The Pinch Points
Why Aerospace Shops Come to Us Instead of Their Bank
Aerospace fronts everything — titanium, certified labor, and qualification tooling — months before a prime pays net-90. Banks won't bridge a gap that size; our lenders will. Sound familiar?
$1.2M Subcontract, Net-90
You won a $1.2M defense subcontract. Materials (titanium, Inconel) cost $350K. The prime contractor pays net-90 after inspection. Your bank won't bridge a 90-day gap at this scale.
AS9100 Recert Due
AS9100 recertification is due — audits, documentation, and corrective actions total $35K. Losing certification means losing every aerospace customer.
5-Axis Opens Turbine Work
A 5-axis CNC machine would let you take on turbine blade contracts worth $200K/month. The machine is $450K. Your current 3-axis limits you to simpler components.
$2.4M Program, Audit in 10 Weeks
A prime contractor wants you to take over a legacy landing gear component program — $2.4M annually. You need $140K in Nadcap-certified heat treat equipment and a $55K tool crib buildout. The qualification audit is in 10 weeks and there's no flexibility on the timeline.
EDM Out of Spec, Scrapping Disks
Your EDM machine is producing surface finishes outside spec on turbine disk slots. A new wire EDM is $320K. Every scrapped disk blank costs $4,800 in exotic alloy material alone — and you've scrapped three this month.
Qualified, But Cash-Gated
You've got the certs and the capability to win the next program, but the qualification tooling and audit costs land months before the contract pays a dime.
What an operator said
“We won a $1.8M defense subcontract but needed $310K in titanium and Inconel upfront — with net-90 government payment terms. Basecamp set up invoice factoring in 5 days. Cash flow problem solved.”
Colonel Dan F. (Ret.) · Aerospace Shop Owner · Huntsville, AL
Start Here
See Your Range in 60 Seconds
No credit check, no documents to start, and an estimated funding range on the spot. No one contacts you until you’re ready to move forward.
What Happens When You Start
Estimate Your Capital Range
Slide to your annual gross revenue. We size capital off your top line — not your credit score.
Estimated Capital Range
A conservative range based on 10-15% of annual revenue — many businesses qualify for more with strong receivables or assets behind them. Lenders return real term sheets once they see your file.
60 seconds · No obligation · Estimate only
Built for the Trade
What We Fund for Aerospace & Defense Shops
Aerospace Equipment, Section 179
Finance 5-axis CNC machines, wire EDM, and NDT systems with a fraction down and the full first-year write-off — precision capacity that opens six-figure contracts while it pays for itself.
Bridge Net-90 Government Pay
A/R financing advances against defense-prime and government invoices, so titanium and labor on a net-90 contract aren't your cash sitting unpaid for three months.
Fund AS9100 & Compliance, Fast
A working line covers recertification audits, traceability systems, and exotic-alloy tooling — the costs that aren't optional and can't wait on a bank.
Compliance & Qualification Capital
A working line funds AS9100 certification, ITAR qualification, and clearance costs up front — sized on your prime-contract pipeline, so the compliance bill never stalls the award.
Match Your Situation
The Cash-Flow Gaps We Fund for Aerospace Shops
Match your situation to the structure. Every one of these funds on your revenue, not a perfect credit file.
| What It Looks Like | Funding Solution | Amount | Speed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AS9100 certification and recertification | AS9100 audits, corrective actions, and documentation overhauls — losing certification means losing every aerospace customer overnight. | Working Capital | $75K–$300K | 1–3 days |
| Specialty tooling for exotic alloys | Machining titanium and Inconel requires carbide and ceramic tooling that costs 5–10x more than standard tooling per contract. | Working Capital | $75K–$300K | 1–3 days |
| Material traceability systems | Aerospace primes require full material traceability — ERP upgrades, barcode/RFID systems, and cert management software. | Working Capital | $75K–$150K | 1–3 days |
| NDT equipment acquisition | Non-destructive testing (X-ray, ultrasonic, dye penetrant) equipment is required for in-house inspection on structural components. | Equipment Financing | $75K–$250K | 3–7 days |
| Engineer and specialist recruitment | Hiring GD&T specialists, CNC programmers, and quality engineers — staffing up for a $2M+ defense program requires upfront labor costs. | Working Capital | $100K–$300K | 1–3 days |
The Products
How Aerospace & Defense Financing Is Structured
Most aerospace and defense files fund between $75K and $5M+, structured to the equipment, compliance cost, or contract in front of you. Larger lines available when revenue, cash flow, and story qualify.
| Amount | Term | Best For | Funding Speed | Typical Structure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Working Capital | $75K–$5M+ | 6mo–10yr | AS9100 compliance, tooling, contract bridging | 1–3 days | Often unsecured, daily/weekly ACH |
| Equipment Financing | $75K–$5M+ | 2yr–10yr | 5-axis CNC, wire EDM, NDT systems | 3–7 days | Equipment serves as collateral |
| Invoice Factoring | $75K–$5M+ | Per invoice | Net-90 government and prime receivables | 1–2 days | Invoices secure the line, no PG typically |
| Business LOC | $75K–$5M+ | Revolving | Exotic-alloy buys, consumables, sub-assemblies | 1–5 days | Unsecured line, no PG by default |
Tax Strategy
Section 179 on a 5-Axis Mill, Wire EDM, and NDT System — Worked
If last year was strong and you’re about to write a check to the IRS — stop. Acquire qualifying equipment with as little as 10% down, finance the rest, and write off the full purchase price in year one. Section 179 covers it up to the annual cap; 100% bonus depreciation — made permanent in 2025, with no cap and no income limit — carries the rest.
At the top bracket, that first-year deduction can return meaningful tax savings — and for an established business with strong cash flow, it’s the difference between writing a check to the IRS and putting the same money into your own equipment. Your CPA models the exact numbers for your bracket and structure.
Worked scenario · top bracket · illustrative
You financed the machine and put down a fraction of its price — but you deduct the full price in year one. The write-off is bigger than your down payment, and the equipment keeps working the whole time.
Scales with your numbers
Illustrative only. Actual savings depend on your tax bracket, entity type, state conformity, and CPA guidance. Section 179 and bonus depreciation are elections your CPA makes for your situation; above the Section 179 cap, 100% bonus depreciation carries the balance.
Terms reflect credit, revenue, time in business, and each lender. Every file is unique — see what the desk structures for yours in the 60-second qualifier.
Bobby’s Take
“A 5-axis mill is the line between bidding turbine and structural work and turning it away. Put a fraction down on a $450K machine — the most expensive write-off in your shop — and §179 deducts the full cost the year the spindle’s running, more than you put down. Your CPA confirms it.”
Bobby Friel · Founder · 20+ years in banking and finance
How It Works
From Application to Funded
One application, 70+ lenders competing, a dedicated specialist, and most files funded in days.
60-second estimate
Enter your numbers — no credit check, no documents. You see an estimated funding range on the spot.
A specialist is assigned
A real funding specialist — not an algorithm — reviews your file, usually within 24 hours.
70+ lenders compete
Your application goes to the marketplace. Competing offers typically land 24–48 hours later.
You pick the offer
Compare structures and terms with your advisor. No obligation until you choose to sign.
Funded in days
From same-day working capital to a multi-piece stack, most files fund in days — not the bank’s 60–90.
Underwriting
What Underwriting Looks At
Funding here leads with what your business actually does — your revenue and cash flow. The specialist desk reads the real picture from your statements, then matches it to the lenders most likely to fund it.
How you’re evaluated
Revenue-first
sized off your top line, not just your balance sheet.
Cash-flow driven
your bank statements show how the business really runs.
Bank-statement underwriting
even a down year is read off 4 months of statements.
Story-driven
a big new contract, a seasonal swing, a turnaround in progress: context the raw numbers miss counts too.
What to have ready
↳Had a loss year? It’s read off the bank statements — 4 months, not 6.
Start fast, finish complete
The operators who fund quickest come to the specialist review with these ready — but you don’t need all of it to start. Your signed application and bank statements are what unblock the review; the rest can follow as trailing docs. Real term sheets come once the lenders can see a true business overview, so the move is simple: get the application and statements in right away, and don’t let a missing tax return hold up your term sheets.
Credit, straight
Qualification
Who Gets Funded — and Who’s Not Ready Yet
A straight read saves everyone time — here’s the line between an aerospace & defense file that funds and one that isn’t ready yet.
↳Time in business is a factor, not a gate — newer crews with strong revenue still qualify.
Not ready yet isn’t a no — it’s a checklist. Most of it is fixable in a quarter or two, and your advisor will tell you straight which gaps to fix before a file goes in.
The Operator's Guide
Aerospace & Defense Financing
Fronting Titanium Before the Net-90 Clears
Aerospace is the most capital-intensive manufacturing sector there is. A 5-axis CNC machine costs $450K. Titanium billets run $80 a pound. And the government pays net-90. You win a $1.2M defense subcontract, front $350K in exotic alloys and machining time, and then wait three months for inspection and payment. Your bank can't bridge a 90-day gap at that scale. Ours can. Government invoices qualify for the lowest factoring rates available because Uncle Sam always pays.
One Application, 70+ Lenders
And then there's certification. AS9100 recertification costs $35K in audits, documentation, and corrective actions. It's not optional — lose it and you lose every aerospace customer overnight. ITAR compliance adds another layer. These aren't expenses most lenders understand. Our 70+ lending partners fund aerospace shops, defense subcontractors, and MRO facilities every week. $75K compliance costs to $5M+ equipment expansions. One application, soft-pull review to start.
Common Questions
Aerospace & Defense Financing — Questions, Answered
Equipment financing for 5-axis CNC mills and specialty aerospace equipment ranges from $75K to $5M+ with the machine as collateral. Aerospace-grade equipment often qualifies for premium terms due to high resale value and long useful life.
Yes. Invoice factoring advances 80–90% of government and prime contractor invoices within 24–48 hours. Government invoices qualify for the lowest factoring rates available because they're the most reliable payers.
Working capital funds in 24 hours for certification audits, documentation, corrective actions, and training. No restrictions on use — any compliance-related expense qualifies.
No. Soft credit pull only — zero FICO impact.
A/R financing advances against the government or prime invoice so you're not floating exotic alloy for three months; soft-pull review to start.
Recommended Funding
The Products That Fit Aerospace & Defense Work
Equipment Financing →
Finance 5-axis CNC machines and specialty aerospace equipment — the equipment is the collateral.
Invoice Factoring →
Convert net-90 government and prime contractor invoices into same-day working capital.
Working Capital Loans →
Fund AS9100 compliance, titanium inventory, and defense contract bridging costs.
Business Acquisition Financing →
Acquire complementary aerospace capabilities through revenue-based capital stacking.
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