What Wright Brothers does

Harbin Wright Brothers Technology Development Co., Ltd. (founded April 2014, headquartered in Harbin, Heilongjiang) is a privately held high-tech manufacturer specializing in flight pilot-training equipment built on fully self-developed software and hardware intellectual property. The company's professional line consists of FTD Level 5 trainers for B737NG, A320, C172, DA40, and DA42 aircraft types, certified by CAAC (and in multiple cases by EASA and FAA), plus a primary-trainer (AG100) device developed jointly with Zhejiang Aviation. Its science-experience line consists of 1:1 cockpit replicas for the B737-800 and C919 sold to education centers, science museums, and shopping malls. Underpinning both lines is the proprietary LTHost simulation software (Windows-based Host platform with Scheduler/Autolink core, multi-threaded to 400Hz stable operation) and a fully in-house hardware system covering control loading, avionics, instructor stations, shells, and interiors.

Wright Brothers monetizes through one-time equipment sales (professional FTDs to airlines and flight schools; experience simulators to venues), franchise/加盟 and licensing fees from its 莱特飞行者 (Wright Flyer) and TaxiWay consumer brands (40+ pavilions and 15+ experience stores across 20+ Chinese cities), aviation-science curriculum and education services delivered jointly with COMAC, Beijing Normal University, and the Hailiang Wright JV, as well as operations of acquired Part 141 flight schools (Wright Eagle in Los Angeles, 11 aircraft, FAA 141 since 2017; Blue Sky Flying Academy in Anhui, 6 aircraft and 2 C172 simulators, acquired Oct 2022). It holds exclusive inbound trademark authorizations from Boeing (since Nov 2016), Airbus (since Nov 2018), and COMAC (since 2021) for science-experience simulators, and has delivered 53 professional trainers and 200+ science-experience units globally, claiming 90%+ domestic market share in C172/DA40/DA42/B737 Level 5 trainers.

The company's go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales into airlines (Spring Airlines, Xiamen Airlines) and CCAR-141/FAA 141 flight schools (Longhao, Civil Aviation Flight Academy, Zhuhai Aviation), a Dutch-entity channel for European and African accounts, franchise-led consumer footprint expansion, and event-driven demand generation through Zhuhai Airshow, Macau Business Aviation Exhibition, and EATS Europe, supplemented by community engagement via a Ministry of Education white-list drone competition with 1.7M participants in 2025. Wright Brothers is privately held; the only disclosed external capital events are the December 2016 angel investment from New Oriental founder Yu Minhong and Oriental Zhuoyong at a RMB 100M post-money valuation, and a 2018-09-30 funding round of approximately USD 8.74M led by THG Ventures.

Name

Wright Brothers

Legal name

Harbin Wright Brothers Technology Development Co., Ltd. (哈尔滨莱特兄弟科技开发有限公司)

Website

https://ltxd.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Harbin Wright Brothers Technology Development Co., Ltd. designs, manufactures, and certifies flight training equipment — FTD Level 5 trainers for B737, A320, C172, DA40/DA42 plus Boeing/Airbus/COMAC-authorized science-experience simulators — and serves Chinese airlines, CCAR-141 and FAA 141 flight schools, and K-12 aviation-science programs through direct sales, franchise stores, and owned flight schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aviation Simulation Equipment Manufacturing

NAICS

Aircraft Manufacturing (336411), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641), Flight Training (611512)

SIC

Aircraft & Parts (3720), Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728), Aircraft (3721)

akta.pro primary industry

Avionics Test, Simulation & Calibration Equipment (IMABAFAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Aviation & Aerospace (EDABALAC), Private Aviation Pilot & Crew Staffing/Training Services (THABAFAJ)

Keywords

• Flight training devices
• Flight simulation equipment
• Aviation science education
• FTD Level 5 training
• Pilot training simulators

Headquarters

HQ city

Harbin

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Flight Training Equipment Sales: Sale of FTD Level 5 training devices to airlines and flight schools. Devices certified by CAAC/EASA for commercial aviation pilot training. One-time equipment sales with after-sales maintenance services.
2. Aviation Science Experience Equipment Sales: Sale of science popularization simulators (B737-800, C919, C172) for education centers, science museums, shopping malls, and flying clubs. Equipment requires Boeing/Airbus/COMAC trademark authorization.
3. Franchise and加盟 Revenue: Franchise fees from '莱特飞行者' (education-focused) and 'TaxiWay' (experience-focused) brand outlets. Over 40 aviation science pavilions and 15+ experience stores franchised across 20+ cities.
4. Aviation Science Education Services: Revenue from commercial aircraft science courses, aviation science classrooms, and aviation competition programs. Partnered with COMAC, BNU, and Hailiang Education for curriculum development and delivery.
5. Flight School Operations: Operations of owned flight schools including Wright Eagle Aviation School (Los Angeles, 11 aircraft, FAA 141 certified) and Blue Sky Flight Academy (6 aircraft, 2 simulators, 7000 training hours capacity).
6. After-sales Service and Maintenance: Professional maintenance services for flight training equipment leveraging self-developed system expertise. Includes relocation and repair of full-motion simulators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wright Brothers researches, develops, and manufactures certified pilot flight training devices (FTD Level 5 for B737NG, A320ceo, DA40/42, C172, AG100) and aviation science popularization simulation cabins (C919, B737-800), using fully proprietary simulation software architecture and self-developed hardware. The company also operates aviation science pavilions, flight experience stores under franchise, FAA 141/CCAR-141 flight schools, and aviation science education programs for schools and the general public.

Product overview

Harbin Wright Brothers Technology Development Co., Ltd. (Wright Brothers) is a high-tech company specializing in R&D and manufacturing of flight pilot training equipment with fully independent intellectual property. The company operates across three product lines: (1) Professional FTD Level 5 training devices — including B737NG FTD, A320ceo FTD, DA40/42 FTD, and C172 FTD — all with CAAC, EASA, or FAA Level 5 certification, covering commercial aviation and general aviation aircraft types; (2) Science popularization simulation cabins — including C919 and B737-800 — offering Boeing and COMAC brand-authorized 1:1 cockpit replicas for education, science museums, and flying clubs; and (3) Self-developed LTHost simulation software architecture and complete self-developed hardware systems serving as the core technology platform. The company also operates C-end consumer brands (莱特飞行者 for science education and TaxiWay for flight experience) and Part 141 flight schools (莱特雄鹰航校 in Los Angeles and 蓝天飞院), managing 40+ aviation science pavilions and experience centers across 20+ Chinese cities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 莱特飞行家 (Wright Flying Family): Aviation science education brand targeting C-end consumers; operates flight experience stores and aviation science pavilions for the public and youth
• TaxiWay
• 莱特飞行者 (Wright Flyer)
• 海亮莱特素质教育 (Hailiang Wright Science Education)
• AG100 五级训练器 (AG100 Level 5 Trainer)

Quantifiable outcome

• 五级飞行训练器占市场份额90%以上
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Spring Airlines (春秋航空)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 July 2025Joint development and delivery of A320 FTD Level 5 training device. Wright Brothers developed domestic first high-spec A320 FTD delivered July 2025 for Spring Airlines 20th anniversary. Spring Airlines invested 800M yuan in training base since 2014.
• Zhejiang Institute of Aeronautics (浙江中航)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 January 2024Joint development of AG100 Level 5 training device with 'Lingyan' AG100 aircraft. Zhejiang Institute provided real aircraft model and flight test data. Official designated AG100 training device unveiled at launch ceremony.
• Beijing Normal University (北京师范大学)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 January 2024Strategic cooperation for commercial aircraft science curriculum development and promotion. BNU to promote curriculum in affiliated schools and train science teachers. Joint development of aviation technology talent pathway.
• Hong Kong City University (香港城市大学)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 December 2023A320 FNPTII training device delivered for aviation program students. First simulator delivered in Hong Kong market.
• Tanzania Ministry of TransportcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 December 2023Dutch subsidiary won bid for 2 flight training devices for pilot training and simulation. Expected 2-year delivery timeline.
• Czech F Air Flying SchoolcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 November 2023Dutch subsidiary secured order for 2 flight training devices (WB737, WB320) to be delivered to Prague flight training center, with EASA certification.
• Hailiang Education (海亮教育)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 September 2023Joint venture 'Hailiang Wright' established September 2023. Aviation science education services combining Wright Brothers equipment with Hailiang's 30 years education experience. National network expansion for aviation science curriculum.
• Xiamen Airlines (厦门航空)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2023787 experience simulator delivery for science education purposes.
• COMAC (中国商飞)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2021Since 2021, cooperation including commercial aircraft science courses, C919 aviation science pavilions, C919 science simulation cabins, COMAC cultural creative products. COMAC Science Curriculum entered 1045 schools serving 350,000+ students.
• Guangzhou Civil Aviation Airport Engineering Design (广州民航机场工程设计有限公司)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2021Joint development of air-ground 3D integrated simulation system for Greater Bay Area airspace management. System integrates flight simulation and ATC simulation for real-time data interaction.
• Macau China-Portugal Aviation Group (澳门中葡航空集团)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2021Strategic cooperation for air-ground 3D integrated simulation system. Three-party agreement signed with Guangzhou Civil Aviation for technology R&D, system support, and market promotion.
• Shenzhen Yunxiang Aviation (深圳云享航)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 May 2021ATC simulation system provider for air-ground 3D integrated simulation system. Deep data integration and fusion with Wright Brothers flight simulators.
• Longhao Flight School (龙浩航校)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2021Joint R&D of DA40NG and DA42NG FTD Level 5 devices. Longhao provided flight test data, real aircraft parts surveying, and participated in 32 days/146 hours of flight testing. Device certification by CAAC.
• AirbuscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 November 2018Airbus trademark authorization November 2018 - first global authorization for science experience simulator. Airbus data package authorization and purchase agreement also signed.
• BoeingcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 November 2016Boeing trademark authorization November 2016 - only Chinese company with Boeing experience simulator authorization. Also data package authorization (2017), Boeing hardware materials agreement (2018), Boeing Museum science course authorization (2019).

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• CAE Inc. CAE is the global leader in civil aviation training and a dominant supplier of full-flight simulators (Level D) and FTDs to airlines, OEMs, and training centers worldwide. It is the benchmark competitor Wright Brothers is trying to displace on cost in the Chinese and emerging-market FTD Level 5 segment, and shares overlapping customer types (airlines, flight schools) and certification regimes (CAAC, EASA, FAA).
• L3Harris Technologies: L3Harris (through its L3 Commercial Aviation / L3 Technologies legacy) is a major manufacturer of commercial and military flight simulators, including full-flight simulators and FTDs across Boeing and Airbus platforms. It competes with Wright Brothers in certified pilot training equipment for commercial airliners, and Wright Brothers' FTD Level 5 products directly target the lower-cost alternative to L3Harris's higher-tier simulator portfolio.
• FlightSafety International: FlightSafety International (a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary) is one of the largest commercial aviation training organizations globally, operating a network of learning centers and manufacturing high-end simulators for business and commercial aviation. It competes head-to-head with Wright Brothers in supplying certified flight training devices to airlines and flight schools with comparable aircraft type coverage.
• Aerosim (Lufthansa Aviation Training subsidiary): Aerosim, a subsidiary of Lufthansa Aviation Training, focuses on flight simulator experience centers and pilot training, with global B737/A320 experience simulator deployments. It overlaps with Wright Brothers' science popularization / consumer experience business and shares the OEM-branded 1:1 cockpit replica positioning.

Direct peers

• Precision Flight Controls: Precision Flight Controls manufactures FAA-certified flight training devices and simulator hardware (control loading, avionics panels, motion platforms) for general aviation. It overlaps with Wright Brothers' C172/DA40/DA42 FTD Level 5 product line and shares the enthusiast-to-certified pipeline heritage.
• TRU Simulation + Training (Textron Aviation): TRU Simulation + Training, part of Textron Aviation, manufactures FTD Level 5 and Level 7 devices — including for Cessna and other general aviation platforms — and is a direct competitor in the GA FTD segment. Wright Brothers' C172 and DA40/42 FTD Level 5 products compete in the same category with comparable aircraft type coverage and certification.
• Reiser Simulation and Training GmbH: Reiser is a German manufacturer of flight simulation training devices, specializing in FTDs and procedure trainers for commercial and general aviation aircraft. It competes with Wright Brothers in the European market on Airbus/Boeing FTDs and is the closest European peer in terms of product type and certification positioning.
• Flight Experience Beijing: Flight Experience operates commercial flight simulator experience centers in China and globally, offering public-facing B737 and A320 simulators in malls and entertainment venues. It is the closest direct competitor to Wright Brothers' TaxiWay and 莱特飞行者 consumer/experience franchise brands.

Others

• ASTi (Automated Threats, Inc.): ASTi provides AI-based ATC voice dialogue and audio simulation technology used inside flight training devices. Wright Brothers integrated ASTi's SERA system into its B737-800 simulator, making ASTi an enabling technology partner rather than direct competitor, but ASTi's growing AI-immersive training capability is adjacent to Wright Brothers' product roadmap.

Regional players

• Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) General Aviation: AVIC General Aviation developed the AG100 'Lingyan' primary trainer aircraft, for which Wright Brothers co-developed the Level 5 FTD. AVIC is both a partner (providing flight test data and aircraft model) and a potential vertical competitor if it chooses to in-house training equipment development for its aircraft platforms.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance13 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Wright Brothers