Leading Edge

What Leading Edge does

Leading Edge Aerospace, LLC is a Wichita, Kansas-based precision manufacturer founded in 1998 by Stan Unruh (operations date to the 1990s) that builds aerospace composite tooling and machined components for general aviation and large airframe manufacturers globally. The company operates from a two-building facility with a 50-foot oven, a 50-foot 5-axis CNC machine, two 3-axis CNC mills, and a precision metrology stack including FARO 3D laser trackers, FARO arms, and an API Radian laser tracker. Its core product set spans carbon-fiber composite tooling (vacuum infusion, autoclave, and out-of-autoclave processes), aluminum and steel metallic layup molds, and 5-axis CNC machining and parts trimming for tools up to 50 feet in length, with CNC programming and design services delivered in Mastercam and conversion capability to/from Catia and other native CAD languages.

Revenue is generated through project-based, custom one-off contracts with enterprise aerospace customers; no catalog pricing or recurring subscription model is used, and sales are handled directly by President Ben Johnson and sales lead Eddie Smith. The customer base is concentrated in general aviation and large airframe OEMs, with named engagements including the Scorpion prototype program and helicopter tail boom tooling. The company is privately held as an LLC, appears to be founder- and family-controlled (Stan Unruh as Owner/Founder, Colby Unruh as CEO, Ben Johnson as President), and has no disclosed institutional funding or parent company. Operations are described as active, with a current website, careers page, and ongoing recruitment.

Name

Leading Edge

Legal name

Leading Edge Aerospace, LLC

Website

https://leawichita.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Leading Edge Aerospace, founded 1998 in Wichita, Kansas, builds custom large-format carbon-fiber composite tooling, metallic layup molds, and 5-axis CNC-machined components for general aviation and large airframe manufacturers globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aerospace Tooling Manufacturing

NAICS

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

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Tooling, Jigs, Fixtures & Molds for Airframe/Composite Manufacturing (IMABAEAI)

Keywords

• Aerospace composite tooling
• CNC machining services
• 5-axis machining
• Carbon fiber tooling
• Metallic layup molds

Headquarters

HQ city

Wichita

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations

Revenue model

1. Aerospace CNC Machining Services: Custom CNC machining services for aerospace tooling and parts. Project-based custom work with pricing based on complexity, size, and specifications. Serves general aviation and large airframe manufacturers.
2. Composite Tooling: Carbon fiber composite tooling manufacturing including vacuum infusion prototype tooling, autoclave tools, and out-of-autoclave tools. Custom manufacturing services.
3. Metallic Tooling: Aluminum and steel layup molds for parts fabrication. Custom tooling manufacturing.
4. 5-Axis Parts Trimming: CNC machining and trimming services for aerospace parts using vacuum holding fixtures.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Leading Edge Aerospace manufactures precision aerospace tooling, including carbon fiber composite tooling (vacuum infusion and autoclave methods), aluminum and steel metallic layup molds, and provides 5-axis CNC machining and parts trimming services for tools and components up to 50 feet in length. The company serves general aviation and large airframe manufacturers worldwide with custom project-based tooling manufacturing and CNC programming/design services using Mastercam and Catia-capable workflows.

Product overview

Leading Edge Aerospace is a precision aerospace tooling manufacturer offering a portfolio of CNC machining and composite tooling services. The core offerings include Carbon Fiber Composite Tooling (vacuum infusion and autoclave methods), Aerospace Metallic Tooling (aluminum and steel layup molds), and 5-Axis CNC Machining and Parts Trimming services with equipment capable of handling tools up to 50 feet in length. The company also provides CNC programming and design services using Mastercam and Catia conversion capabilities. All services are focused on serving general aviation and large airframe manufacturers globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Carbon Fiber Composite Tooling Aerospace-grade carbon fiber composite tooling manufactured using carbon fabric, epoxy infusion, and vacuum infusion processes for prototype and production parts fabrication by general aviation and large airframe manufacturers.
• Aerospace Metallic Tooling Aluminum and steel layup molds for aerospace parts fabrication, offering cost-effective aluminum tooling and precision steel tooling for CTE-critical applications serving general aviation and large airframe manufacturers.
• 5-Axis CNC Machining and Parts Trimming High-precision CNC machining and 5-axis parts trimming services for aerospace tools and components up to 50 feet in length, using CNC vacuum holding fixtures for parts trimming to eliminate human error and meet exact specifications.
• CNC Programming and Design Services CNC programming and design services using Mastercam software, including 3- and 5-axis programming, 3D solid modeling, tool design, reverse engineering, and bidirectional conversion to and from Catia and other native CAD languages for general aviation and large airframe manufacturers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Produced major prototype tools for Scorpion aircraft including vacuum infused tools for first prototype

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Jet2minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 February 2026Leading Edge operates as a pilot training partner for Jet2.com's Jet2FlightPath programme, providing flight training at locations in the UK, Spain, and the US. The programme covers £100,000-plus cost of flight training for aspiring pilots.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Janicki Industries: Sedro-Woolley, WA-based manufacturer of large-format tooling, patterns, and composite parts for aerospace (including Boeing, Airbus, SpaceX). Most direct U.S. peer to Leading Edge by capability mix of large tooling and aerospace composites.
• Avcorp Industries: Delta, BC-based Tier 2 supplier of composite aerostructures, metallic parts, and tooling to Boeing and other primes. Comparable small-to-mid scale composite tooling and parts business serving large airframe OEMs.
• Tool Gauge: Vancouver, WA-based manufacturer of aluminum and steel stretch-form and hydroform tooling for aerospace structures. Matches Leading Edge's metallic tooling line and aerospace customer profile.
• Kaman Aerospace Composites: Division of Kaman Corporation producing composite parts, structures, and tooling for aerospace and defense. Closely matches Leading Edge's composite tooling and parts trimming work for fixed-wing and rotorcraft customers.
• HITCO Carbon Composites: Gardena, CA-based subsidiary of General Atomics producing carbon fiber composites and tooling for aerospace and defense. Direct peer in carbon composite tooling and parts for fixed-wing and rotor platforms.
• Radius Engineering: Salt Lake City-based specialist in 5-axis CNC machining and large aerospace tooling for airframe, defense, and space customers — directly comparable large-CNC and specialty tooling focus.

Broad incumbents

• Hexcel: Stamford, CT-based public leader in aerospace composite materials (prepreg, honeycomb, reinforcement fabrics). Serves as the broad incumbent comparator for any independent composite tooling and parts supplier, including Leading Edge.
• Toray Advanced Composites: Morgan Hill, CA-based subsidiary of Toray Industries manufacturing carbon fiber prepreg and composite materials for aerospace. Broad incumbent that competes for the same OEM composite tooling and parts wallet.
• Solvay Composite Materials: Alpharetta, GA-based composite materials business (formerly Cytec) supplying resin systems, prepregs, and adhesives for aerospace. Represents the broad incumbent material-supply side of the same tooling and parts ecosystem.
• Mitsubishi Chemical Carbon Fiber & Composites: Irvine, CA-based composite materials business of Mitsubishi Chemical producing carbon fiber, prepreg, and finished composite parts for aerospace. Broad incumbent comparator in the carbon composite tooling and parts market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Leading Edge