Reducing the Cost of Airfreight with Innovative Aircraft Design Using Siemens NX, Teamcenter, & Fibersim
Blog Article | February 5, 2026
How Natilus Uses Siemens Engineering Software, Supported by Saratech
Air freight offers speed but comes at a significantly higher cost than ocean shipping. Natilus, a California-based aerospace startup, is developing remotely controlled cargo aircraft with the stated goal of reducing the cost of airfreight by 50-60% through thoughtful design and more efficient use of internal space.
To support this effort, Natilus uses Siemens Digital Industries Software—including NX, Teamcenter, Fibersim, and simulation tools—with delivery and implementation support from Saratech, a Siemens Digital Industries Expert Partner.
Addressing the Cost Gap in Global Freight
Natilus was founded by a team of engineers and builders with experience across more than 25 aircraft programs spanning general, commercial, and military aviation. The company is focused on addressing a long-standing challenge in freight transportation.
“Air freight is fast, but too expensive. Ocean freight is affordable, but it’s very untimely,” says Aleksey Matyushev, CEO and co-founder of Natilus. “Our solution is to bridge the gap and capture the timeliness of airfreight, but at a reduction in cost of 50-60% to get closer to the commodity pricing of ocean freight.”
According to Natilus, lowering the cost of airfreight could support fresher produce distribution, enable cross-border e-commerce, and improve access to goods in regions with limited infrastructure.
Engineering Challenges for a Growing Aerospace Startup
As a startup developing large cargo aircraft, Natilus faced several challenges:
- Developing remotely controlled cargo aircraft with no pilots in the cockpit
- Maximizing cargo volume while maintaining aircraft performance
- Rapidly increasing the size of the engineering team
- Accessing advanced engineering software typically used by large aerospace manufacturers
Addressing these challenges required software capable of handling complex geometry, large assemblies, composites engineering, and simulation-driven development.
Aircraft Design With Siemens NX
Natilus uses Siemens NX software for computer-aided design as part of its aircraft development process. A key design approach is the use of a blended-wing body configuration, which differs from conventional tube-and-wing aircraft.
From a freight perspective, Natilus states this configuration provides approximately 50% more internal volume, allowing increased cargo capacity per flight compared to traditional designs.
Earlier in development, Natilus used a mainstream CAD system that was attractively priced but lacked advanced surfacing and large-assembly capabilities.
“We started to get into more complex surfacing, specifically with our blended-wing body design with a lot of curvatures and intricacies in the surfaces, and we could not get through the problems using the other software,” says Matyushev. “NX is an incredible tool for us.”
NX’s long-standing use in the aerospace industry, along with prior experience among Natilus co-founders, contributed to the decision to adopt Siemens software.
Composites Engineering & Product Data Management
Natilus is developing three aircraft products, all designed with carbon-fiber composite airframes. As development progresses, the company plans to use Siemens Fibersim to support composites engineering, including transitioning from solid models to foam cores with defined ply schedules.
Natilus is also working to implement Teamcenter software to support collaboration and product data management as its engineering team expands. Teamcenter is intended to help manage product data and support coordination across a rapidly growing organization.
Simulation & Analysis
For simulation, Natilus currently uses NASA-developed digital tools, including Nastran for structural analysis and FUN3D for computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The company is evaluating additional finite element analysis solutions from the Simcenter portfolio to support future stress analysis needs.
This combination of tools supports engineering decision-making as aircraft designs advance through detailed development stages.
How Natilus Accelerates Product Development With Siemens Software & Saratech
Natilus works with Saratech for the delivery and implementation of Siemens engineering software. As a Siemens Expert Platinum Partner, Saratech supports customers in deploying Siemens Digital Industries Software and applying these tools within real-world engineering environments.
“Siemens gives us the capability and the technology of large aviation companies like Boeing or Airbus, at a cost that is very palatable to a startup,” says Aleksey Matyushev, CEO and co-founder of Natilus. “Siemens is almost a one-stop shop for core tools and technologies that work within the same environment.”
For companies facing complex product development and manufacturing challenges, Saratech helps optimize the entire product development cycle—from design through manufacturing—by aligning engineering processes, digital tools, and production workflows to reduce risk, improve efficiency, and accelerate time to market.
Ready to Optimize Your Product Development Cycle? Partner with Saratech
Engineering & Product Development Services
Supporting design, analysis, and manufacturing programs from concept through production. Saratech can execute and manage defined work packages or operate as an extension of your engineering team to provide specialized expertise when and where it’s needed.
Product Development Process Improvement
Working with design, engineering, and manufacturing teams to evaluate and improve product development processes—helping organizations make better products, reduce inefficiencies, and achieve measurable business outcomes.
Software Sales, Implementation & Training
Recommending and delivering the right CAD, CAM, CAE, PDM, and PLM solutions, backed by expert implementation and training. Saratech uses Siemens software internally, bringing real-world experience to customer deployments.
Manufacturing Solutions & Additive Manufacturing
Supporting manufacturing initiatives through CAM software deployment, CNC programming, automation support, and industrial 3D printing solutions that improve speed, flexibility, and production efficiency.
For organizations evaluating Siemens Digital Industries Software—or looking to strengthen their product development and manufacturing capabilities—Saratech provides the technical expertise, process knowledge, and implementation experience to support long-term success.
Contact a Saratech expert to discuss how we support your product development goals.
Key Takeaways from Natilus’ Aircraft Development Journey
The Natilus case study demonstrates how aerospace startups can leverage Siemens Digital Industries Software to tackle complex aircraft development challenges while efficiently scaling engineering capabilities. By using tools such as NX, Teamcenter, Fibersim, and Simcenter, Natilus advanced innovative aircraft designs, optimized workflows, and managed product development across a growing engineering team.
Working with a Siemens Digital Industries Expert Partner like Saratech illustrates the value of having experienced support for software delivery, training, and engineering expertise—helping teams apply advanced tools effectively within real-world product development environments.
For aerospace and defense organizations, this case study highlights key lessons: the importance of integrated digital tools, the benefits of structured engineering support, and the advantages of optimizing product development processes to accelerate innovation while managing complexity.
Source: This article is based on a Siemens Digital Industries Software customer case study featuring Natilus.
