Zivko Aeronautics

What Zivko Aeronautics does

Zivko Aeronautics, Inc. (ZAI) is a small, family woman-owned aerospace manufacturer headquartered at Guthrie Municipal Airport (GOK) in Guthrie, Oklahoma, with approximately 30 employees. Founded in October 1987 by Judy and Bill Zivko, the firm specializes in composite prototyping, manufacturing, and design services for aviation applications, supporting both government and commercial sectors, with founder Bill Zivko's prior work at Scaled Composites (Bechcraft Starship, Rutan Voyager) anchoring its engineering credibility.

ZAI's product portfolio centers on the Zivko Edge 540 family of aerobatic aircraft — the Edge 540 (first delivered 1993), Edge 540T (2000), and Edge 540 V3 (first flight 2010) — which became the preferred aircraft in the Red Bull Air Race Series, supplemented by the historically notable Loudenslager Shark aircraft. Underlying capabilities include 5-axis CNC milling/routing with a 5'W x 10'L x 3'H worktable, composite structures engineering with CAD/CAM and finite element analysis, in-house proof-load testing of instrument enclosures up to 144 inches in length, and design, development, and manufacture of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and custom composite parts such as instrument wing pods.

The business model combines one-time hardware sales of custom aerobatic aircraft and UAVs with professional services revenue from custom manufacturing, design, prototype development, and contract fabrication. ZAI uses a consultative, direct sales approach for both government and commercial clients, with pricing not publicly disclosed and projects quoted on a per-engagement basis. Distribution is exclusively direct, with marketing limited to a company website, industry earned media, and the firm's reputation within the aerobatic and aerospace community rather than active outbound or digital channels. Certifications include ITAR compliance and Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) designation, qualifying the firm for restricted defense-related work and small-business set-aside government contracts.

Name

Zivko Aeronautics

Legal name

Zivko Aeronautics, Inc.

Website

https://zivko.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zivko Aeronautics is a small, family woman-owned aerospace manufacturer in Guthrie, Oklahoma (~30 employees) that designs, prototypes, and builds composite aerobatic aircraft — notably the Edge 540 series — plus custom composite parts and UAVs, serving government and commercial aviation customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerospace Manufacturing & Composite Prototyping

NAICS

Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641), Aircraft Manufacturing (336411)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Structural Assemblies & Integration (Airframe Subassemblies) (IMABAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nacelles, Fairings & Aerodynamic Structures (IMABAEAE), Fixed-Wing Aircraft Kits & Experimental Aircraft Manufacturing (IMABAAAJ)

Keywords

• Aerospace manufacturing
• Composite prototyping
• Aerobatic aircraft
• UAV development
• Precision CNC machining

Headquarters

HQ city

Guthrie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Custom Manufacturing Services: Revenue generated from precision machining, custom fabrication, and manufacturing services for aviation customers, including sheet metal forming, welding, machining, and avionics installation.
2. Aircraft Design and Development: Revenue from aircraft design services, material analysis, and engineering capabilities for government and commercial customers.
3. Aircraft Manufacturing and Sales: Design, development, and manufacture of custom aircraft including the Edge 540 series aerobatic aircraft and UAVs.
4. Prototype Development Services: Prototype development services to help customers test products before full production, working with customers to refine designs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Zivko Aeronautics, Inc. (ZAI) designs, develops, and manufactures composite aerobatic aircraft — including the Zivko Edge 540, Edge 540T, Edge 540 V3, and the Shark airshow aircraft — and provides custom composite prototyping, manufacturing, CNC machining, and engineering services for aviation customers. Its offerings span aircraft design, aerodynamics, composite material analysis, sheet metal forming, welding, machining, avionics installation, instrument pod manufacturing with proof-load testing, and UAV design and manufacture.

Product overview

Zivko Aeronautics (ZAI) operates as an aerospace manufacturing company offering a portfolio of aerobatic aircraft and engineering/manufacturing services. The company manufactures the Zivko Edge 540 family of aerobatic aircraft (Edge 540, Edge 540 V3, Edge 540T), which have been successful in competitive aerobatics and the Red Bull Air Race Series. In parallel, ZAI provides contract manufacturing services including composite prototyping, manufacturing, and design for aviation; precision CNC machining; product design; prototype development; and custom fabrication. The company also designs and manufactures UAVs and custom composite parts such as instrument wing pods. The aircraft products and manufacturing services share common capabilities in composite structures engineering and CNC machining.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Zivko Edge 540: A high-performance aerobatic aircraft developed for competitive aerobatics, later evolved into the Edge 540 V3 which became the preferred aircraft in the Red Bull Air Race Series.
• Shark

Products and services

• Zivko Edge 540 A purpose-built composite aerobatic aircraft designed to compete at the highest level of competitive aerobatics; first delivered in 1993 and the foundation of ZAI's Edge family.
• Edge 540 V3 The evolved version of the Edge 540 with enhanced aerodynamics and composite construction; the aircraft that became the preferred and most successful airframe in the Red Bull Air Race Series.
• Edge 540T A variant of the Edge 540 delivered to competitive aerobatic pilots, including five-time Unlimited National Champion Kirby Chambliss.
• Shark Airshow Aircraft An ultimate airshow aircraft built in collaboration with seven-time US National and World Aerobatic Champion Leo Loudenslager, displayed in the Smithsonian Museum and later moved to the EAA Museum.
• Composite Prototyping, Manufacturing, and Design Services for Aviation End-to-end composite prototyping, manufacturing, and design services for aviation applications, including material analysis and composite structures engineering, for government and commercial aviation customers.
• Aircraft Design and Engineering Services Mechanical, aeronautical, and composite structures engineering services including aircraft design, aerodynamics, composite material analysis, CAD/CAM, and finite element analysis.
• 5-Axis CNC Machining Services Full 5-axis CNC milling/routing services with a 5'W x 10'L x 3'H worktable area; accepts customer 3D surface models or generates surfaces in-house from 2D CAD files, blueprints, or sketches.
• Prototype Development and Custom Fabrication Services Full-service prototype development and custom fabrication from product design through installation, enabling customers to test and refine designs before full production.
• Instrument Pod Manufacturing with Proof-Load Testing Custom composite instrument wing pods manufactured in-house with in-house proof-load testing capability for enclosures up to 144 inches in length.
• UAV Design, Development, and Manufacture Design, development, and manufacture of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), currently a primary focus area alongside custom composite parts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Edge 540 aircraft became the preferred and most successful aircraft in the Red Bull Air Race Series
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Leo LoudenslagercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeven-time US National and World Aerobatic Champion. ZAI's first customer in October 1987. Hired to rebuild his Bud Light BD-5J and work on his Laser 200. Collaboration led to creation of the Shark aircraft, displayed in Smithsonian and EAA Museum.
• Burt RutancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegendary aerospace engineer. Bill Zivko worked with Rutan at Jim Bede's on BD-5 projects and later was recruited by Rutan to manage Scaled Composites in 1982.
• John RonczcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAeronautical engineer who collaborated with Bill Zivko to design the Edge composite wing for the Laser aircraft, leading to the Edge wing design.
• Scaled CompositescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBill Zivko was hired to manage this new venture in 1982 at the request of Burt Rutan and Herb Iverson. While there, Bill built the Beechcraft Starship prototype and the Rutan Voyager (first aircraft to fly around the world without stopping or refueling).
• Jim BedeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBill Zivko was hired to work for Jim Bede on the BD-5 and first BD-5J projects in Newton, Kansas starting in 1972.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Scaled Composites: Mojave, California-based composite prototyping and experimental aircraft builder founded by Burt Rutan. Bill Zivko personally managed the company in the 1980s and built the Voyager and Starship prototypes there, making it the most direct historical and craft analogue to ZAI's prototyping DNA.
• Extra Aircraft: German manufacturer of high-performance aerobatic aircraft (Extra 330/300 series) that directly compete with the Edge 540 in unlimited-category competition. Overlaps with ZAI on composite construction, aerobatic airframes, and serving elite competitive pilots.
• XtremeAir: German producer of the XA42 and XA41 aerobatic aircraft, a direct competitor to the Edge 540 on the Red Bull Air Race circuit. Shares ZAI's composite-aerobatic niche and limited-volume custom airframe model.
• Swift Engineering: San Clemente, California-based composites and prototyping firm working in aerospace, defense, motorsports, and unmanned systems. Closely comparable to ZAI on small-batch composite prototyping, custom fabrication, and prototyping partnerships with primes.
• Lancair: Composite kit/experimental aircraft manufacturer known for high-performance personal aircraft (Lancair Evolution, Legacy). Comparable to ZAI on composite airframe kit programs and the small-volume experimental-aviation customer base.
• Cub Crafters: Yakima, Washington-based builder of light and experimental STOL/composite aircraft kits. Comparable to ZAI on small-scale aviation manufacturing, kit/composite airframes, and family-style specialist operations.

Broad incumbents

• Northrop Grumman (parent of Scaled Composites): Acquired Scaled Composites in 2007 and now operates that business as a boutique prototyping arm inside a Tier 1 defense prime. Relevant as a broad incumbent capturing the same category of low-rate composite prototype work that ZAI targets.
• Airborne Systems: Diversified aerospace composites and engineered products manufacturer serving defense, space, and commercial customers. Comparable to ZAI on composite structures fabrication but at significantly greater scale and breadth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zivko-aeronautics-inc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zivko Aeronautics