce aero-engines.

Dennis has also held Chief Engineer roles at many aerospace tier 1 systems/structure suppliers, including PFW/Hutchinson, Dunlop/Meggitt/Parker and Lucas/Rockwell Collins.

These activities have involved a wide range of fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft, both for civil and military applications, contributing to an unusually broad range of technical, project and business management expertise. Details of the aircraft and systems involved can be found below.

At PFW GmbH, Dennis was the EASA approved head of the Design Organization (DOA), leading large engineering teams across multiple sites in Europe, Asia and the USA. He held Airbus delegated design authority for both structures and systems (A350 and A400) under AP1020. 

Dennis has participated throughout the complete aircraft life cycle on many occasions, from the overall aircraft concept definition stage, through development, certification and into production. This has involved extensive, hands-on R+D, simulation, test rig, ground and flight-test activities. 

From 2011 to 2020 he was Ass. Chief Designer at COMAC in China, supporting the development and certification of the ARJ-21, C919 and the definition of the CR929 commercial aircraft, whilst also supporting the AVIC AG-600 seaplane development.
In August 2020, Dennis returned to Europe, and created DDZ Projects, a company undertaking consulting and expert placement activities with aerospace clients in Europe, the UK and the far east. This has included advisory activities on the Turkish Aerospace Hurjet jet trainer and the eVTOL aircraft of SkyDrive in Japan and the SD-05 of T-Cab Tech E-20 in China. 

He undertook a temporary, part-time Supply Chain Director and business development role at ARC Aerosystems in the UK, developing the business and their Pegasus and P-9 gyroplanes, and their C-600 eVTOL UAS.

Dennis was also a Non-Executive Director (NED) of the global aerospace group: Gardner Aerospace during 2021-2022, and currently supports Warrior (Aero-Marine) in the business and technical development of their range of Ocean Seaplanes.

Dennis is currently a student pilot for a LA Pilots licence.