Carbon Propellerbladen for The Flying Dutchman Madurodam

On July 2, 2020, the new indoor attraction “The Flying Dutchman” in Madurodam opened its doors to the public. This unique ‘flight experience’ is in a life-size, fully restored Douglas DC-3, better known as Dakota. This type of aircraft is seen as a true ‘game changer’ in the history of aviation and is also the most built aircraft in aviation history.

Challenging restoration
The builders of Madurodam worked on the restoration and transformation of the Dakota for over a year and a half. Holland Composites contributed to this by providing the iconic aircraft with new propellers, made of robust and lightweight carbon pre-preg.

We love creative challenges and making the new propellers was one of them. There was only one original propeller blade and part of the engine housing left. Our carbon experts formed this blade with carbon fiber, creating a mold. The new carbon propeller blades were made with this mold, completely in the style of the original engine propellers.

The advantages of carbon compared to metal:

• Lightweight – reduction in the total weight of the attraction
• Corrosion-free – no rust formation = no unsightly and weakened areas
• Low maintenance – continues to look nice and neat even after years of being exposed to the elements, which is beneficial for maintenance costs.

A very special aspect of the newest attraction of Madurodam is the size: scale 1:1. This has not been used before in miniature city Madurodam and shows the enormous creativity and craftsmanship of the builders. We are very proud that we have contributed with our knowledge and skills to the metamorphosis of the Dakota into the spectacular attraction “The Flying Dutchman”.

Do you also have a creative challenge in the field of carbon composite? Contact our carbon experts now! Contact us