Frequently Asked Questions
What is Tungsten?
Tungsten is purpose-built certification software for EASA Part 21J Design Offices. It replaces spreadsheets, shared drives, and manual approval chains with a structured platform for document management, task tracking, and audit trails. Tungsten streamlines the certification process so airworthiness engineers can focus on engineering, not paperwork.
Is Tungsten designed specifically for EASA Part 21J Design Offices?
Yes, absolutely. Every workflow, approval chain, and document template in Tungsten is tailored to the Part 21J certification process. The system encodes regulatory best practices and certification pathways specific to Design Organisations. While some concepts may overlap with Part 21G (Production) or Part 21A (Development), Tungsten's core design is Part 21J-first.
What are the main features of Tungsten?
Tungsten includes six core capabilities: (1) Document Management — version control, structured approvals, and centralized storage; (2) Snapshot Reviews — capture project state for formal review and track progress over time; (3) Task Tracking — assign work with deadlines and status visibility; (4) Activity Logs — organisation-scoped audit trails showing who did what and when; (5) Role-Based Access — fine-grained permissions for engineers, approvers, and observers; (6) Powerful Search — find projects by type, classification, or keyword. All features are included in every plan with no per-seat charges or feature gating.
How does Tungsten handle document versioning and approvals?
Tungsten enforces structured approval workflows. When you upload a document, it enters a version-controlled workflow: drafting → review → approval → publication. Each stage is tracked with timestamps and user attribution. Reviewers and approvers are assigned explicitly, and the system tracks who approved what version and when. This creates an unbroken audit trail for regulatory submission and post-approval traceability.
Can we use Tungsten for projects already underway?
Yes. You can create and manage projects at any stage — from early concept through final certification submission. Tungsten is designed to integrate into your existing workflow, not force a restart. You can import historical project data and continue forward from where you are now.
How long does it take to get started with Tungsten?
Most design offices are operational within a day. The process is straightforward: (1) Create your organisation account; (2) Invite your team members; (3) Create your first project and define the scope; (4) Upload documents and assign review tasks. No complex integrations, no IT overhead, no weeks of implementation. Start your first project immediately and learn as you go.
What about security and data protection?
Tungsten prioritises security and compliance. Your certification data is hosted on AWS infrastructure in European data centres with encryption at rest and in transit. Automated daily backups ensure data protection. Access is controlled via role-based permissions — engineers see their assigned tasks, approvers control approval workflows, and organisation admins manage team membership. Two-factor authentication is available. All access is logged in an audit trail.
Is Tungsten GDPR and aerospace regulation compliant?
Yes. Tungsten is GDPR-compliant with data residency in EU/UK data centres. The platform implements privacy-by-design principles including role-based access, audit logging, and data retention controls. For aerospace compliance, Tungsten is designed to support EASA certification workflows, including maintaining audit trails required for regulatory submissions. We maintain detailed compliance documentation available on request.
How much does Tungsten cost?
Tungsten costs £299 per month, billed annually (£3,588 per year). This is a flat-rate per-organisation plan that includes unlimited users, unlimited projects, and full access to all features — no per-seat surcharges, no feature gating, no hidden costs. Enterprise organisations with custom deployment needs or air-gapped environments can contact us for tailored pricing.
What payment and deployment options are available?
Tungsten is offered as a cloud-hosted SaaS platform (app.tungsten.aero) with subscription billing. For enterprise customers, we offer hybrid and self-hosted deployment options with custom licensing. On-premises and air-gapped deployments, watermarked exports, and API integrations are available for Design Offices with specific compliance or infrastructure requirements. Contact our team for a custom quote.
Can Tungsten integrate with existing tools (CAD systems, ERP, etc.)?
Tungsten is designed as a self-contained certification platform. Documents can be uploaded from any source (CAD exports, spreadsheets, PDFs, reports) and managed within Tungsten's workflows. Currently, direct API integrations with third-party CAD or ERP systems are not available in the standard product. Custom integrations are available for enterprise customers — contact us for specific requirements.
Who owns and maintains Tungsten?
Tungsten is developed by Altus Aeronautica Ltd, a company founded by aerospace engineers. The platform is built by domain experts who understand the real challenges facing Part 21J Design Offices — inefficient paperwork workflows, compliance risks, and the need for structured audit trails. We focus entirely on the certification domain and continuously improve based on customer feedback.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. We offer a free trial so you can experience Tungsten risk-free. Create your organisation, set up a test project, and explore the platform with your team. No credit card required. Most teams use the trial to migrate a recent certification project and validate the workflow fit.
What support is available?
All customers receive email and chat support during business hours. We provide comprehensive onboarding to help your team adopt the platform. For urgent issues or critical certification projects, priority support options are available. Our team is familiar with aerospace compliance workflows and can help you configure Tungsten to match your specific Part 21J approval chains.
What happens to my data if we cancel our subscription?
You can download all your certification data at any time while your subscription is active. If you cancel, we provide a 30-day grace period to export your complete project data in standard formats (PDFs, spreadsheets, archives). After the grace period, inactive projects are archived and are not accessible without re-activation.
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