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Contents
January/February 2008
Features
26
Casting a vote for alloys
Bringing lighter weight, improved performance, and
enhanced repairability to airframes and engines.
32
On the cover
Northrop Grumman is involved in a number
of UAV programs, including the RQ-4N
Global Hawk, which is the principal element
of the company’s Broad Area Maritime
Surveillance proposal for the U.S. Navy.
32
A sense of the future
for UAVs
Providing the unblinking eye for intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance.
36
Light material brings
heavy challenges
40
Ryan’s ‘Research’ put to good use
The Southwest Research Institute engineer assumes SAE President duties for 2008.
Shift from aluminum to composites requires major
changes in equipment, software.
2
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
aero-online.org
DepartmentHighlights
4
6
7
Editorial
Focus
Technology update
11
7 Manufacturing
Novator drilling system finds favor at Airbus
Preventing quality defects before they happen
Renishaw system leads CMM scanning out of ‘time warp’
Eclipse looks to improve production processes
12 Testing
Weathering changes in aerodynamic innovations
14 Materials
GKN Aerospace develops advanced materials for
Black Hawk, Boeing 787
Sentinel against corrosion
Chomerics puts up EMI shield
Andrews Space provides thermal protection for re-entry
18 Propulsion
NASA begins rocket testing
12
Airbus and the environment
20 Electronics
A step toward self-inspecting aircraft
Synthetically seeing in zero visibility
Simulation
22 A Mach 0.8, 40,000-ft challenge
& standards
23 Regulations
SAE seeks to improve communications capabilities
for weapons
Design
24 Airlines can find better colors, quicker
25 Vehicles
Alenia demonstrates UAV technologies for future product
30
44
47
48
18
News bits
Product showcase
Companies mentioned
Ad index
Aerospace Engineering, (ISSN 1937-5212), Jan/Feb 2008, Volume 28, Number 1. Published 10 times a year by SAE International, 400 Commonwealth Drive,
Warrendale PA 15096. Printed in Shepherdsville, KY. Annual subscription for SAE members: first subscription, $20.00 included in dues; additional single
copies, $26.00 each North America, $31.00 each Overseas. Prices for non-member subscriptions are $88.00 North America, $149.00 Overseas. Periodical
postage paid at Warrendale, PA, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please return form 3579 to Aerospace Engineering, 400 Commonwealth
Drive, Warrendale PA 15086. SAE is not responsible for the accuracy of information in the editorial, articles, and advertising sections of this publication. Readers should independently evaluate the accuracy of any statement in the editorial, articles, and advertising sections of this publication which are important to him/
her and rely on his/her independent evaluation. For permission to reproduce articles in quantity, contact customersales@sae.org, and for use in other media,
contact aero@sae.org. Claims for missing issues of the magazine must be submitted within a six-month time frame of the claimed issue’s publication date.
Copyright © 2008 The Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc. Aerospace Engineering title registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Aerospace Engineering is indexed and abstracted in the SAE Global Mobility Database®.
Audited by
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Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
3
Editorial
January/February 2008
Thomas J. Drozda
Director of Publications
thomasdrozda@sae.org
New year, new focus
If you are reading this, just three pages into the
premiere issue of Aerospace Engineering &
Manufacturing (AEM) magazine, I’m sure you
have noticed more than just a longer name
for what used to be simply Aerospace
Engineering. After having served the engineering side of the industry for more than 25 years,
the manufacturing reach is being expanded to
parallel what has been going on in the industry
over those years. Specifically, the magazine
should better reflect that the industry does no
longer consist of essentially one prime and lots
of component suppliers, but is now at a place
where nearly every player is both a manufacturer and supplier.
R&D and engineering are continuing to shift
from the primes to suppliers. Suppliers whose
role once was to simply produce a part (to
spec) are now being asked to design, engineer,
and manufacture the complete part/component
and, in some cases, integrate/assemble parts
and software from other suppliers into an entire
subsystem. From the early concept to the finished aircraft, and everywhere in between,
shared knowledge is critical for success.
Reporting on that knowledge—from both the
manufacturing and engineering perspectives—
is necessary for any magazine covering the
aerospace industry today.
A few other upgrades have been made to
AEM besides a new name and increased manufacturing content. A few former departments
have been combined to create a mega-department that maintains the Technology Update
name. Articles within it, as well as feature articles, are now labeled by technology for quick
scanning.
The magazine itself has been graphically updated with a new design featuring a larger-
page format with bigger,
more detailed imagery
and less clutter. Its editorial mission will be to
keep the aerospace product development community aware of new
technologies and manufacturing advancements
from around the world.
And if the new order figures that Boeing
and Airbus released in January are any indication, there will certainly be plenty of both going
on. Boeing has broken the 1000 order mark for
the third year in a row, ending up in 2007 with
1413 net commercial airplane orders, setting a
record for total orders in a year. It delivered
441 planes and has unfilled orders for more
than 3400 airplanes.
Airbus did nearly as well in 2007, ending up
with 1341 net commercial airplane orders and
delivering 453 aircraft. It has unfilled orders for
3421 aircraft, or what it says is “about six years
of production at steadily increasing production
rates.” Airbus says it expects to deliver more
than 470 planes this year, and Boeing is projecting that it will deliver 485, which means
they will both be ramping up production. What
will be key is how well their suppliers are also
capable of ramping up production.
The unique, highly complex designs of aerospace products require close collaboration between the engineering and manufacturing functions. Design engineering must take into consideration manufacturing capabilities before
embarking on new designs and engineering
changes. And, this collaboration must extend
both up and down the supply chain.
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
Jean L. Broge
Editor
Lindsay Brooke
Senior Editor
Darlene Fritz
Associate Editor
Patrick Ponticel
Assistant Editor
Ryan Gehm
Assistant Editor
Matt Monaghan
Assistant Editor
Matthew Newton
Assistant Editor
Stuart Birch
European Editor
Jack Yamaguchi
Asian Editor
Contributors
Terry Costlow, Barry Rosenberg,
Joyce Laird, Jennifer Shuttleworth,
Jenny R. Hessler, Linda Trego
Wayne Silvonic
Production Manager
Graphic designers
William L. Schall Jr.,
Lucy Matyjaszczyk
Edward McCallum
Publisher
Melissa R. Mishler
General Manager - Global Sales
meliss@sae.org
Marcie L. Hineman
Associate Publisher
hineman@sae.org
Carolyn A. Taylor
Marketing Manager
carolt@sae.org
Jodie Mohnkern
Circulation and Mail List Manager
mohnkern@sae.org
Aerospace Engineering offices
400 Commonwealth Drive
Warrendale, PA 15096-0001, U.S.A.
Web: www.aero-online.org
Editorial
Phone: 724-772-8509
Fax: 724-776-9765
E-mail: aero@sae.org
Editor
4
Kevin Jost
Editorial Director
Advertising
Display–Linda Risch
Classified/Web–Debby Catalano
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Focus
January/February 2008
SAE Officers
Thomas W. Ryan III
2008 President
Richard O. Schaum
2007 President
A magazine’s transformation
Some celebrities have made a career out of
reinventing themselves, regularly transforming
their images to maintain their “hip” or “cool”
status, allowing them to be more appealing to
new generations of audiences.
Although it could be considered a transformation of sorts—and the audience certainly is
the reason for the new focus of this magazine—
I still would object to placing Aerospace
Engineering & Manufacturing (AEM) in the
same category as those who keep the paparazzi
in business. Yes, it has undergone a number of
changes. Yes, its very name has been expanded
to better reflect the new focus of the magazine.
But these changes are based on significant
customer feedback and research and have been
implemented with only one objective in mind: to
benefit the reader.
The new AEM is dedicated to offering expanded coverage that will address the latest
manufacturing and assembly developments. It
is the only publication that will regularly showcase the critical engineering and manufacturing
collaboration in new-product development programs required in the aerospace industry. All of
these enhancements are showcased in a bold
new design with a larger, more readable, and
more visual format.
Speaking of visual, you may notice that the
words on this page now are accompanied by
my photo, and the Editorial article a few pages
back includes the Editor’s photo as well. Never
underestimating the value in “putting a name
with a face,” our hope with this change is to
provide a bit more of a connection and personalization to your reading experience.
These updates correspond well with an article that appears in the January issue of
Automotive Engineering International (one of
two sister publications of this magazine),
“Visually Speaking,” which addresses the concepts of brand DNA and vehicle personaliza-
6
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
tion. Much like consumers desire to have their
cars personalized according to their needs
and wants, we believe that the readers of our
magazines deserve a more personalized experience with SAE magazines. While we have not
yet reached the point of allowing you to choose
the color of paper your copy is printed on, we
have done our research to get an overall idea of
what readers want, which led to the new magazine (and the changes to Automotive
Engineering International and AEM’s other
sister publication, SAE Off-Highway
Engineering). And providing a number of options increases personalization as well, allowing
readers to choose the format that best fits their
lifestyle and preferences. This is one of the primary reasons that we rolled out our digital
magazines in 2006, recognizing the increasing
popularity of paperless delivery. The digital formats of SAE’s magazines are available only to
SAE members. To join SAE and gain access to
all three digital editions, visit www.sae.org/
membership and click on the “Join SAE” link. If
you are already a member, you can go to the
same page, click on the “Digital Editions” link,
and sign into your account.
It is my hope that you find the new AEM
thoroughly readable and beneficial. As always, I
encourage you to provide your feedback on the
new magazine or anything relating to AEM by
e-mailing aem@sae.org. Hopefully, the magazine’s transformation will transform your reading
experience into an even more positive one.
Ronald York
Vice President - Aerospace
Jacqueline A. Dedo
Vice President - Automotive
Richard E. Kleine
Vice President - Commercial Vehicle
Terence J. Rhoades
Treasurer
Carol A. Story
Assistant Treasurer
Raymond A. Morris
Executive Vice President
and Chief Operating Officer
SAE Board of Directors
David J. Andrea
Aravind S. Bharadwaj
Gregory W. Davis
Mazen Hammoud
Iftekhar Ibrahim
Robert L. Ireland
Andrew J. Jeffers
Cuneyt L. Oge
Douglas Patton
Mark L. Pedrazzi
Nicholas K. Petek
Brian R. Richardson
Victor E. Saucedo
Ronald R. Smisek
Ahmed A. Soliman
David Stout
Leonard Tedesco
Bharat S. Vedak
SAE Publications Board
Michael D. Madley
Chairman
Nicholas P. Cernansky
Gregory W. Davis
Andrew J. Jeffers
Robert Noth
Douglas Patton
SAE Section Activities
SAE Executive Vice President
and Chief Operating Officer
SAE has 96 sections and groups located in
the United States, Canada, Mexico, Taiwan,
United Kingdom, Brazil, India, Russia, Belarus,
China, Egypt, Hong Kong, Romania, Italy,
Malaysia, Ukraine, and Israel. A complete
listing of the sections and groups, along with
their respective officers, can be found at
www.sae.org/sections/sectlist.htm or from
SAE Headquarters. Additional information
regarding a particular section or group
is available from SAE Headquarters,
Membership and Section Programs.
aero-online.org
TechnologyUpdate
January/February 2008
Manufacturing
Novator drilling system finds favor at Airbus
Because orbital drilling allows for drilling
and finishing in a single operation, a fully
implemented process can reduce drilling
time by 50% over conventional methods,
according to Novator. The need to disassemble the parts to remove burrs is eliminated.
To exploit the advantages of orbital
drilling, Airbus started a project with
Novator a few years ago in order to develop a portable orbital drilling unit for
final assembly lines in Toulouse, France,
and Hamburg, Germany. Called Twinspin
PX3, the CNC-controlled unit allows for a
continuous radial offset adjustment of the
cutting tool. It can produce not only cylindrical, but also conical and other complex-shaped holes.
In addition, an ID chip reader for position control and automatic diameter and
parameter settings is included in the unit.
The ID chip reader can also be used to
identify a specific predetermined hole
drilling recipe to perform adaptive stack
drilling (parameters can be changed
when moving from layer to layer in a material stack).
By working in close cooperation with
Novator, Airbus has been able to thoroughly specify all requirements of the system to qualify and use it in a production
environment. Intensive tests have been
performed at Airbus to validate the industrial capability of the system for the A320
family final assembly lines, and the aircraft
maker has decided to fully deploy it on all
wing-to-body stations. With the switch to
the Novator unit, the need for five currently used machines is eliminated.
Orbital drilling is based on machining
material both axially and radially by rotating
the cutting tool about its own axis as well
as eccentrically about a principal axis
while feeding the tool through the material
at low thrust force. The small chips that
are produced can be removed easily by
vacuum. Efficient chip removal prevents
aero-online.org
heat buildup and eliminates the risk for
matrix melting in composite materials and
heat-affected zones in metals. In addition,
it eliminates the risk for chip-induced
damage and makes cleaning of structures
obsolete.
The tool only intermittently contacts
the material, which allows for efficient
cooling and makes dry drilling possible. It
also increases the tool life in dry drilling.
Dry drilling is highly desirable as it reduces
cost and has little environmental impact
(vs. the use of coolant). In some applications, however, minimal-quantity lubrication is required to reduce friction between
the cutting tool and the workpiece to reduce cutter wear.
Low thrust force allows for burr-less
By producing chips of small size, orbital
drilling allows for the efficient removal of
them by vacuum.
Because it would be manually
operated, Novator designed
the drilling unit to have a
mass less than 14 kg.
drilling in metals and delamination-free
drilling in laminated composite material. It
also minimizes the risk for part deflection
when drilling in thin structures and it facilitates use of automation such as indus-
trial robots, which are force-sensitive.
Patrick Ponticel edited this article based on
information supplied by Benoît Marguet, Frédéric
Wiegert, and Olivier Lebahar of Airbus France;
Bertrand Bretagnol of Assystem; Fahri Okcu of
Airbus Germany; and Eriksson Ingvar of Novator.
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
7
TechnologyUpdate
January/February 2008
Manufacturing
Preventing quality defects before they happen
Boeing
Reducing cycle time and time
to market while improving
quality and efficiency are the
benefits customers of
Intercim’s Pertinence Suite
can expect, according to the
company. The Suite manages
the entire production process,
from design through final inspection.
Boeing is using Intercim software
for work on the interior of the 787
Dreamliner.
The Suite offers customers
in aerospace and other sectors the power and technology
to manage the most complex
processes through simplicity,
according to Intercim
President and CEO John
Todd. “What makes the suite
unique is the way it delivers
additional return on invest-
8
ment,” he said. “Take the cost
of poor quality, for example.
Intercim’s patented predictive
analysis capability offers manufacturers a totally new way of
understanding and preventing
quality defects before they
happen, improving yield while
decreasing the cost of rework
and scrap.”
A new value-based pricing
model, unique to the industry,
eliminates the large initial investment typical in purchasing
enterprise software licenses,
the company says, adding that
the new pay-per-use model
allows customers to take advantage of the suite’s production management capabilities
sooner.
Native web technology allows the Pertinence Suite to
do what Intercim claims no
manufacturing execution system can: “manage production
within the four walls of the factory, across a company’s enterprise, and throughout the
supply chain.” Process plans,
data collection, risk patterns,
emergent processes, electronic approvals, and key performance indicator reports
may be entered locally and
accessed globally.
Comprehensive interoperability also allows customers to
optimize and leverage their
existing product lifecyle management and enterprise resource planning investment.
User acceptance is also
made easy via an intuitive user
interface, according to Todd.
Another innovation is the
ability to extend 3-D modeling
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
to the shop floor. “Since everything conforms to the 3-D
design, translating it to 2-D
as it leaves, engineering is
non-value-add and possibly
error-prone,” said Todd.
“Using 3-D as a common
model throughout the process
ensures consistency and is
more intuitive for the shopfloor technician.” The product
also ensures that work is performed only by authorized or
certified employees.
The Pertinence Suite comprises Process Planning,
Process Rules Discovery,
Process Execution, Operations
Advisor, Emergent Process
Management, and Performance
Tracker. It is powered by the
company’s Velocity Core, an
innovative transactional layer
that facilitates data exchange
between modules. Using
Service Oriented Architecture
and built on the Microsoft .Net
platform, the system is the only
completely web-based, commercial-off-the-shelf operations
management solution available,
according to the company.
Intercim says the launch is
the latest accomplishment resulting from its July 2007
merger with Pertinence.
Intercim describes itself as a
leader in the development and
application of web-based
manufacturing operations software.
Among the company’s customers are Boeing, which
uses Intercim’s products to
manage final-assembly process at its Everett plant in
Washington, and the quality
process worldwide. The company says its software provides Boeing immediate
knowledge of supplier product
anomalies that could affect
production. For example, if a
supplier anywhere in the world
has an interruption in its facility, Boeing can make immediate decisions to avoid production disruptions downstream
at Everett.
In final assembly at Everett,
Intercim software manages or
integrates with every aspect of
the production process. The
software ensures procedural
control in every task. Every
piece of data pertaining to installation of the aircraft is archived in a complete as-built
record, including the date,
time, and person who performed the work. The system
also manages the process for
each aircraft’s airworthiness
certification.
Other aerospace customers include Bell Helicopter,
for which Intercim software is
used to manage final assembly
of the V-22 Osprey and H-1
military helicopters; Ball
Aerospace, for an anomaly
and corrective tracking system; United Launch Alliance,
for process execution in rocket
assembly and launch procedures related to the Delta
Program; and EADS/Airbus
for operational risk analysis.
Patrick Ponticel
aero-online.org
EXCUSE US IF THIS SOUNDS LIKE ROCKET SCIENCE.
The National Center for Advanced Manufacturing is located at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility
in New Orleans, Louisiana. It’s one of only three such facilities in the world where cutting-edge
technologies like friction stir welding and advanced fiber placement are developed and applied. Build
in the most aggressive economic development incentive package in U.S. history, including generous
Gulf Opportunity Zone incentives, and it becomes very easy to understand why more companies are
exploring Louisiana.
TO LEARN MORE, CALL JIM LANDRY AT 225.342.5256 OR VISIT LOUISIANAFORWARD.COM/AEROSPACE
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TechnologyUpdate
January/February 2008
Manufacturing
Renishaw system leads CMM scanning out of ‘time warp’
Renishaw says early adopters
of its ultra-high-speed scanning system for coordinate
measuring machines are
achieving good productivity
gains. At the heart of the
Renscan5 system is the infinite-positioning REVO head.
The system is being applied to
complex parts that take long
to manufacture.
One example is a jet engine
blisk. The manufacturer had
experienced a 922% throughput improvement, according to
Renishaw. The inspection sequence comprises nine section scans of the airfoil profile,
eight longitudinal scans of the
blade, two scans of the root
profile, and one scan of the
annulus profile.
With conventional 3-axis
scanning at 10 mm/s, it takes
46 min per blade, or 22 h, 14
min for all 29 blades. With the
EVO head, scanning takes
place at the rate of 500 mm/s
for a per-blade time of 4 min,
30 s—2 hr, 10 min, 30 s for
all 29 blades.
“Besides major reductions
in cycle times, Renscan5 and
REVO make it possible to obtain far greater data point coverage,” said Denis Zayia,
Renishaw CMM Product
Manager.
“Faster inspection is especially vital on large, complex,
It takes one early
adopter of
Renishaw’s
Renscan5 system
a little more than
2 h to scan all 29
blades of a jet
engine blisk,
compared with
more than 22 h
using
conventional
three-axis
scanning.
high-value parts with many
critical features,” he continued.
“CMM [coordinate measuring
machine] inspection can be a
major bottleneck to efforts to
speed throughput and gain
lean efficiencies. Form measurement of complex parts
and critical geometries for
functional fits can demand
many thousands of data
points. Needing to produce
and document parts to everhigher precision, ever-tighter
tolerances, manufacturers are
looking to CMM speed for a
solution.”
Conventional three-axis
CMMs scan at rates of 5 to
15 mm/s to hold accuracy,
according to Zayia. The aim is
to avoid high acceleration and
deceleration rates and rapid
axis changes that can induce
inertia errors, causing deterioration in measurement accuracy. “CMM inspection has
been stuck in that time warp
for over two decades,” he said.
The Renishaw was created
in the company’s longest and
largest development program.
Renscan5 enabling technol-
ogy encompasses a range of
breakthrough five-axis scanning products that measure at
up to 500 mm and 4000 data
points per second while virtually eliminating the measurement errors normally associated with existing three-axis
scanning systems.
A 3-D measuring device in
its own right, the REVO head
features two rotary axes—one
in the vertical plane, one in the
horizontal—to give infinite rotation and positioning capability. The measuring head performs synchronized Y- and
Z-axis motion to quickly follow
changes in part geometry during inspection routines, eliminating dynamic errors caused
when moving the larger mass
of a CMM structure. Where X
axis motion is required for the
probing routine, Renscan5
moves the CMM at a constant
velocity along a constant vector as measurements are being taken, removing the acceleration/deceleration inertia
errors incurred in conventional
scanning.
Patrick Ponticel
Manufacturing
Eclipse looks to improve production processes
Eclipse Aviation will use an integrated
software suite from Right Hemisphere to
generate consistent and transferable
manufacturing and maintenance procedures for its production facilities in
Albuquerque, NM, and for its various service centers in the U.S.
Illustrated production and maintenance
instructions will be derived from the origi-
10
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
nal 3-D CAD files that were used in the
engineering development of the airplane
maker’s Eclipse 500, a very light jet.
“Eclipse Aviation strives to use the
most advanced technology available, and
the design of the Eclipse 500 was guided
by this principle,” said Vern Raburn,
Eclipse Aviation President and CEO, who
noted that use of the Right Hemisphere
product complements the company’s emphasis on continuous improvement.
Use of the integrated software suite,
which already is used by several commercial and general-aviation manufacturers,
will reduce the time required to create
written production and maintenance directions. It also will reduce the time required for the interpretation needed to
aero-online.org
TechnologyUpdate
January/February 2008
moment is the city of Ulyanovsk in Russia.
With its equity investment of more than
$100 million under the expanded partner-
ship, ETIRC will become the largest single investor in Eclipse Aviation.
Patrick Ponticel
Eclipse Aviation claims to have reached the
100-unit production milestone faster than any
other general-aviation jet aircraft
manufacturer.
change engineering models into production applications. Production line technicians can visualize work as it is performed
and make improvements at any step in
the process.
The product is expected to improve
processes at the plant, which already are
efficient. Eclipse has produced and certified 104 500s since December 31, 2006.
That makes it “the fastest general-aviation
jet aircraft manufacturer in history to produce its first 100 airplanes,” according to
the company.
“Our goal this year remains ramping
production, and that means anything we
can do to become more efficient is what
we’re working on,” said company spokeswoman Alana McCarraher. The company
does not release figures for projected
production numbers, she said, but the
company plans to produce “significantly
more in 2008” than it did in 2007.
McCarraher noted that Eclipse is producing one aircraft per day. “We believe
we can eventually produce four aircraft
per day,” she said. “But to get to our ultimate goal, that could take years.”
On January 14, Eclipse announced
that under an expanded partnership with
Luxembourg-based ETIRC Aviation, a
European assembly plant is being considered. The leading candidate site at the
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aerox.hotims.com/16170-11
aero-online.org
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
11
TechnologyUpdate
January/February 2008
Testing
Weathering changes in aerodynamic innovations
Most people are familiar with
the expression, “Trying to build
a better mousetrap,” and yet
no one has really been able to
do it. A design so simple that
it accomplishes its intended
purpose seems to leave no
room for improvement.
However, not many innovations can lay claim to perfection on the first go-around.
The probe, developed in the
mid-1990s, recently underwent a technological refresh
and modernization by the
Institute of Aerospace Systems
(ILR) of the University of
Braunschweig, Germany. The
Helipod’s main purpose is to
measure basic meteorological
quantities, not only on a wide
scale but including extremely
Its rugged construction makes the Helipod ideal for data capture in
extreme temperatures and environments, such as on this icebreaker
in the Artic.
What we tend to see, more
often than not, is that an invention’s design principles
serve as the basis to take that
invention into new realms of
possibilities and technological
advancements. Such is the
case with the Helipod, an autonomous measuring probe
attached to a helicopter in
such a way that it is out of the
downwash area of the carrying
helicopter.
12
small variations—i.e. smallscale turbulence. Among others, the gathered measuring
data helps to understand the
energy exchange between the
atmosphere and the Earth’s
surface in order to improve numerical models. This also has
an influence on the quality of
our daily weather forecast.
The system meets extreme
environmental conditions using standardized, inexpensive
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
hardware and software. For
temperature measurement, the
unit includes a Rosemount
102 platinum resistance wire
thermometer as well as an
Aerodata AD-STS with a
Dantec “open-wire” element.
The Helipod’s humidity sensor
system consists of a dew point
mirror, a Humicap capacitive
sensor, and a Lyman-Alpha
hygrometer. Only a few meters
in length, the Helipod probe is
controlled via a complex measuring computer system based
on CompactPCI boards and
M-Modules from MEN Micro
for harsh environmental conditions that collects and analyzes the measurement data.
The Helipod is the most
modern airborne system
worldwide for measuring atmospheric turbulences. In addition to its operation in many
applications in Germany, such
as LITFASS (Lindenberg
Inhomogeneous Terrain Fluxes between Atmosphere
and Surface), the Helipod has
been used in the Arctic on the
Polarstern, a 17,300-ton polar
icebreaker operated by
Germany’s Alfred Wegener
Institute, for the PHELIX
(Profiler-HELIPOD
Intercomparison Experiment)
project at California’s
Vandenberg Air Force Base
on the Pacific Coast near
Santa Maria, and in other applications with many notable
international scientific organizations. Aside from uniquely
precise measuring results,
these missions yielded some
unexpected scientific findings
in the lower atmosphere.
Often, a number of measuring
types (such as micro-meteorological ground stations and
remote sensing systems) are
carried out over the same
area, with the highly accurate
and geographically precise
Helipod probe data being taken as a reference.
The Helipod drag probe
has a length of 5 m, a diameter of 60 cm, and a mass of
about 250 kg. The probe is
populated with measuring
equipment that is controlled
by an industrial computer from
MEN Micro. During the measurements, the probe is attached to a helicopter using a
15-m-long rope. At a forward
speed of 40 m/s, the air turbulence caused by the helicopter
rotor is driven to the rear so
strongly that the probe is not
affected by it. With this relatively small forward speed, the
probe can log measurements
using the latest instruments
and the powerful onboard
computer at a precision unattainable by other measuring
systems (40 cm after antialiasing filter). Since the probe
does not have wings, propellers, or an engine, the undisturbed state of the air is measured in unaltered form at the
current parameters.
The probe records turbulent transport, wind vector, humidity, air and surface temperatures, as well as CO₂ at
very high precision in defined
altitudes up to 2000 m above
land or water surface. Most
flights follow a grid pattern
aero-online.org
TechnologyUpdate
January/February 2008
The compact Helipod, seen here with a recent LITFASS field crew,
can be easily disassembled and transported.
and accurately acquire the dynamic state of the atmosphere. The integration of further measuring instruments as
well as optical and infrared
cameras is optional.
All measurements are done
using two different devices.
One device measures fast, but
drifts in time. The other device
measures slowly but very precisely. The two data sets are
merged for analysis using
complementary filters. This
makes for the precision previously unattainable, as noted
earlier (40 cm).
An unexpected result lay in
the measurements taken at
high altitudes due to the air’s
high heterogeneity. Up to now,
scientists believed that air was
mixed at heights of 100 to 500
m. However, Helipod measurements have shown that air
keeps its structure at even
greater heights depending on
the surface underneath (forest,
farmland, lake, sea, ice). Air
mixes completely with neighboring air over these types of
surfaces only in much higher
regions, influencing weatheraero-online.org
forecasting models.
The Helipod is a self-sufficient system with its own
power supply using batteries,
navigation systems, data processing, and mass storage.
The basis of the onboard computer system is a robust industrial computer from MEN
Micro in a standardized
CompactPCI format. The
probe’s most important feature
is the ability to operate over a
wide temperature range—from
-40°C in the Arctic to up to
+85°C in the desert. This conforms to the E2 industrial
standard temperature range
and the T2 telecom temperature standard range. A 300MHz MPC8245 PowerPC
processor with a 603e core
sufficiently controls the system. The 6U computer board’s
total power dissipation is approximately 8 W. Low power
consumption with high logical
performance is critical for applications with demanding
temperature ranges due to the
limited capacity of the onboard batteries.
For the Helipod project, the
aerox.hotims.com/16170-13
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
13
TechnologyUpdate
January/February 2008
single-board computer is
populated with SDRAM, flash
memory, and a CompactFlash
card. Four serial interfaces,
one USB, and two ethernet
ports are also included. In addition, the SBC can carry up
to three M-Modules (mezzanine modules) according to
the ANSI/VITA-12 standard.
Up to four additional
M-Modules can be accommodated on a passive carrier
board. For this project, an I/O
module with 32 individually
usable digital inputs/outputs,
four 16-bit A/D modules with
32 differential inputs, and a
12-bit A/D module with 16
single-ended inputs are used,
for a total of six M-Modules.
Another M-Module provides
the ARINC interface that
transfers the position data to
the CompactPCI system.
Thus, only two CompactPCI
boards, in an exceptionally
small housing, are needed for
data processing and for the
connection of multiple measuring inputs and control outputs. To precisely determine
its position, Helipod has several onboard GPS receivers.
All data is intermediately
stored in a very large flash
memory for even more precise
filtering and analysis later on in
the laboratory.
The computer system runs
the ELinOS embedded Linux
system from Sysgo and uses
the integrated RTAI for realtime requirements. Because of
the special requirements, ILR
has made a number of adaptations in the Linux core. Owing
to its open source, this is no
problem with Linux. Drivers
and board support packages
for all plug-on boards are easily available.
Stephen Cunha, Vice President,
MEN Micro, wrote this article for
Aerospace Engineering &
Manufacturing.
Materials
GKN Aerospace develops advanced materials for Black Hawk, Boeing 787
GKN Aerospace teamed up with
Sikorsky Aircraft, a subsidiary of United
Technologies, and the U.S. Army’s
ManTech Program Office to complete
the design, development, and manufacture of the UH-60 Common Composite
Tailcone (CTC) test units for Black Hawk
helicopters.
As a result of the development program, long-term production potential of
up to 1000 tailcones over the next 20
years is possible, according to GKN.
The new all-composite tailcone report-
edly met critical goals in reduced weight,
parts count, tooling costs, and manufacturing costs. An improved manufacturing
approach, referred to as a Reduced
Tooling Concept, has reduced the number of tools by more than 70% compared
to traditional methods. Costs have also
been reduced, claims GKN, through the
use of automated fiber placement in the
manufacture of the tailcone skins, providing high-quality, repeatable laminates.
The CTC uses the lightweight material
X-Cor throughout the assembly. X-Cor is
GKN Aerospace helped to develop an advanced all-composite tailcone (CTC) for
Black Hawk helicopters that uses X-Cor, an engineered material that replaces traditional
honeycomb in sandwich structures, throughout the assembly. (UH-60L model shown
does not feature the CTC.)
14
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
an engineered tailored material that replaces traditional honeycomb in sandwich
structures. The design features a paintless finish with the color integrated into
the skin laminate at the lay-up stage—a
new technique that results in reduced labor costs and a durable finish, according
to the composite-structures supplier.
“This pioneering program for the Black
Hawk helicopter has employed a range of
new techniques and materials, creating a
valuable database of knowledge and understanding for all involved in the team,”
said Jim Gibson, Vice President, Sales
and Marketing at GKN Aerospace, in a
statement. “We believe this will support
Sikorsky and the U.S. government as they
bring the considerable benefits these
technologies offer to other areas of the
aircraft—and to other aircraft.”
The GKN Aerospace facility in
Tallassee, AL, led the manufacture of the
six test units and was responsible for design producibility, production inputs, tool
design and manufacture, process development, and hardware fabrication.
Support came from GKN Aerospace, St.
Louis, where the CTC skin halves were
fiber-placed.
In a separate announcement, GKN
Aerospace was awarded a contract by
Boeing to develop and supply titanium
aero-online.org
TechnologyUpdate
January/February 2008
metal matrix composite (TMMC) thrust
links for the 787—the first use of TMMC
in a commercial application, claims GKN.
TMMC is an advanced engineered material consisting of silicon carbide fiber
and titanium powder that has been diffusion-bonded, a process that creates a
hybrid material said to be stiffer and
stronger than conventional titanium alloys.
According to the supplier, TMMC offers
weight savings of 25-40% compared to
traditional steel or Inconel thrust links and
increased temperature tolerance compared to monolithic titanium.
A new TMMC manufacturing process
has been developed by GKN
Aerospace’s partner, FMW Composite
Systems. FMW developed this method
of TMMC manufacture by producing its
own fiber material, and using powdered
titanium in the diffusion process to keep
material costs low. GKN Aerospace and
FMW will partner on this contract and
seek other opportunities for TMMC in
GKN Aerospace will supply titanium metal
matrix composite (TMMC) thrust links for
the Boeing 787—reportedly the first use of
TMMC in a commercial application.
the aerospace sector.
“FMW’s innovative TMMC manufacturing skills and our expertise in program
management—and in the complex welding
of highly loaded titanium structures using
our low-cost machining center in
Mexico—means the Boeing 787 will be
the first of many civil aircraft to benefit
from this promising development,” said
Frank Bamford, Senior Vice President of
Business Development and Strategy for
GKN Aerospace.
The Boeing 787 thrust link will com-
Several plies of FMW’s silicon-carbide-fiber
tapecast mat are rolled onto a mandrel,
awaiting inspection and further processing.
prise an FMW-manufactured TMMC center tube, which GKN Aerospace will plasma-weld to two machined titanium end
lugs, final machine, and assemble. GKN
Aerospace will also manage the contract,
supplying two versions of the thrust link to
enable integration with either the RollsRoyce Trent 1000 or the GEnx engine.
Ryan Gehm
Materials
Sentinel against corrosion
Monitoring aircraft structures
to detect and, if necessary,
control corrosion is an essential part of aerospace engineering. Aircraft metals may
be produced with chemical
protection and receive highclass paint finishes, but erosion by weather or solvents,
and in-use physical damage
can lead to corrosion. BAE
Systems’ Sentinel uses custom electrical sensors and
provides a system to alert operators if corrosion is occurring
or likely to occur.
“Sentinel is essentially a
paint sensor,” said Mike
Hebbron, Corrosion
Specialist at BAE Systems’
Aerospace Technology
Center. The sensor is deaero-online.org
signed to simulate the part of
the structure being monitored, the structure and protective coating mimicked by
using thin layers of alloy. “The
sensor then has all the ingredients of the structure being
monitored and will ‘see’ all
the same conditions,” he said.
The principle is similar to
the “witness” crack gauges
used on buildings to check
subsistence effects. With
Sentinel, the sensors are either periodically hooked up to
a small, handheld instrument
to check status, or they form
part of a continuous, online
monitoring system. “Even if
readings are missed, the history of how the corrosion protection is degrading is stored
BAE Systems’ Sentinel has been selected for the System
Development and Demonstration phase of the Lockheed Martin F-35
Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program.
in the materials of the sensor
itself, simply by being there,”
added Hebbron.
Sentinel has been selected
for the System Development
and Demonstration phase of
the Lockheed Martin F-35
Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter
program. If successful, it could
be a candidate for the production aircraft, due to enter service in 2012.
Stuart Birch
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
15
TechnologyUpdate
January/February 2008
Materials
Chomerics puts up EMI shield
A lightweight, electrically conductive plastic from
Chomerics, Premier PEI-140,
was developed for EMI shielding of high-temperature avion-
ics. The material is said to
maintain high-temperature tolerance, chemical resistance,
and UL 94V-0 flammability
rating for electronics shielding
up to 85 dB over a wide range
of frequencies. PEI-140 complies with avionics smoke density requirements.
The materials supplier
chose polyetherimide (PEI) for
the base resin of avionics
grade Premier for its elevated
thermal resistance, highstrength mechanical properties, flame resistance, and low
Chomerics’ Premier PEI-140 was
developed for EMI shielding of
high-temperature avionics.
smoke generation. PEI-140 is
an amorphous thermoplastic
reinforced with a matrix of proprietary conductive fillers to
provide EMI shielding. It is engineered to optimize stable
electrical, mechanical, and
physical performance for EMI
shielding in continuous use at
temperatures up to 340°F.
Chomerics claims that
Premier PEI-140 provides the
only commercially available
thermoplastic system with a
homogenous dispersion of the
fiber throughout the molded
part, regardless of part geometry. This filler morphology,
combined with a proprietary
dispersion agent, provides
conductivity and consistent
shielding throughout the part.
The material’s eco-friendli-
ness is another characteristic
the company touts. PEI-140
complies with RoHs, WEEE,
EPA, EU, and TCO specifications for ecological compatibility, contains no halogenated
compounds, and is recyclable.
“By using PEI-140, avionics systems suppliers can offer
their customers weight reductions…and closer tolerance
mechanical parts to facilitate
tighter fit, improved sealing,
and excellent EMI shielding
performance, “ said John
Perkins, Chomerics Global
Product Line Manager.
The company is also targeting high-performance applications in other industries,
including defense and transportation.
Ryan Gehm
Materials
Andrews Space provides thermal protection for re-entry
Andrews Space has developed and
tested new materials to enable advanced
thermal protection systems (TPS) for
non-rigid aero surfaces. The tests were
conducted at the NASA Ames Research
Center (ARC) arc-jet facility as part of a
Andrews Space has developed
and tested new materials to
enable advanced thermal
protection systems (TPS) for nonrigid aero surfaces. Shown is the
result of a coupon sample test of
the TPS materials.
16
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
NASA Phase II Small Business Innovation
Research program to create lightweight
ballute designs.
Developing a lightweight, flexible material that can withstand re-entry heating is
a particular challenge of the ballute de-
sign, according to Andrews.
Compared to traditional ballute designs, which use several layers of Nextel
fabric with insulating layers of Kapton and
Kevlar structural backing, Andrews’ uses
thinner materials and transpiration cooling
(the effect of using a gas to cool the surface and ‘transport’ heat).
“The goal of our transpiration-cooled
design is to reduce the mass of the ballute TPS by 20% over traditional, purely
insulative solutions,” said Dana Andrews,
Andrews’ Chief Technology Officer.
Andrews Space is experimenting with
materials that change properties when
heated. The leading material designs
combine a fabric matrix with pre-ceramic
polymers, according to the company.
At room temperature, the material is
aero-online.org
TechnologyUpdate
January/February 2008
hicles and planetary probes.
Andrews is also investigating other ap450-790 adr7 1/2pg, Aerospace Eng &
plications of the new material, including
for inflatable structures like deployable
wings, as well as advanced acreage TPS.
Mfg
February 2008 issue
Ryan Gehm
How LASERDYNE Makes
Satisfied Customers Into
More Successful Customers
Developing a lightweight, flexible material
that can withstand re-entry heating is a
particular challenge of ballute design. Shown
at top is the Mars entry of an inflatable
aerobrake; below is a ballute CFD surface
pressure analysis.
flexible and easily packaged in a small
volume; when heated, the fabric becomes
rigid, and in certain conditions porous,
allowing gas to escape to provide transpiration cooling. When the ballute is past
peak heating and the temperatures drop,
the coating becomes impermeable again,
Andrews explained.
The company worked with the
University of Washington to develop more
than 20 different material samples, each of
which was tested in NASA ARC’s arc-jet
facility at re-entry heating conditions (temperatures above 700°C for 300 s). The goal
of the tests was to identify candidate materials that were nonporous at on-orbit conditions, but then changed during re-entry
heating to enable transpiration cooling.
Following the first round of arc-jet
testing, researchers discovered that several material design approaches are capable of surviving the high temperatures
of re-entry. During tests, these materials
reacted and pyrolyzed as expected.
According to Andrews Space, the materials support the ballute design requirements as well as the program objective of
enabling a new class of space structures
and re-entry systems for Earth return ve-
For over 26 years LASERDYNE has worked sideby-side with OEM, MRO, and contract
manufacturers around the world. The innovative
features of the LASERDYNE 450 and 790
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The LASERDYNE 450 is an ideal system for
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the production of larger, more complex parts or
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The 790 is available with X axis travel of 1 m and
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The S94P laser process control, standard on
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The capabilities of this control allow LASERDYNE
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©PRIMA North America, Inc. 2007
aerox.hotims.com/16170-17
aero-online.org
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
17
TechnologyUpdate
January/February 2008
Propulsion
NASA begins rocket testing
that will power the new Ares
launch vehicles, it says.
Beginning this past December,
NASA began testing the engine’s powerpack, a gas generator, and turbopumps that
NASA/SSC
Data from the tests of core
components of a rocket engine from the Apollo era that
carried the first Americans to
the moon will help NASA build
the next-generation engine
NASA’s Marshall Space
Flight Center (MSFC). “That’s
why we’re taking a new look at
these components—to gather
performance data, test their
limits, and reduce risks down
the road when we’re building
and testing the engine.”
The powerpack tests were
conducted at NASA’s Stennis
Space Center, where the
components were installed in
late September.
During the initial trials, engineers ran liquid oxygen and
liquid hydrogen through the
powerpack, monitoring its
ducts, valves, and lines while
simulating conditions as if it
were attached to a rocket upper stage and main combustion chamber. Engineers were
able to preview conditions that
might be present during an
engine test fire.
The first test in the series
A J-2 engine awaits testing on the A-1 Test Stand at SSC. NASA is
testing the engine’s powerpack—a gas generator and turbopumps
that perform the rocket engine’s major pumping and combustion work.
The engine is being studied anew by NASA rocket scientists building
the engines that will power the next generation of launch vehicles, the
Ares I and Ares V, and carry humans to the moon.
18
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
NASA\MSFC
NASA/SSC
Core components of the J-2X engine for NASA’s Constellation
program being installed on the A-1 Test Stand at NASA’s John C.
Stennis Space Center. Tests simulated inlet and outlet conditions that
would be present on the turbomachinery during a full-up engine hotfire test.
perform the rocket engine’s
major pumping and combustion work. These components
originally delivered propellants
to the J-2 engine that fueled
the second stage of the
Saturn V rockets.
Those heritage components
are being used to develop the
J-2X, which will be tasked to
power the upper stages of
both the Ares I crew launch
vehicle and the Ares V cargo
launch vehicle. Results from
the tests will help engineers
modify the turbomachinery to
meet the higher performance
requirements of the two nextgeneration vehicles.
“The J-2X engine will incorporate significant upgrades to
meet higher thrust and efficiency requirements for Ares,”
said Mike Kynard, Manager of
the upper-stage engine in the
Ares Projects Office at
An original J-2 engine for the Saturn V undergoes processing at
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in 1965. The Saturn V, like key
hardware and components of the Ares launch vehicles, was designed,
developed, and tested by Marshall Center engineers.
aero-online.org
TechnologyUpdate
January/February 2008
was a chill test, during which
engineers verified the tightness of seals in the fuel lines
and pumps at propellant temperatures as low as -425°F.
Engineers also verified the accuracy of the chill procedure
and determined the amount of
time required to chill the
pumps. NASA says that initial
indications show that all test
objectives were met and no
anomalies were noted.
Later tests in the series will
include test fires at a variety of
power levels and durations
ranging from 12 s to 550 s. At
press time, testing was scheduled to continue through the
end of this month.
The Ares I is an inline, twostage rocket that will transport
the Orion crew vehicle to low
Earth orbit. Orion will accommodate as many as six astronauts on missions to the
International Space Station or
as many as four crew members on lunar missions. The
Ares V, a heavy-lift launch vehicle, will enable NASA to
launch a variety of science and
exploration payloads and key
components needed to go to
the moon.
Under a contract awarded
in July 2007, Pratt & Whitney
Rocketdyne will design, develop, test, and evaluate the
engine. MSFC in Huntsville
manages the J-2X upper
stage engine for NASA’s
Constellation Program
Jean L. Broge
Propulsion
Airbus and the environment
Very large aircraft do not necessarily have
to impose high noise levels on the environment, a fact that has been demonstrated by the Airbus A380’s appearance
at international air shows and during its
world tours. Now, Airbus is claiming its
A380 as the quietest long-range aircraft
in service. The aircraft, with Engine
Alliance GP7200 powerplants, has received external noise levels validation
from the European Aviation Safety
Agency (EASA) and the U.S. FAA.
External noise certification was part of the
process for the joint EASA and FAA type
certification for the GP7200.
The noise levels certified on the
GP7200-powered A380 are equivalent
to those already approved on the RollsRoyce Trent 900-powered A380, according to the company. The levels are 17
EPNdB (effective perceived noise in
decibels) cumulative margin to the ICAO
Chapter 4 noise standard, which is more
stringent and voluntarily used by Airbus
instead of the mandatory Chapter 3 standard. The company stated that the A380
was now “easily compliant” with today’s
most stringent noise standards and “well
prepared” for the future. Mario Heinen,
Airbus Executive Vice President, A380
Program, said the aircraft “is consistently
meeting and often exceeding its design
targets.”
The Engine Alliance A380 generated
at least 50% less noise than “its nearest
aero-online.org
Noise levels certified on the GP7200-engined A380 are equivalent to those already approved
for the Rolls-Royce Trent-powered version of the aircraft (now in service with Singapore
Airlines), reducing the airliner’s environmental effect. Airbus is now helping to research and
evaluate the potential environmental friendliness of aviation GTL synthetic fuels.
competitor” at takeoff and on landing,
claims Airbus. Both engine variants of
the A380 meet the most stringent noise
rules at any international airport, including London Heathrow’s QC2 for departures and QC0.5 for arrivals. Airbus regards that ability as being of major benefit both to A380 operators who have
more flexibility to operate night-time
flights, and to airports, because passenger capacity would be increased while
limiting the impact of noise on the surrounding communities.
The certification program for the
GP7200-powered A380, including noise
testing, has been carried out with A380
flight test aircraft MSN009. In May of last
year, that aircraft confirmed its low noise
emissions during a series of certification
tests that were performed at the Spanish
Air Force base at Morón de la Frontera in
southern Spain and jointly witnessed by
European and U.S. noise authority specialists. Airbus has stated that compared
to “the former largest commercial aircraft,”
the A380 seated over 40% more passengers in a typical three-class, 525-seat
configuration, with seat-mile costs 20%
lower and range capability over 1000 nmi
longer.
The A380’s fuel burn is also low. The
company’s figures show that it consumes
less than 3 L/100 km per passenger. The
GP7200 validation statement came
shortly after the announcement at the
Dubai Air Show that Airbus was one of
several major companies and organizations to sign an agreement to research
the potential benefits of synthetic jet fuel
in aerospace engines. The others are
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
19
TechnologyUpdate
January/February 2008
Qatar Airways, Qatar Petroleum, Qatar
Fuel, Qatar Science and Technology
Park, Rolls-Royce, and Shell.
Objective of the research work is to
examine the feasibility and potential benefits of using GTL (gas-to-liquid) synthetic
jet fuels, which takes natural gas and converts it to liquid kerosene. “The properties
of GTL kerosene are largely similar to
conventional jet fuel, making it a ‘drop-in’
replacement for today’s kerosene, capable of being used in today’s aircraft and
airports without modification,” said the
signatories in a joint statement. Focus of
the research will be evaluating potential
improvements in local air quality, fuel
economy, and overall reduction in CO2
and other emissions. Specific studies are
also to examine potential operational benefits for airlines, including enhanced payload-range, reduced fuel burn, and increased engine durability.
Initially, the synthetic fuels would be
mixed with standard kerosene to enable
the group to model aircraft and engine
performance, with a view to exploring the
potential of fully synthetic fuels.
Airbus, Rolls-Royce, and Shell are
members of the industry-wide
Commercial Alternative Aviation Fuels
Initiative (CAAFI). GTL fuels are being
developed to meet international standards required for aviation use under the
auspices of CAAFI.
“No one industry has all the answers,”
said Christian Scherer, Executive Vice
President, Strategy and Future Programs,
Airbus. “Cooperation remains key to
finding technology-driven solutions that
address global and local environmental
challenges facing us.”
Shell and Qatar Petroleum are building
what is described as the “world-scale” integrated Pearl GTL complex. Due to start
up at the end of the decade and located in
Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar, Pearl GTL
will produce 120,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day of condensate, liquified petroleum gas and ethane, and 140,000 barrels
per day of cleaner, high quality GTL fuels
and products. This will include 12,000
barrels a day (equivalent to some 500,000
t per annum) of GTL kerosene.
Stuart Birch
Electronics
A step toward self-inspecting aircraft
Smart sensors have a very significant role in aerospace, particularly when they can quickly
detect potentially serious
damage to a structure. Their
increasing sophistication and
reliability is expected to contribute to huge savings in
maintenance, servicing, and
support costs, all of which are
central to the successful operation of aircraft that may
have service lives that span
decades.
BAE Systems leads research and development work
on the Advanced Structural
Health Monitoring System
(AHMOS), part of a European
R&D-funded initiative, which
The modified BAE Systems Hawk used for research and development
work on the Advanced Structural Health Monitoring System being
developed toward the ideal of a totally self-inspecting aircraft.
20
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
has now seen smart sensors
flight tested on a BAE Hawk
aircraft. The trial demonstrated,
for what some say is the first
time, the operation of a fully
integrated automated damage-detection system within a
flight environment. BAE regards it as an important step
toward the eventual goal of
self-inspecting aircraft.
Structural inspection is a
significant factor in the cost of
supporting fleets of both military and commercial aircraft.
In-service lives of 40 years or
more are now expected.
However, as aircraft age, the
servicing needed to maintain
stringent airworthiness standards invariably becomes
more costly.
“The new system aims to
avoid lengthy and expensive
structural inspections that require the repeated dismantling
of large sections of an aircraft,”
said Jim McFeat, AHMOS
Technical Manager, BAE. “Very
often, such inspections are
precautionary and no faults
that need repairing are found.”
The flight test Hawk carried
an acoustic emissions detection kit that was able to record
the existence of cracks in specifically designed dummy structures and download a diagnosis when the aircraft landed.
“Using a combination of
strain gauge sensors and fiber-optic cables connected to
a computer, and contained
within an aerodynamic pod
under the fuselage of the
Hawk, we demonstrated that
the technology works,” said
McFeat. “We have been able
to compare all of the aircraft’s
maneuvers in flight with the
pilot’s notes and our own
computer.” He added the first
two flights by the AHMOSequipped Hawk had “good
results.”
Further flights were to be
aero-online.org
TechnologyUpdate
The Best in High Performance Bearing
and Bushing Material Science
January/February 2008
made with a formal report expected
shortly. “Ultimately, we are trying to automate the non-destructive testing process
in the same way that car manufacturers
have done for engine management systems,” said McFeat. “The customer will
plug a computer into a data-box on the
aircraft and download in-flight information
gathered from gauges and sensors at
strategic points.”
If sensors fitted deep inside the aircraft
structure can reliably detect the onset of
damage, the need to dismantle sections
of the airframe would be greatly reduced
and new detection process could be performed remotely; at the press of a button
or automatically online.
“Engineers are just beginning to realize
the potential value of this type of structural monitoring,” added McFeat. “Aircraft
are expensive assets, and their owners
are pushing to get the maximum possible
use from them. Any technology that can
help deliver more cost-effective operations or increased availability is bound to
be welcome.”
Stuart Birch
Electronics
Synthetically seeing in zero visibility
BAE Systems will be using Mercury
Computer Systems’ VistaNav Synthetic
Vision technology for a rotorcraft brownout landing system.
Brownout landings are a critical safety
issue facing rotorcraft. They can occur
when a rotorcraft attempts to land on
dusty terrain and the rotors pick up the
surements that are captured and updated
in real time via a standard interface and
displayed with Synthetic Vision.
Mercury’s system will be integrated
with a radar sensor from BAE Systems.
When terrain and obstacles are detected,
Mercury’s Synthetic Vision will generate a
computerized 3-D terrain map drawn from
aero-online.org
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Mercury Computer Systems’
VistaNav Synthetic Vision
technology allows pilots in
zero-visibility conditions to
visualize sensor outputs in an
intuitive format.
dust on the ground. As a result, pilots
cannot see nearby objects that provide
the outside visual references necessary
to control the aircraft near the ground
during landing and takeoff operations.
The patent-pending Synthetic Vision with
Real-Time Terrain Morphing Engine from
Mercury incorporates terrain sensor mea-
ToughMet®, the next generation bearing
alloy is now on the latest generation
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Providing significantly higher strength, low
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databases and sensor readings, allowing
pilots to see the surrounding terrain and
obstacles whether or not they have visibility outside their window.
Flight tests for the rotorcraft brownout
landing system are expected to start this
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Jean L. Broge
aerox.hotims.com/16170-21
21
TechnologyUpdate
January/February 2008
Simulation
A Mach 0.8, 40,000-ft challenge
ground-based telescopes. The
telescope, provided to NASA
by the DLR (German
Aerospace Center), is designed to detect the IR light or
energy that is emitted from
many different kinds of astronomical objects.
Most forms of IR light/energy are blocked by water vapor in the Earth’s atmosphere,
making it almost impossible to
view from ground-based telescopes. But flying at about
40,000 ft above ground, the
SOFIA telescope will have the
capability to detect IR light
100 to 1000 times greater than
ground-based telescopes.
One of the key engineering
aspects necessary to achieve
this observation capability is
through the design of the
CDDS. The challenge, according to MPC Program
Manager Chris Wall, was to
design an actuator control
system capable of opening
NASA’s Boeing 747SP SOFIA airborne observatory is shown during its
second checkout flight in May 2007.
NASA, Universities Space Research Association, and L-3 Communications Integrated Systems
MPC Products, headquartered in Skokie, IL, is completing the final testing phase on a
NASA project to develop an
actuator control system that
will mechanically operate a
cavity door drive system
(CDDS) for what is considered to be the largest telescope to ever to be placed in
an aircraft.
The reflecting telescope will
allow scientists to study distant
astronomical objects such as
stars, comets, asteroids, forming solar systems, and black
holes. It is being permanently
installed inside of an airborne
astronomical observatory—a
modified Boeing 747SP referred to by NASA as SOFIA
(Stratospheric Observatory for
Infrared Astronomy).
With its 2.5-m aperture, the
SOFIA telescope will be capable of making observations
that are impossible for even
the largest and highest of
The 100-in telescope at the heart of NASA’s Stratospheric
Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is nestled inside the
SOFIA 747’s rear fuselage.
22
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
and closing the large telescope cavity door on an airplane flying at Mach 0.8—
about 500 mph—at 40,000-ft
altitude. In addition to speed
and altitude, MPC had to take
other load factors into consideration, including ice formation, inertial loads, and gravitational forces.
“This has certainly been
the most comprehensive software project we’ve undertaken,” Wall said. “Within the
next six months, we will be
delivering (to NASA) the
hardware that will be going
on the aircraft to open and
close the door system.”
MPC Systems Lead
Engineer Matt Polley explained
that the telescope is run by a
computerized control system,
which drives electromagnetic
motors to move the telescope
into position. The doors are
required to follow close to the
telescope as it moves, relative
to the aircraft maintaining position on the observed object.
“The control system we designed for the doors consists
of two redundantly driven actuators commanded by an
electronic control unit,” Polley
said. “Accurate position and
speed control are a critical
part of the door design. If the
door doesn’t move correctly—
if it moves too fast or if it goes
beyond the set limits—it could
damage the aircraft and cause
a catastrophe.”
To develop the actuator
control system, MPC’s team
designed a test setup to simulate the system’s operational
environment using dSPACE
tools. A modular system was
established using the company’s: DS1005 processor
board to achieve real-time and
high sampling rates; resolver
card; encoder card; and
DS2201 analog-to-digital
multi-I/O board designed for
applications requiring a lot of
varying I/O types.
Polley said the dSPACE
tools were used to fine-tune
the control design and generate a control methodology for
simulating the aerodynamic
and gravitational loads that the
CDDS will encounter during
actual operation. More than
400 system-level requirements had to be taken into
consideration as part of the
design process.
“A crucial element of this
project was to simulate the roll
and gravitational loads that the
actuators will experience during aircraft operation,” Polley
said. “Because this behavior
could not be defined as a linear function, we had to custom-build a computer system
to do closed-loop controls.
The system is quite large in
terms of the loading, and is
more complex than our normal
dynamometers, which have
lower torque output.”
“It was a major challenge to
wrap our hands around the
software development aspect,”
aero-online.org
TechnologyUpdate
January/February 2008
Polley continued. “We used
dSPACE tools to aid in our
development process. The
tools are very adaptable and
are being used on multiple
projects here at MPC.”
MPC is wrapping up the
final production phase of its
first development units. The
company is preparing to start
a “testing only” phase to prove
that its actuator control design
works by simulating all conceivable conditions that may
be encountered while the telescope and CDDS are in operation and airborne. NASA
will obtain the equipment and
start testing the CDDS independently in August 2008.
“We have an excellent team
in place,” Wall said. “We’ve
been working directly with
NASA to streamline the software to their expectations.
There has been a lot of collaborative effort.”
MPC will be on site to support NASA with the integration
of the CDDS and actuator
control system onboard the
SOFIA aircraft. MPC will also
assist NASA as it prepares to
engage open-door flight testing, which will result in the first
IR pictures of constellations.
Alicia Alvin, Marketing Manager,
dSPACE, wrote this article for
Aerospace Engineering &
Manufacturing.
Regulations & standards
SAE seeks to improve communications capabilities for weapons
Two recently published SAE
International standards
(AS5725 and AS5653) address communications between aircraft and weapons
systems.
AS5725 concerns the interface for miniature mission
stores. The standard came out
of the AS-1 Aircraft Systems
& Systems Integration
Committee. According to
AS5725 standard sponsor
Joseph Cammarota of EDO
MTech, the U.S. Air Force
approached the committee
several years ago to develop a
new weapon interface standard that “would provide
many, if not all, of the services
provided by MIL-STD-1760,
but for a smaller class of
weapons: 250 lb and below.”
This new open interface
needed to provide three
things, Cammarota said: a reduced release force solution
to minimize the impact of connector separation on vehicle
dynamics; a much smaller form
factor than the existing 1760
connector; and all needed services using cost-effective
components.
A subcommittee headed by
aero-online.org
Jerry Provenza of the Air
Force Research Laboratory,
Munitions Directorate, Eglin
Air Force Base, was formed to
explore options. Initially the
group had almost no boundaries in the design concepts it
evaluated, including contactless and single-pin interfaces.
Pressures from the Small
Diameter Bomb (SDB) program, however, forced the
group to converge on a more
conventional, connector oriented solution, Cammarota
said. Fred Benedick of Wintek
was tasked with creating and
maintaining the detailed requirements and initial draft of
the standard.
A separate working group
was formed to tackle the requirement for a higher-speed
and more cost-effective (than
MIL-STD-1553) solution for
the digital communications
requirements of the new
weapon interface. The findings
of this Communications
Protocol Working Group were
handed over to AS-1A and led
directly to the development of
AS5652, the Enhanced Bit
Rate (EBR) 1553, 10 Mbps
protocol.
The first version of the new
Miniature Mission Store
Interface (MMSI) was completed in 2002 and submitted
to the U.S. government for triservice coordination. The
competitive nature of the SDB
program prevented the imme-
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aerox.hotims.com/16170-23
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
23
TechnologyUpdate
Lockheed Martin
January/February 2008
Several SAE standards address weapons communication systems.
diate adoption of the SAE
document, and a similar interface, the Joint Miniature
Munitions Interface (JMMI),
was developed by the winner
of the SDB competition. There
were some attempts to reconcile the differences between
the MMSI and JMMI interfaces, but they proved unsuccessful and the SAE document languished.
Then, in 2006, the U.S.
Navy (PMA-263) recognized
the need for a truly open standard to support the integration
of miniature weapons on unmanned combat air vehicles.
AS-1B was once again approached, this time by the
Navy, to complete the work it
had started in 1996.
Cammarota said that in less
than a year following the
Navy’s request, AS-1B had
resurrected the last known
draft of the SAE document,
compared that to the last draft
of a proposed Department of
Defense MMSI document,
defined the allowable design
trade space, and proceeded
to formalize AS5725.
This new standard supports
the original intent of providing
1760-like services to miniature
weapons using a small connector and cost-effective,
open components, but also
incorporated some new requirements that were not defined as such in 1996, said
Cammarota. “These new services added increased power
and safety features into
AS5725 over those in the
2002 draft, and did so using a
smaller connector. Although
not required by the Navy, AS1B worked to make AS5725
compatible with JMMI and, in
fact, JMMI can be mapped to
a subset of the AS5725 signal
set. That mapping is defined in
Appendix B of the SAE standard.”
The AS5653 standard, according to standard sponsor
Thomas Lystrup of the Naval
Air Warfare Center, Weapons
Division, China Lake, CA,
“defines a high-speed fiber
channel network to improve
the capability of MIL-STD1760 to transfer digital data
between aircraft/platforms,
carriage systems, and mission
stores.” This activity, he said,
was initiated at the request of
the U.S. Navy in 2001 due to
excessive length of time
downloading GPS data to
weapon systems through the
1760 Mass Data Transfer
process on current platforms.
AS5653 (High Speed
1760) provides a digital data
command and control interface similar to MIL-STD-1555
based on fiber channel protocol but operating at a
1-gigabaud data rate. This interface has been incorporated
in MIL-STD-1760E, which
was recently published. High
Speed 1760 has replaced the
previous coax interface identified as HB 2 and HB4.
This change is considered
a Class 2 interface change,
since High Speed 1760 is designed to replace the 1553
interface in the future.
“Implementing AS5653 will
dramatically reduce the time it
takes to download weapon
GPS target programming data
and will facilitate rapid retargeting of preplanned weapondelivery missions such as the
Joint Direct Attack Munition,
the Joint Standoff Weapon,
and SDB,” Lystrup said.
Patrick Ponticel
Design
Airlines can find better colors, quicker
Commercial aircraft livery is an important
part of marketing as well as providing
protection for the structure of an aircraft.
Akzo Nobel Aerospace Coatings
(ANAC) has established a new facility to
provide guided color expertise to livery
and help operators create airline liveries
more quickly.
The dedicated color design studio
within the ANAC Color Center at the
company’s Sassenheim facility in the
Netherlands is equipped with a range of
representations to help designers select
colors and finishes to provide an effective
24
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
solution to meet the requirements of an
airline and ANAC as an OEM applicator.
The color representations can then be
converted into paint samples (“spray
outs”) using ANAC digital color “fingerprinting” techniques.
The fingerprinting techniques involve
the use of a spectrophotometer to measure the characteristics of a color. Results
are interpreted as spectral data, the most
precise description of a color. An object’s
color appearance results from light being
changed by an object and reflected to a
viewer. Spectral data is a description of
how the reflected light was changed. This
data can be saved digitally and is the color’s fingerprint.
The effects of the spray outs are
viewed under various light sources that
can simulate full daylight, dusk, and hangar lighting conditions. The light sources
were created to allow designers to make
better decisions for overall livery designs—particularly useful for judging different combinations of solid and special
effect paints.
At the center, “Designers are made
aware of the huge range of finishes, colaero-online.org
TechnologyUpdate
January/February 2008
ors, and effects available to them through
new coating technologies,” said Hans
Peter van Wilsem, Plant Manager of the
ANAC Color Center. “It gives them the
time and opportunity to experiment and to
access the technical resources and product knowledge of the global ANAC color
team—and to expand their knowledge of
aircraft coatings and how they will perform in service.”
Working together with designers is
also valuable for ANAC, said van Wilsem,
who explained that in face-to-face discussions and when using the right techniques, it was easier and quicker to select
the correct color, thus reducing the number of colors that have to be sprayed out
and ultimately shortening the process
time, which could take weeks.
“Once designers are satisfied with the
coatings and colors they have chosen,
and confident that their concept is
achievable, they leave the site with a
complete set of ‘spray outs’ and actual
Designers working on airline liveries can now visit ANAC’s dedicated color design studio within
the company’s Color Center.
paint references to present to their airline
clients,” he said.
ANAC claims to be the only aerospace
coatings business to offer a dedicated
color design studio accessible by customers. Idea of creating the facility came
from suggestions made by livery design-
ers. ANAC describes itself as the “global
leader” in the manufacture, development
and supply of coatings for the commercial, general aviation, and military aerospace markets.
Stuart Birch
Vehicles
Alenia demonstrates UAV technologies for future product
Alenia Aeronautica, a
Finmeccanica company, last
year participated in the first
flights of its Sky-Y, an operational demonstrator for a newgeneration UAV. It is Alenia’s
first in the MALE (mediumaltitude, long-endurance) category to be conceived, designed, and built in less than a
year.
First flights were from the
Vidsel air base in Sweden. It
reached an altitude of 3000 ft
and a speed of 110 knot. It
has been designed to carry
out missions of more than 12
h and to reach an altitude of
26,000 ft. It has a mass of
about 1 t and uses an adapted
automotive diesel engine.
A particularly important asaero-online.org
The Sky-Y is the
system testbed for
the Alenia
Aeronautica Molynx,
now in early
development.
pect of its development program concerns verification of
the use of the engine and of
its carbon-fiber structure. At
last year’s Paris Air Show,
Alenia Aeronautica signed a
cooperation agreement with
Dassault and SAAB for the
development of new-generation systems.
Both military and civil surveillance applications are envi-
sioned for the final UAV product, the Molynx, for which the
Sky-Y is serving as testbed.
Stuart Birch
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
25
13
January/February 2008
3
Al
Li
Casting
a
vote
for
Ni
alloys
Co
26.981
6.941
28
58.693
26
27
47.867
58.933
Ti
A
casual observer would
be forgiven for thinking that metal no longer had a place on airplanes,
given all the publicity that
Boeing has received for its “allcomposite” 787. But like Mark
Twain, who wrote in 1897 that
reports of his death had been
greatly exaggerated, the advanced metals industry is alive
and well and has never been
more innovative and essential.
The all-composite 787 is, in
fact, far from a plastic plane.
The same is true for the world’s
newest military fighter—Lockheed Martin’s F-35—which has
an aluminum and titanium internal structure underlying the
exterior composite skin.
“There are a lot of three-dimensional parts in airplanes
that take loads in all dimensions
and are not suitable for composites,” said Ralph Sawtell,
Division Manager, Alloy
Technology and Materials
Research at the Alcoa Technical
Center outside Pittsburgh, PA.
“The all-composite airplane that
people think about has a lot of
metal in it.”
Aerospace metals are typi-
22
Bringing lighter weight,
improved performance, and
enhanced repairability to
airframes and engines.
by Barry Rosenberg
cally divided into two categories:
aluminum and aluminum alloys
used for airframe structures, and
nickel- and cobalt-based superalloys for jet engines (though
aluminum alloys are finding
their way into low-pressure turbines).
More viable than ever
before
In the world of aluminum, one of
the latest developments comes
from Alcoa, which introduced
aluminum alloy 2099 a couple
years ago for floor sections and
lower wing structures. The alloy
is used extensively on the Airbus
A380, and Alcoa is supplying
“millions of pounds” of the alloy
to Airbus, said Sawtell.
The use of aluminum alloy
2099 for aerospace components
reduces weight due to the lower
density and improved mechani-
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
cal properties that come from lithium, the world’s lightest and least
dense metal, which is best known for its application in batteries for
laptop computers. The metal is commonly found in China,
Australia, and Russia.
Manufacturers such as Alcoa started developing aluminum-lithium alloys in the 1950s, but it was not until the 1980s that problems
related to ductibility and thermal stability of the metal were solved.
It also took time to master the special casting facilities necessary to
employ the high reactive element for anything other than niche applications. And, according to Sawtell, it was not until recently that
Alcoa could scale up manufacturing operations to the point where
15,000- to 20,000-lb ingots of the material could be turned into large
sections suitable for aircraft.
The weight of aircraft floor beams and seat tracks made from
2099-T83 extrusions, lower wing stringers made from 2099-T8E67
extrusions, and aircraft components made from 2099-T8E77 plate is
7 to 17% lighter than the metals typically used in those applications.
Lower weight translates into reductions in fuel consumption and
CO2 emissions.
The alloy also improves reliability, as the expected lifetime of aircraft components made from aluminum alloy 2099 extruded shapes
and plate products is 1.5 to 3 times higher than conventionally made
components. By controlling and refining the composition, temper,
and microstructure, aluminum alloy 2099 products also exhibit improved resistance to corrosion and crack propagation.
aero-online.org
MaterialsFeature
January/February 2008
Aluminum alloy
2099 gets its lower
density and
improved
mechanical
properties from
lithium.
Pratt & Whitney’s geared
turbofan engine will benefit
from advanced aluminum
alloys and advanced nickel
and titanium aluminide.
Aircraft parts made from
2099 can withstand more fatigue
damage and last longer than
parts made with other alloys.
These improvements in durability and damage tolerance—
which are measured by resistance to the growth of fatigueinduced cracks, fracture toughness, and resistance to stress
corrosion cracking—ultimately
produce an aircraft that is safer
and less costly to maintain.
Even though companies such
as Alcoa and Montreal-based
Alcan are best known for their
aluminum products, they do not
consider composites a dirty
word. For example, the material
commonly known as GLARE
(short for glass reinforced) is a
combination of carbon fiber and
aluminum. Much of the A380
fuselage is fabricated with
GLARE.
aero-online.org
“For many, the
perception of an
advanced metal
is one that costs
more, is difficult to
manufacture, and
is hard to maintain.
Our job is to turn
that perception
around”
—Bob Schafrik,
General Manager of Materials and
Processing Engineering,
GE-Aviation
The next step is sandwiching composite material with titanium.
“Metallurgically, titanium marries well with composites,” said
Dan Greenfield, Director of Investor Relations for Allegheny
Technologies, one of the industry’s major suppliers of titanium, as
well as nickel- and cobalt-based superalloys for aircraft engines.
Other industry suppliers of aerospace-grade alloys include New
York-based Special Metals (a division of Precision Castparts) and
Pennsylvania-based Carpenter Technology. “You can fasten composites to titanium without the galvanic corrosion common with
aluminum. Moving from aluminum to composite-titanium is as significant a move as moving from canvas to aluminum.”
Such hybrid structures are looked at as the future of metals in
aerospace.
“In general, the only weakness of metals is in fatigue, and to some
extent corrosion resistance,” said Sawtell. “We’re working to take that
[problem] off the table. We’ve found that a small amount of glass
fiber in the right places in a bonded structure removes that as an
issue.
“Assuming we can make hybrid structures work, it removes the
last issue that people have with metal. We believe that hybrid materials will be lighter than graphite.”
From one end of the engine to the other
Where in the past advanced metals were found primarily in the hottest part of aircraft engines, they are now found from stem to stern.
GE-Aviation’s GEnx is a good example of a powerplant chock full of
advanced metals.
The early compressor stages are titanium alloys with fine-grain
Ti-64 being used for the blisk. GE switches to nickel alloys in the
back of the compressor. Disks are manufactured of Ti-17 superalloy.
Metals for the combustor are restricted to superalloys and cobalt
alloys. It is expected that ceramic matrix-type composites will be
used for combustors in the future because they are one-third the
weight of nickel- and cobalt-based superalloys, but they are costprohibitive at the moment.
For the last two stages of the low-pressure turbine (LPT), GE has
introduced titanium aluminide, which is known as an intermetallic
chemical compound.
“The dream of using intermetallics in engines has been around
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
27
Casting
a vote for
alloys
The all-composite 787 is far from a plastic plane. At right is the first 787, which is undergoing final
structure and systems installation. Behind it is the static-test airplane, followed by the airplane
scheduled for fatigue testing.
for 25 years,” said Bob Schafrik, General Manager of Materials and
Processing Engineering for GE-Aviation. “This is a big deal, and we
are the first (to use them); someone had to bite the bullet and work
out with suppliers how to machine the material.
“Subsequently everyone will use titanium aluminide in the back
of the LPT because it is half the weight of nickel.”
In the high-pressure turbine (HPT), where the highest temperatures are found, the GEnx uses the R104 nickel-based superalloy,
which was developed for NASA’s high-speed civil transport program and was first introduced to the commercial world on the
GP7000 engine that GE and Pratt & Whitney are building for the
A380. Pratt refers to the superalloy as ME16.
Besides its work as part of the Engine Alliance, Pratt’s premier
metals work is taking place on its under-development geared turbofan (GTF), which will find its first application on the Mitsubishi
Regional Jet.
“Advanced metals are in broad use throughout that engine,” said
Brad Cowles, Senior Fellow and Discipline Lead within Pratt’s
Materials and Processes Engineering group, which employs about
300 people, 50 of whom work exclusively on developing new materials and processes. “The thrust for that engine was lighter weight,
increased durability, and better cost of ownership. In this next-generation product family the gear adds weight to the engine so we’re
focused on reducing weight elsewhere.”
For the GTF, advanced aluminum alloys are being used in the
fan, low-pressure combustor, and externals to offer significant
28
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
weight reduction over incumbent materials such as titanium
and composites.
“We have developed advanced aluminum, titanium,
and nickel-base alloys whose
strength, density, durability, and
temperature capability are enabling the design of the next
generation of lightweight and
efficient turbine engines,” said
Jack Schirra, Manager of
Technology and Structural
Materials for the Materials and
Processes Engineering group,
Pratt & Whitney. “Advanced titanium alloys are being exploited
in the HPC [high-pressure compressor] and LPT, enabling the
design of lighter weight rotor
designs. In addition, the latestgeneration powder metal disk
aero-online.org
MaterialsFeature
January/February 2008
Much materials research
focuses on replacing metal
with composites. On the F-22,
Lockheed Martin is replacing
the graphite epoxy nose gear
door with an easier-tomanufacture aluminum door.
alloy will be used in the HPC
and HPT rotors, offering increased operating temperature
capability and lighter weight
rotor designs.
“It is fair to say that some of
the advanced metals we’re considering for insertion into that
program will allow us to reduce
weight by several hundred
GE-Aviation’s GEnx engine
makes extensive use of
advanced metals, including
the first commercial
application of titanium
aluminide in the last two
stages of the low-pressure
turbine.
aero-online.org
pounds and operate the turbine at high speeds and temperature,
with durability to make the cost more attractive.”
Collaborating on metals development
One of the primary differences between the use of advanced materials today and those developed in years past is that modern-day metals are meant for quick insertion into products rather than being
developed just for the sake of invention.
“In the past, we tended to push the envelope of superalloys and
then we would go to the design engineers and say, ‘look at what we
have and can you find an application,’” said GE-Aviation’s Schafrik.
“That caused a five- to 10-year gap before something was applied.
Nothing was more disappointing than having worked on a development program and waiting forever for a material to be applied.
“Now they tell us the requirements, which has eliminated that
gap and made that development process more efficient.”
One of the goals of the joint military/commercial Metals
Affordability Initiative is to help in shortening that time frame between metals development and metals application. Most of the major engine makers, airframers, and metal suppliers are part of the
initiative, which falls under the direction of the Air Force Research
Laboratory.
Allegheny’s 718 Plus superalloy, which lets jet engines burn
100°F hotter than prior-generation superalloys, was developed under the initiative. Greenfield described it as a “workhorse superalloy
for the hot section”—not just because hotter operating temperatures
translate into reduced emissions, but because it can be repaired and
welded, which certain other superalloys cannot.
“At the completion of the program, Allegheny knew it met the
requirements of customers and didn’t have a long wait for engine
companies to begin placing orders,” said Schafrik. “[The Metals
Affordability Initiative] greatly accelerated the introduction of 718
Plus.
“Collaborative programs like that with the supply chain are the
way of the future. For many, the perception of an advanced metal is
one that costs more, is difficult to manufacture, and is hard to main-
tain. Our job is to turn that perception around, so working with
the supply chain is critical.”
A prime time for metals
The latest generation of aircraft
and engines are driving development of new alloys and new
manufacturing processes, and
make it a very exhilarating time
to be in the specialty metals
business.
“I think this is the most exciting time you could be working
in the business,” said Pratt’s
Cowles. “With competitive market pressures, materials issues
and product development cycle
time are accelerated.”
The near-term future for advanced metals, however, may
not be as interesting as the present day.
“The aircraft business is a
business of programs,” said
Sawtell. “The A380 is a done
deal; the 787 is pretty much a
done deal. The A400M is another done deal. There is really
nothing else large on the horizon until Airbus and Boeing
replace the A320 and 737.
“We’re focused on being
ready with the right materials
when those two companies
move forward.”
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
29
NewsBits
January/February 2008
Losing weight
Volvo Aero has acquired Linköping, Sweden-based composite
company Applied Composites AB (ACAB) with the intention of
using its technology to develop and manufacture lightweight aircraft
engine components made of composite materials. As a result of the
acquisition, Volvo Aero will invest SEK 50 million in research and
development within the area of composites through June 2009.
Volvo Aero intends to immediately establish a new operation that
will develop and manufacture certain selected aircraft components
in composite materials. In addition to being lighter, these components are expected to reduce fuel consumption and in turn lower
emissions from the aircraft. Work at the new operation at ACAB
was expected to begin immediately.
half the price per stored watt-hour of traditional battery technologies. EESUs are expected to be nontoxic, nonhazardous, and nonexplosive, and because the design is based on ultracapacitor architecture, it will allow for flexible packaging and rapid charge/discharge capabilities. Qualification testing and mass production at
EEStor’s facility in Cedar Park is planned for late 2008. In a separate release, Lockheed Martin announced that it has acquired
PercepTek, a Colorado-based provider of advanced autonomous
software technologies.
A complete overhaul
Pratt & Whitney and Turkish Airlines Technic signed a joint-venture agreement to build an aircraft engine overhaul center in
Istanbul, Turkey. The joint-venture facility, to be named Pratt &
Whitney Turkish Technic Aircraft Engine Maintenance Center, will
overhaul V2500 and CFM56 engines. Construction is scheduled to
begin in early 2008, with the first engine expected to be manufactured in 2009. Once fully operational, the center is expected to
overhaul up to 200 engines per year and will employ much of
Turkish Technic’s staff. In November, Turkish Technic signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Goodrich to establish a
joint venture in Istanbul to perform maintenance and repair work on
nacelles. Under the terms of the MOU, the joint-venture company,
Goodrich HABOM, will provide maintenance, repair, and overhaul
services and support for Turkish Airlines’ fleet of Airbus and
Boeing aircraft. Goodrich HABOM plans to open a repair station at
Sabiha Gokcen International Airport in Istanbul in 2009.
University bound
GE Aviation selected Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS,
as the site of its new University Development Center. The new facility is projected to include 43 engineering jobs within two years. The
engineering staff will perform various engineering services including
software development, verification and validation, mechanical design, and hardware design. GE is in the process of reviewing location options and plans on occupying the center in the second quarter of 2008. In a separate release, GE announced the signing of a
10-year OnPoint solutions agreement with ACTS for material to repair CF34 engines and a 10-year materials agreement with CFM
International for the repair and overhaul of CFM56-2, CFM56-3,
CFM56-5A, CFM56-5B, and CFM56-5C engines. The total of
both agreements is an estimated $2.5 billion.
Getting a charge out of ceramics
Lockheed Martin signed an exclusive international rights agreement to integrate and market Electrical Energy Storage Units
(EESUs) from Cedar Park, TX-based EEStor for military and
homeland-security applications. EEStor is developing ceramic battery chemistry that could provide 10 times the energy density of
lead-acid batteries at one-tenth the mass and volume and also be
30
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
EADS Defence & Security has assumed the role of prime contractor in
the tri-national Agile UAV within Network-Centric Environments (Agile
UAV-NCE) technology program.
United for UAVs
The German Ministry of Defence awarded EADS Defence &
Security the prime contractor role for the Agile UAV within
Network-Centric Environments (Agile UAV-NCE) technology program. This program is aimed at the analysis and refinement of enabling technologies and operational concepts of unmanned agile
reconnaissance operations of a UAV. DS is a partner in a tri-national advanced UAV study in France, Germany, and Spain, and its
prime objectives are system-of-systems approaches and the network-centric operations context for its UAV portfolio. The Finnish
Defence Forces will also contribute to the program via its Finnish
Unmanned Vehicle Systems project and its UAV Data Link technology programs. The Agile UAV-NCE program is planned to be executed in subsequent phases and to run until 2013, covering both
computer simulations and actual test flights. DS is responsible for
the complete system design and will contribute to the program with
the technology demonstrator Barracuda.
aero-online.org
NewsBits
January/February 2008
name and the Columbia products will be branded the Cessna 350
and Cessna 400. These low-wing composite aircraft will complement Cessna’s existing line of eight-piston models.
Eye in the sky
Boeing will produce the Ares I crew launch vehicle’s instrument unit
avionics (IUA). The IUA, shown in the lower right, provides the
vehicle’s guidance, navigation, and control hardware.
Building the ‘brains’
NASA awarded Boeing a $265 million contract to produce the
Ares I crew launch vehicle’s instrument unit avionics (IUA). Boeing
was previously selected as the Ares I upper-stage production contractor. The IUA provides the guidance, navigation, and control
hardware for the vehicles, serving as the “brains” behind the rocket’s ascent. The Ares I launches the Orion crew exploration vehicle,
which will join other elements of NASA’s Constellation program to
help propel astronauts to the moon by 2020. Boeing will produce
three IUA flight test units and six production units, with an option to
produce four additional units per year from 2014 to 2016. Boeing
also announced that it has signed a 10-year memorandum of understanding with India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to
bring more than $1 billion of new aerospace manufacturing work to
India. Under the agreement, Boeing and HAL will explore business
opportunities aimed at transferring work packages to India with an
initial value of $10-$20 million annually, increasing in size and complexity as business opportunities develop.
Northrop Grumman will lead a team to compete for the U.S.
Army’s Aerial Common Sensor (ACS), an airborne platform that will
provide the warfighter with actionable intelligence, reconnaissance,
surveillance, and target-acquisition capability. The ACS team includes AAI, General Dynamics C-4 Systems, and L-3
Communications. From the moment it arrives over the battlefield,
the ACS will provide commanders in theater and troops on the
ground with critical situational intelligence. ACS will detect troop
movements and intercept communications and radar transmissions,
allowing the Army to direct firepower before the enemy forces know
they’ve been detected. Northrop Grumman also recently submitted
a proposal with L-3 Communications for the U.S. Navy’s EPX aircraft program. The EPX platform is envisioned as a shore-based,
manned aircraft providing intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance,
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aero-online.org
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Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
31
January/February 2008
A sense of the
L
ike two lines intersecting on a financial chart, one going down and the
other going up, the future of manned
ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) and unmanned ISR are moving in
different directions.
With the planned retirement of the U-2
spy plane, the 2007 cancellation of the
E-10A multi-sensor command and control
aircraft, and the recent collapse of NATO’s
AGS (Alliance Ground Surveillance) program, manned ISR is clearly undergoing a
time of sunset.
That does not mean, though, that demand
for ISR is diminishing. Quite the contrary,
projected defense expenditures clearly show
the U.S. military, in particular, spending
much less on the “shooter” portion of the kill
chain while earmarking proportionally more
to the ISR portion.
The Teal Group, for example, expects the
market for UAV-borne synthetic aperture
radar (SAR) to grow faster over the next decade than any other defense electronics market. Beginning in FY11, Teal says, funding
for UAV SAR systems will surpass those carried by manned aircraft such as the joint
surveillance target attack radar system
(JSTARS), U.S. Navy P-3C aircraft, the U.K.’s
ASTOR (airborne stand-off radar) program,
and the under-development P-8A multimission maritime aircraft (MMA).
Another market forecaster, Frost &
Sullivan, also believes that the UAV sensor
market has the potential to be one of the
most dynamic in aerospace and defense.
“The focus tends to be on unmanned aircraft, but what really makes UAVs valuable are
the systems that go into them,” said Lindsay
Voss, Aerospace and Defense Research Analyst
with Frost & Sullivan. “Growth has been explosive, and it is not just companies like Northrop
Grumman. Where you really see the growth is
in smaller companies that have found a solution for a particular mission.”
32
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
The continued success of legacy programs such as Global
Hawk and Predator make it difficult for new companies to
break the grip of certain sensor
suppliers who have locked up
long-term contracts with the
airframe makers. Raytheon, for
instance, provides the Northrop
Grumman-built Global Hawk
with its Integrated Sensor Suite
that combines a cloud-penetrating SAR antenna with a ground
moving-target indicator, a high
resolution electro-optical (EO)
digital camera, and an IR sensor.
On the General Atomics-built
Predator, Northrop Grumman is
the long-term SAR supplier.
Market opportunities on the
tactical end of the market, however, are available for the taking
by companies that can develop
small SARs for platforms such as
the rotary-wing Fire Scout being
developed by Northrop
Grumman, or the U.S. Army’s
Shadow 200 built by AAI (which
is being acquired by Textron and
is expected to become part of
Textron’s Bell Helicopter group).
“As technology emerges that is
suitable for smaller systems,
you’ll see growth there,” said
Voss. “One of the big trends is
getting these sensors smaller and
more affordable. Larger UAVs
can carry everything, but there is
a lot of talk about trying to get
SAR to a size where it is practical
for a small UAV. It would have
been unthinkable a few years ago
to put a high-quality sensor on
what might be little more than a
model aircraft.”
Providing the unblinking
eye for intelligence,
surveillance, and
reconnaissance.
by Barry Rosenberg
aero-online.org
ElectronicsFeature
Feature
January/February 2008
future for UAVs
SAR was originally developed during the
Cold War to provide 3-D radar imagery for
target detection and identification through
the radar’s spot mode; and to identify moving targets on the ground with long-term
radar scans. Unlike EO and IR, it operates in
all weather because it can see through clouds
and darkness. Because its capability is defined by its size (the ability to detect small
objects improves as the antenna gets larger),
it is much heavier and consumes more power than EO/IR systems, making it suitable at
this time only for larger platforms such as
the Boeing 707-based JSTARS or, in smaller
form, UAV platforms such as Global Hawk
and Predator.
The multi-platform radar technology insertion program (MP-RTIP)
active electronically scanned array radar (AESA) is the key element of
the upgraded Global Hawk Block 40 aircraft.
aero-online.org
From big SARs
to little SARs
If there was a moment in time when the
pendulum clearly swung away from manned
ISR in favor of unmanned ISR it was the
Pentagon’s November cancellation of the
E-10A. Based on a Boeing 767-400ER aircraft, the E-10A was originally expected to
be a replacement for AWACS and JSTARS
aircraft. But while the platform is gone,
funding continues for the true heart of the
effort—a next-generation SAR known as the
multi-platform radar technology insertion
program (MP-RTIP).
The MP-RTIP active electronically
scanned array (AESA) radar is the key element of the upgraded Global Hawk Block 40
aircraft. The U.S Air Force plans to buy 15
of the platforms over the next decade.
Northrop Grumman and Raytheon are
jointly developing and producing the radar,
which is an advanced air-to-surface/air-toair radar that will deliver long-range, very
high-resolution SAR, ground moving-target
indicator capabilities, and air target-tracking
capabilities. The MP-RTIP program also includes a wide-area surveillance (WAS) sensor, which is significantly larger than the
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
33
January/February
A
sense of2008
the future for UAVs
Global Hawk antenna and will provide even greater capability. The WAS sensor includes improved air-toground surveillance, precision air tracking, cruise missile defense, and other special modes that exploit the
inherent capabilities of the larger system.
“We’re putting a technologically advanced radar on a
very persistent platform for long-stare, long-look capabilities,” said Tom Twomey, Northrop Grumman’s
Manager of Global Hawk Business Development, citing
a persistence rate for the platform of 32 to 36 hours. “If
you look at the F/A-18E/F, F-16 Block 60, F-22, and JSF,
they all have an AESA radar because mechanically
scanned radars will be obsolete soon. To keep up you
have to offer the latest technology to the customer.
“They want to see products that are scalable, upgradable, and more reliable with less maintenance. With JSF,
for example, they never intend to take the radar out; you
can burn out 20% of the modules and have it work fine.”
Global Hawk is not the only UAV receiving a better
SAR. An improved version of General Atomics’ AN/
APY-8 Lynx radar, the Lynx II, is finding application on
the Predator A and B, as well as the Army derivative of
the Predator—the Warrior. The Army also chose Lynx II
for its under-development Fire Scout. (The Lynx is also
part of a planned Pentagon deal to sell a half-dozen
Beechcraft King Air 350s to Iraq for ISR purposes.)
Operating in SAR mode, Lynx II will provide photographic-like images. At 4-in resolution, the radar can
image scenes 30 km away in fair weather and 25 km
34
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
Top The Global Hawk Block 40 aircraft will include a MP-RTIP sensor—
the first of its kind to be carried on any unmanned platform—to detect
and track moving targets on the ground while taking radar images with
very precise geo-location accuracy. Above Northrop Grumman is
flight-testing the MP-RTIP sensor for Global Hawk on Scaled
Composites’ Proteus.
away through clouds and rain. The radar can detect very small changes in a
scene (including footprints) by using a technique called coherent change detection. In GMTI (ground moving-target indicator) mode, Lynx II can detect moving targets with up to 4-in range resolution accuracy.
Other important manufacturers of small SARs include: Farmingdale, NYbased Telephonics and its RDR-1700, which was originally planned for the Bell
Helicopter vertical-takeoff Eagle Eye UAV that was selected by the U.S. Coast
Guard for its Deepwater program, but is now in limbo due to Deepwater cost
overruns; the Israel Aircraft Industries’ (IAI) Elta System's EL/M-2055, which
has flown on the Hermes 450; and the I-Master from France’s Thales, which
combines a SAR and GMTI in a 66-lb package.
The unblinking eye
Just as a hot dog is rarely eaten without mustard, a SAR-equipped UAV rarely
flies without an accompanying EO/IR package. And for the vast majority of
small UAVs, the EO/IR sensor is often the only payload. Teal estimates that
spending on UAV EO/IR systems in the U.S. market will expand from $438 million in FY07 to $774 million in FY15.
Not the largest market in the world, but it is one that extends down to the
smallest hand-launched UAVs such as AeroVironment’s Raven, of which thousands have been built. A slightly larger version of the Raven—the Raven B—has
an improved EO/IR sensor from FLIR Systems and can also carry a laser designator. The U.S. Marine Corps recently began to procure the UAV, which has a
mass of less than 5 lb, for over-the-hill reconnaissance.
The FLIR sensor supplied to AeroVironment for the Raven B air vehicle will
aero-online.org
ElectronicsFeature
Feature
January/February 2008
Top Military planners envision that the Fire Scout will carry just about
every sensor available, including: SAR, EO/IR, laser designator, land
and underwater mine detection, and chem/bio capability.
Above FLIR Systems hopes to eventually be able to steer the Raven’s
EO/IR sensor independently of the airframe.
put “more pixels on target” by providing four times the resolution of the sensor
on the first-generation Raven, according to Blaise Dagilaitis, Vice President of
Business Development for FLIR Systems.
Moving up the ladder in capability is FLIR’s Brite Star II, which will provide
the EO/IR capability for Fire Scout. BRITE Star II is a commercially developed,
military-qualified multi-sensor system that incorporates an advanced third-generation thermal imager, a CCD-TV camera, a laser designator, and a laser
rangefinder. The predecessor to the BRITE Star II is currently fielded on the
Marine’s fleet of UH-1Ns.
While Raytheon tends to dominate the EO/IR market due to its presence on
Global Hawk and Predator, a number of other manufacturers produce sophisticated products. Those sensors include: Raven Eye from Northrop Grumman
and IAI’s Tamam, the multi-purpose optical stabilized payload from Tamam,
the MX series and 11SST (Step-Stare Turret) from L-3 Wescam, and the compact multi-purpose advanced stabilized system (CoMPASS) from Elbit Systems.
CoMPASS was selected as part of the U.K.’s Watchkeeper UAV program, which
will be based on the Hermes 450.
aero-online.org
A sense of the future
UAVs will play an increasingly important role in homeland security and anti-terrorism through the addition of
new sensors to detect chemical, biological, and radiological agents. For example, the Army wants Fire Scout
to have a chem/bio capability.
The Army also wants Fire Scout to carry a sensor to
detect land mines. Northrop Grumman is developing
the airborne standoff minefield detection system for just
that purpose. Similarly, the U.S. Navy wants Fire Scout
to detect mines in the littorals and surf zone. For that
job, it plans to equip its Fire Scouts with the coastal battlefield reconnaissance and analysis system, a look-down
laser-based system also being developed by Northrop
Grumman. Foliage-penetrating radars are being developed, too.
The military services also want Fire Scout to eventually carry a SAR. To make that possible, additional
weight will have to be shaved from most of the SARs on
the market today.
“The next generation of sensor will include a variant
of the AESA radar,” said Northrop’s Twomey. “It now
requires liquid cooling; in the future those modules will
be air-cooled. That will mean less weight, less maintenance, and more reliability. There will be one less thing
to worry about if you don’t need a cooling system.”
The near-term future will also bring more capable
sensors to the small UAV. Currently, the FLIR Systems
EO/IR sensor on the Raven is installed in a fixed position. Soon, FLIR expects to be able to steer the sensor
gimbal independently of the aircraft, according to
Dagilaitis.
The laser designator is another payload desired for
UAVs on the lower end of the size and weight scale.
“From a sensor standpoint, another trend is using
the platform to get target location, so you want a
rangefinder onboard, as well as an inertial navigation
system,” said Dagilaitis. “Fire Scout has a laser designator, Predator has one, and Shadow will be getting one.
Designators have historically been expensive and difficult to build, though there is more and more demand
for the capability.”
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
35
January/February 2008
Light material
brings heavy
challenges
eterans in aircraft production might think back to
“The Graduate” when they talk to young people who
want some advice on entering the field. But today the
word is not plastics, it is composites.
This lightweight material is taking the industry by storm.
“More programs are going to composites, and more parts are
now composites. The fuselage of Boeing’s 787 is composite, and
there are many companies making composite parts for Boeing and
other companies,” said Jim Hecht, Manager of Cincinnati Machine’s
Process Engineering Group.
Boeing’s 787 is probably the most visible example, but it is far
from the only composite program for mainstream aircraft. Military
programs have used some composites for decades, but they were
typically on limited-production planes. Now, larger parts on farhigher-volume airplanes are being produced.
“Composite technology was a niche market with very low capacity, but that’s changing dramatically,” said Tim Shafer, Director for
Aerospace Industry at Siemens. “There’s a huge difference between
building 20 B2s total vs. 20 Joint Strike Fighters per month.”
As volumes rise, manufacturing managers face a number of challenges. For some, simply learning how to lay down composite pre-preg
materials instead of working with aluminum is a major challenge.
Though aircraft OEMs want more composite parts, they are not
willing to pay premium prices for them. That means that manufacturers have to increase volumes without taking more valuable floor
space, since expanding factories does not fit either the cost or timing
parameters of today’s marketplace.
Individual tow payout with
controlled tension
Band collimator
Fiber placement head
Tow restart rollers
Tow cutters and
clamp mechanism
Collimated fiber band
Compaction roller
Part surface
Controlled heat
Direction of head travel
Equipment makers such as Cincinnati Machine are improving the
efficiency of production equipment.
36
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
Shift from aluminum to composites requires
Equally daunting for experienced and inexperienced composite
component manufacturers is producing larger volumes of composite
parts faster without sacrificing quality. At every stage of the game,
that means more automation, which ripples over to paperwork.
“This is a highly regulated industry. People are used to manually
handling paper documents for certification. Many are fighting
against going beyond paper, but digital data and product lifecycle
management software are going to replace paper,” said Tim
Ambridge, Director of PLM Business Procedures at Bombardier.
Though converting documentation is an important part of aircraft production, automating production lines is a bigger focus for
those in charge of getting parts out the door. As the industry makes
greater use of these lightweight materials, the transition from manual to mechanized production has become a central focus.
“Companies now moving to automation are of the size where
hand layup was common,” said Hecht. “Companies that aren’t
familiar with automation now need to receive data from the parent organization and convert it so they can produce parts.”
This changeover is a daunting task. Though the basic concept of
aircraft construction remains unchanged, the shifts to composites
and contract manufacturing appear to be the wave of the future.
“Airframes are still complex assemblies held together by thousands of fasteners; now they’re made with composites by globally
distributed companies,” said John O’Connor, Director of Product
Strategy at Vistagy. “To a greater or lesser degree, a lot of companies
feel Boeing’s distributed business model is very appropriate.”
aero-online.org
ManufacturingFeature
Feature
January/February 2008
Boeing’s 787 is one of the aircraft programs
leading the shift to composite materials.
major changes in equipment, software.
by Terry Costlow
The race is on
Composite structures are built by laying down several plies of composite pre-preg material. Manual and lightly automated systems of
the past cannot meet the speed requirements of today’s output demands, which are an order of magnitude beyond what many manufacturers can do now.
“Companies are talking about laying down 100 lb of material
per hour,” said Siemens’ Shafer.
Moving toward that level of production required rethinking by
manufacturing automation specialists. Multi-head machines are
now being used to lay down more material without requiring the
same amount of floor space needed for single-head machines, Shafer
said. Adding more heads forced equipment makers to upgrade their
motion-control systems.
“One of the most-recent developments is a shift to seven-axis
transformation for fiber-placement equipment. The additional axes
are needed to keep the lay-down on the shoe that’s used to compact
the material,” said Shafer.
Previously, single-headed machines could get by with just five
axes of motion. Adding more precise motion control makes it possible to improve both speed and accuracy, according to Shafer.
While there is a push for higher speed, the expanded use of composites means that there is also a push to make more intricate parts.
When more complicated parts are made, the equipment designed to
disperse large amounts of material are simply not up to the job.
aero-online.org
When manufacturers are doing complex structures, they use
smaller strips, now going down to outputting strips as thin as 0.25
in. New Cincinnati Machine equipment lays down as many as 32 of
these thin strips at once, substantially improving throughput over
previous-generation equipment that only handled 12 or 24 lanes
at once.
For larger surfaces such as wings, which Hecht calls gentle
shapes, there is a drive to handle larger sizes in a single pass. That is
where multi-head equipment comes into play. “Multi-head equipment lets you disperse more material,” said Hecht.
Doing more with less
Boosting capacity of the layup equipment is just one facet of improving efficiency. Equipment designers are also adding functions
to these complex machines. They are not just material handlers
any more.
“Now we’re including ply cutters on tape heads that lay up parts.
That lets us use the same work space to cut the plies in the parts to
their final shape, doing those jobs in space that used to handle only
one task,” said Cincinnati’s Hecht. Some machines also incorporate
ink-jet printers so lines or other markings can be made, eliminating
another step.
Inspection is also changing. In low-volume applications, testing
was often handled with a Mylar template that was positioned to
check sizes. “Now, a laser on the head does boundary tracking,
checking the periphery to make sure the proper shape has been developed,” said Hecht.
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
37
Light material
brings heavy
challenges
January/February 2008
Left to right
Large composites production
equipment runs at high speeds
and with high precision, thanks to
motion-control systems from
companies such as Siemens.
Structures such as fuselage
elements often have complex
curves that must accurately
reproduce design intent.
Equipment from companies
such as Cincinnati Machine must
run at high speeds without
sacrificing precision.
Digital forever: from design to production
Tightening the link between design
and manufacturing software is a key
aspect of moving complex airframe
designs into production quickly with
a minimum of errors and rework.
Tool providers throughout the
industry acknowledge that efficient
manufacturing setup and production go back to compatible design
software. “Automated 3-D design in
CAD really helps the manufacturing
process. The key to having efficient
manufacturing is to have full digital
design of the airframe upstream,”
said John O’Connor, Director of
Product Strategy at Vistagy.
Every time a design moves to
the next step in its evolution, these
digital files expand. By the time files
get to the factory floor, they hold a
wealth of data.
“Once engineers define the
fastener positions, we provide 80
or so pieces of non-geometric
An Abaqus simulation of a ply layup on
a launch payload fairing defines and
manages plies (table, left) and ply
layup (right).
Fuselage section with defined structural
components in Vistagy’s Airframe Design
Environment. Stringers (blue), sheer ties (red)
and all fastener points (orange and green) can
be modeled in CAD with Vistagy software.
38
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
aero-online.org
ManufacturingFeature
Cincinnati Machine
January/February 2008
information so people in manufacturing can create automated drilling
patterns and make their quality and
production plans,” said O’Connor.
Factors such as how close fasteners can be to ply edges are automatically considered to prevent
errors, he added.
Analysis tools also come into
play, helping engineers design parts
for manufacturing. Composites was
among the technologies addressed
in Simulia’s recently introduced
V6.7 FEA software.
“We deal with composite materials on a ply-by-ply basis rather than
treat them as pure finite elements
and other constructs,” said Greg
Brown, Abaqus Product Manager
at Simulia, one of the Dassault
Systèmes companies.
The tool checks for many things,
beginning with simple mistakes
such as orienting plies in the wrong
direction, Brown added. It also
helps engineers gauge the effects
of impact on the material. “We’ve
aero-online.org
got damage models to see where
plies might be affected,” he said.
Nontechnical production factors such as outsourcing are also
changing the industry. The growth
of contract manufacturing brings
data protection into the spotlight.
When key design and production
files go outside the corporate
boundaries, managers want to
make sure that critical data do
not go any further.
“Security protection of IP is
key. There are ways to dumb
down the intelligence in data files
to get the engineering intent
across without giving away the
farm,” said Phil Bjornsson,
Manager of Design Technologies
for Goodrich Aerostructures. He
noted that product lifecycle management tools are critical in designs, since they help assure that
mechanics can perform repairs
and maintenance, for example.
Program partners
All these manufacturing improvements are augmented by technological advances that make it easier to use design software to set up
production equipment. Using the original design files to create setup
programs for factory-floor equipment eliminates the many translations and multiple setup steps that used to take place.
Now, it is possible to get into production with a minimum of
software issues. For example, Cincinnati Machine works closely
with Dassault Systèmes, which provides much of the software used
by Boeing, to make sure there are no incompatibilities. “Boeing’s
designs are done in CATIA, and our software extracts information like the shape of each ply,” said Hecht.
Partnering between software suppliers helps aircraft
manufacturers do more with less. For example, SolidCAM
partners with SolidWorks, providing a way for manufacturers to
use SolidWorks design files to program CNC machines. Even on
complex four- and five-axis machines used for turbine milling, technicians can establish processes that make it simpler to get high levels
of precision and efficiency without spending long amounts of time
setting up equipment.
“Companies can build a common strategy for all their machining
so technologies and techniques can be used over and over again for
similar parts,” said Daniel Harris, Senior Sales Engineer at SolidCAM.
Hecht noted that much of the manufacturing software being used
today has followed a major trend of the past couple decades. “Our
software has shifted from Unix to Microsoft Windows,” he said.
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
39
January/February 2008
Ryan’s ‘Research’
put to good use
The Southwest Research Institute
engineer assumes SAE President
duties for 2008.
by Matt Monaghan
40
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
A
s a young man fresh out of high
school, 20/20 vision played a
pivotal role in charting the
course of Thomas W. Ryan III’s
academic and professional life. Now, as SAE
International President for 2008, Ryan, an
Institute Engineer at Southwest Research
Institute (SwRI), is set to have a great impact on a different kind of 2020 vision—that
of SAE International.
As a child growing up in Cresson, PA—a
small town about 80 mi (130 km) east of
Pittsburgh—Ryan tinkered with various
types of mechanics and developed an interest in math and science in high school,
which eventually spurred a desire to study
engineering at one of the country’s military
academies.
Upon undergoing a qualifier test and
physical examination for military appointment, Ryan learned that the only academy
that did not require 20/20 vision at the time
was the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in
Kings Point, NY. “My eyes were not 20/20,
so that’s where I ended up going,” Ryan said.
“It worked out OK, though, because I was
always also interested in water.”
After three years at Kings Point and one
year on various merchant ships, including a
Victory ship in Vietnam, Ryan earned a
bachelor’s degree in marine engineering
from the Merchant Marine Academy. He
then had a two-year stint working as a Field
Engineer for Factory Mutual Engineering
Association in Pittsburgh and married his
high-school sweetheart, Gail, before deciding to go back to school and pursue master’s
and doctorate degrees in mechanical engineering at Penn State University.
It was at Penn State that Ryan first became involved with SAE, an organization he
has since invested a tremendous amount of
time in. As a student member in 1974, Ryan
worked on an engine project for his master’s
thesis and presented his first of many papers
on the subject at the ’74 World Congress. He
has since authored or co-authored more
aero-online.org
PeopleFeature
January/February 2008
Thomas W. Ryan III, SAE’s 2008 President, is
an Institute Engineer at Southwest Research
Institute in San Antonio, TX, and manages the
Clean Diesel Consortium, a research program
made up of more than 30 members including
light-duty, heavy-duty, and off-highway engine
manufacturers, component suppliers, and oil
and fuel companies.
than 100 papers in the areas of engine, fuels, and combustion research.
Deep in the heart of Texas
After spending six long winters in Happy Valley, which
included a two-year stretch working as an Assistant
Professor in Penn State’s mechanical engineering department, Ryan decided to pursue warmer climes and
began interviewing at several universities and OEMs in
the southern U.S. as well as some other places with welldefined research programs.
Following up on a tip from the professor that first
introduced him to SAE—Sam Lestz—Ryan decided to
check out Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio,
TX. Lestz’s brother, Sid, was at the time Director of
SwRI’s Army Fuels and Lubricants Lab.
“I was interviewing MIT, the University of Florida,
and a few other universities, and then all of the OEMs
and a few of the oil companies, and [Sam] said, “You
might want to try Southwest; that looks like a better
match for you.’ So here I am.”
For those unfamiliar with SwRI, it is an independent,
nonprofit organization with a staff of more than 3000
that provides nearly 2 million ft² (186,000 m²) of laboratories, test facilities, workshops, and offices.
Ryan initially was hired at SwRI as a Senior Research
Engineer in the Fuels and Lubricants Technology division. After only two years in that position, he was made
a manager and oversaw a section of eight engineers.
Eventually, he was named Manager of the Combustion
Technology Section and placed in charge of all of the
mechanical labs in the Division of Engine, Fuel, and
Vehicle Research.
“I discovered in that process, the more people you
have working, the less technical you can be,” Ryan
aero-online.org
said. “I was worrying about performance reviews, and I was
finding that I was bored with all
of that.”
In 1995, a desire to take on
more of a technical position led
Ryan to discuss the possibility of
a change with SwRI executive
and 2002 SAE President S.M.
Shahed. He then was named Institute
Engineer, the highest technical position attainable at SwRI, in the Engine Research
Department.
As opposed to working at an OEM or
supplier, working with a variety of clients at
SwRI has afforded Ryan the unique opportunity to gain experience with the inner
workings of a large number of companies.
Prior to his term as President, Ryan (left)
traveled to Sao Paulo for the SAE Brasil
Congress with incoming SAE Executive
Vice President and Chief Operating
Officer David L. Schutt.
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
41
Ryan’s ‘Research’
put to good use
Ryan met his wife, Gail, growing up in the small town of
Cresson, PA, where they met at a high-school dance.
“When you work for a company, you learn the culture of the company. When you work here, you learn the
culture of this company, but then for your very best clients you also learn the cultures of those companies,”
Ryan explained. “You can see a big diversity in the cultures that you deal with in those companies. For a client
that has a little project, you may not learn a whole lot,
but for the clients that continually come back you meet
the people, you make friends, and when you go to the
company you know a lot of the people and you kind of
Ryan enjoys skiing
with his sons, Tom
IV (left) and Matt,
and travels to
Europe to ski once
or twice a year.
42
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
get embedded in that culture to
some degree.”
During the course of his
SwRI career, Ryan has gained
experience with each of SAE’s
three sectors—automotive, aerospace, and commercial vehicle—
which will no doubt serve him
well during his presidency. “In
aerospace, a long time ago I did
work in that business,” he said.
“We have a gas-turbine combustor facility here and some of my
first projects here were working
in that combustor facility. And
Caterpillar, John Deere, and
Komatsu are all members of my
Clean Diesel Consortium.”
During his presidency, Ryan
will continue to oversee the
Clean Diesel Consortium for
SwRI, a cooperative research
program made up more than 30
members including light-duty,
heavy-duty, and off-highway
engine manufacturers, component suppliers, and oil and fuel companies from around
the world.
Coming into focus
It was in Texas where Ryan first began to
build what has become a lengthy SAE resume. On a local level, he was instrumental
in revitalizing the South Texas Section, serving as Local Chair of the Fall Fuels and
Lubricants meetings in 1996 and 2001 and
as Chair of the section from 2001-02.
“I really got involved from a selfish motivation to get into things where I could see
most of the publications,” Ryan said.
“Something that would force me, so I was on
the Readers Committee for the transactions,
I was organizing sessions, volunteered to
review papers for everybody that I could. I
got on the Horning Award Committee,
which is like reading every paper that SAE
publishes for three years. I did it from a
standpoint of just having access to all of that
technology.”
Once involved, a desire to make a contribution and enact changes that he felt would
better the society led Ryan to become involved on a national level, serving on the
Fuels & Lubricants Activity as Vice Chair for
Combustion and Chair of the activity from
1998-2000 and as Chair of the Land and Sea
Group. He has also served on the Technical
Quality Response Team, Fellows Selection
Committee, and the Member Service
Committee.
Ryan describes his involvement with the
various committees throughout his SAE career as a “learning process” as he got to understand the full breadth of SAE. All that
experience eventually led him to become a
member of the Board of Directors in 2005.
“I feel like I earned my bones in that process of getting nominated to the Board at
one of the Annual Nominating
Committees,” Ryan said. “I feel like you have
to be on the board for a few years to learn
enough about SAE to understand the business and to make any kind of a difference.”
Now as President, Ryan hopes to use his
presidency to help SAE achieve its 2020
aero-online.org
PeopleFeature
January/February 2008
Among his hobbies, Ryan lists working in his
home garage and wood shop. He is currently
in the process of rebuilding various cars with
his sons.
vision of being the No. 1 technical society in the mobility industry. For his term, he has outlined the following three focus areas to help SAE reach its goal:
• Continual quality improvement
• Planned growth
• Technical responsibility.
In terms of quality improvement, Ryan aims to ensure that SAE works to develop an organization-wide
quality system, expand the technical breadth of products
offered, and work to create internationally recognized
technical journals.
“I would like to do everything I can in the next year
to create at least the groundwork for a recognized journal where universities will recognize SAE papers that are
in that journal for tenure and promotion of their faculty,” Ryan said.
A journal would represent another level in the technical paper review process for papers that are deemed to
have long-term reference value.
Ryan noted that planned growth of SAE International
is important to meet the needs of a growing global mobility industry. He hopes to achieve this through the development of SAE sections, expansion of SAE’s affiliate
system, exploration of strategic initiatives and acquisitions, and the creation of international offices.
“In general, I’m in favor of SAE International opening offices in the international capitals of the world and
establishing presence and doing that in a strategic way,”
Ryan said. “[We need to look at] the evolving markets,
and you want to go there first and establish a presence.”
In the area of technical responsibility, Ryan is referencing the ability of SAE to provide unbiased technical
information for making informed mobility-related policy decisions in the international capitals.
“If we’re going to be No. 1 in mobility, we’ve got to be
the go-to place when these staffers need information on
mobility-related issues,” Ryan said. “Somehow we need
to make our expertise available to these government
policymakers.”
When dealing across SAE’s three sectors, there is
some confusion as to what globalization actually means,
and one of the first things Ryan plans to do as SAE
aero-online.org
President is work with incoming
Executive Vice President and
Chief Operating Officer David
L. Schutt to determine exactly
what that means to our society.
“Everybody talks about globalization, but if you talk to the
people in the three different sectors, they
have totally different views of what globalization is,” Ryan said. “We’re not in the business of making cars, or trucks, or planes.
We’re in the business of serving those people, so we have to figure out what global
means to us.”
Kleine tabbed as new Commercial Vehicle Vice President
Richard E. “Ric” Kleine, Vice President of
Off Highway Business for Cummins, has
been selected to succeed Mark R.
Pflederer, Vice President, Heavy
Construction & Mining Products Division of
Caterpillar, as SAE International’s
Commercial Vehicle Vice President.
This elected position entails serving a
three-year term on the SAE Board of
Directors beginning in January 2008. Kleine
becomes only the second SAE Commercial
Vehicle Vice President.
Kleine will be responsible for providing
leadership and continuity for SAE
International’s commercial vehicle initiative
and for integrating the needs of commercial
vehicles across SAE International’s programs for standards, events, and educational programs. SAE International also
elects vice presidents for its aerospace and
automotive sectors.
Kleine has been with Cummins since
1981. He has held various leadership positions in engineering and marketing. Prior to
his current role as head of the Cummins
Off Highway business group, he was
Executive Director of Automotive Customer
Engineering. Other positions he has held
include Director of the Automotive
Business; Director of Automotive Marketing
and Product Planning; Chief Engineer of
Advanced Concepts; and Manager of
Application Engineering for Automotive and
Industrial Products.
Richard E. “Ric” Kleine
Kleine holds bachelor’s and master’s
degrees in technology education from
Indiana State University and a doctorate
in technology from West Virginia
University. He has been a member of SAE
since 1986, serving on numerous committees including the Commercial Vehicle
Executive Planning Council; the
Commercial Vehicle Activity Committee;
the Commercial Vehicle Engineering
Operations Activity Executive Committee;
and the Buckendale Lecture Committee.
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
43
ProductShowcase
January/February 2008
Spotlight:
Measurement Systems
Coordinate measuring machines
Wenzel’s X-Checker coordinate
measuring machines (CMMs) perform in shop-floor production applications with inconsistent environmental conditions. The system can
be used as a touch probe or scanning CMM. Components include
CNC controller, Renishaw electronics, and PC mounted inside a
lockable controller cabinet. A flatscreen monitor and keyboard are
mounted on an ergonomic swivel
arm. The CMM can be supplied
with the Renishaw TP20, TP200 probing systems, or the SP25
scanning probe. OpenDMIS CAD software allows for both CMM
programming and reporting. The Xecute interface enables both
skilled and unskilled operators to launch inspection programs. The
system has a maximum 3-D measuring speed of 700 mm/s with
maximum acceleration of 2000 mm/s². The CMM has a measuring
range of 750 x 1000 x 500 mm.
Handheld XRF analyzers
NITON XRF analyzers from Thermo
Fisher Scientific are designed to provide
accurate alloy material verification quickly
and reliably. The tools provide immediate
nondestructive chemical analysis of alloy
materials from titanium to nickel superalloys, from castings to fasteners, dip
switches to bearings, incoming raw materials to final product quality control. They
also analyze high-temp nickel and stainless
steel, and screen for the presence of prohibited materials such as tin, selenium, cadmium, and zinc in spacecraft applications—
and lead, chromium, cadmium, bromine,
and mercury for Restriction of Hazardous Substances compliance.
Features include thermoelectrically cooled detector, 80-MHz realtime digital signal processor, dual embedded processors, tilting VIP
color touch-screen display, customizable menus, and integrated
Bluetooth, USB, and serial communications.
Radio touch probe
The RMP600 touch probe from
Renishaw combines high-accuracy
strain gauge sensing with frequencyhopping, spread-spectrum radio
transmission to provide high precision
for machine tool measurement of 3-D
aerospace parts. The design allows
part checking precision of five-axis
44
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
machining, contours, and deep cavities, which can block transmission by optical line-of-sight probes. The probe enables rapid, automated part setup and changeover, in-process control of critical dimensions, and final inspection on certain parts to speed throughput. Robust construction, compact design, solid-state electronics,
and interference-free signal transmission allow application to all
sizes of machining centers, harsh machine environments, and noisy
plant floors with competing wireless Wi-Fi communications.
Rengage technology combines a sensing mechanism and advanced electronics to allow sub-micron 3-D probe performance on
contoured surfaces, even with long styli.
Process efficiency
Graco’s Therm-O-Flow 20 and 200
bulk melt systems include new technology that provides quieter operation,
better performance, longer service life,
and improved process efficiency. They
feature the NXT Air Motor as well as
the Mega-Flo platen, which offers favorable melt rates, even with high-viscosity materials. The system also contains EasyKey, an intuitive control that
displays actual and set point temperatures, a material totalizer that can be
reset to track material usage, and a
seven-day automatic startup timer. It
supports self-diagnostics that allow for
predictive and preventative maintenance strategies and includes
sensors that signal when drum changes are needed.
Height gauge
Mahr Federal’s Digimar 817 CLM height
measuring instrument offers three ways to
initiate measurement. In addition to normal
keypad initiation, a QuickMode feature allows the measurement cycle to be initiated
by pushing the carriage in the direction of
the object to be measured. Two “Speed
Keys” on the base allow the operator to
move the measuring carriage to the desired
position and start a measurement.
Combined with an intuitive Teach-In Mode,
these features reduce inspection time for a
mini series. Other features include an air
bearing system for smooth movement, optical incremental measuring system with
double reader head for insensitivity to dirt, and dynamic probing
system for high repeatability. Measurement functions encompass
1-D or optional 2-D, including dynamic measurement functions with
analog display, and automatic perpendicularity and straightness
measurements.
aero-online.org
ProductShowcase
January/February 2008
Noncontact rotary sensors
Novotechnik has added the RFC
and Vert-x E series to its lines of
noncontact and fully touchless rotary position sensors, expanding its
lineup to six. The sensors are suited
for mobile, harsh environments, and
limited-space applications.
Noncontact technology with rotating shaft is found in RSC-1300,
2200, 2800, and 3700 series.
Touchless technology with no shaft
and featuring a round position
marker that mounts separately at a
distance from the detecting sensor
component is featured in the Vert-x
E and RFC series sensors. The sensors extend from 13 to 48 mm in
diameter. Specifications include
programmable angular range to
360˚, resolution to 14 bits, and up
to unlimited mechanical life.
Laser sensor
The Keyence GV Series digital
complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) laser sensor
uses an innovative DATUM algorithm to detect targets that conventional sensors cannot reliably detect. The GV is an optical triangulation sensor that detects shiny targets with multiple reflections as well
as light-absorbing materials such as
black rubber. It is designed for automatic, inline sensing applications
and detects target presence or absence based on surface characteristics or target height and provides
a GO/NG output. The sensor uses
a larger CMOS pixel size than conventional systems to allow it to receive a greater quantity of light,
resulting in highly stable detection
and faster response speeds. Thus
detection is stable even when the
targets are moving or the background is unstable. Four models
include detection ranges of 45,
130, 450, and 1000 mm.
Mini-Fit headers
Mini-Fit RTC (RoHS Temperature
Capable) headers from Molex provide a solution for mid-range power
applications that require high-density and current-carrying capability.
The headers are designed with a
high-temperature liquid crystal polymer housing that can withstand
high surface mount technology solder-reflow temperatures. The units
are compatible with lead-free RoHS
reflow processes. The Mini-Fit RTC
headers share features with the
Mini-Fit Jr. headers, ensuring greater
compatibility and reliability. The
Mini-Fit key design allows it to mate
with standard Mini-Fit receptacles.
aero-online.org
GPS-synchronized clock
The SpectraTime SXO-75 synchronized crystal clock features
integrated synchronization functions through its advanced
SmarTiming+ technology. It allows
customers to reduce cost and size
by integrating synchronization features into one package rather than
via a separate external circuit
board. Characteristics include a
multi-vendor GPS interface; autoadaptive filtering of jitter, wander,
and noise at 1 ns resolution for up
to 100,000 s; and programmable
outputs and phase offset adjustments. It also provides programmable GPS-phase sync or reference frequency track mode and an
EEPROM (electrically erasable
programmable read-only memory)
device for seamless frequency calibration and software upgrades. It
is compatible with the smart
Rubidium SRO-100.
Lightning maps
Jeppesen has added worldwide
lightning data to its IR and visible
satellite imagery maps. The World
Wide Lightning Location Network,
developed jointly at the University
of Washington and University of
Otago, allows for the detection of
cloud-to-ground lightning using a
network of 20 to 30 sensors around
the globe. The sensors can detect
lightning strikes up to 10,000 km
away by measuring very low frequency radiation that emanates from
the strikes. The lightning strike location accuracy is within several kilometers, and the detection efficiency
detects a very high percentage of
thunderstorms in real time. These
additional data allow pilots to determine where convection and thunderstorms are located in worldwide
areas, even where radar data are
not normally available.
Terminators and
attenuators
The PAT3060P high-power attenuator and RFTF surface mount transmission line terminator from TT
Electronics’ IRC Advanced Film
Division feature low voltage standing wave ratios (VSWRs) at high
frequencies, providing a good combination of power dissipation and
performance in the RF and microwave bands. They are suited for
high-frequency and high-power
applications, including RF power
meters, RF and microwave power
amplifiers, radar, satellites, avionics,
RF power sources, and RF/microwave test instruments. The attenuator features a frequency range from
dc to 10 GHz with a VSWR of less
than 1.3 at 10 GHz. The terminator
has power ratings to 250 W, operating frequency of dc to 3 GHz, and
a VSWR of less than 1.1 at 3 GHz.
Nano-miniature
connectors
ITT Interconnect Solutions’
nano-miniature connectors use
twist pin micro-miniature contact
technology and feature a reduced
contact pitch of 0.635 mm, providing significant space and weight
savings when compared to conventional micro-miniature connectors.
The connectors are suited for avionics and missile applications with
their high-reliability electrical contact terminations with insulated
wire/pigtails that provide secure
connections in severe shock and
vibration environments. The units
feature up to 266 contacts and a
range of contact counts, layout configurations, and terminations.
Contact rating is 1 A and life span
is 500 mating cycles.
Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
45
SAE Aerospace Standards on CD-ROM
Used Worldwide for Design, Testing, and Procurement
The ultimate, must-have aerospace standards resource! This easy-to-navigate, fully searchable
CD-ROM includes over 4,500 Aerospace Standards (AS), Aerospace Recommended Practices (ARP),
Aerospace Information Reports (AIR), and Aerospace Resource Documents (ARD), including converted
Military Specifications steering the design and production of thousands of parts, components,
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accessories. Plus, this CD is updated quarterly for one year so you stay current with new,
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SAE International knows that it is people who advance
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and Aerospace Recommended Practices (ARP)—becoming
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CompaniesMentioned
January/February 2008
Company
Page
AAI................................................... 31, 32
ACTS..................................................... 30
Aerodata............................................... 12
AeroVironment..................................... 34
Airbus......................... 4, 7, 8, 19, 26, 30
Air Force
Research Laboratory................. 23, 29
Akzo Nobel........................................... 24
Alcan...................................................... 27
Alcoa...................................................... 26
Alenia Aeronautica.............................. 25
Alfred Wegener Institute................... 12
Allegheny Technologies..................... 27
Andrews Space................................... 16
Applied Composites AB................... 30
Assystem..................................................7
BAE Systems.........................15, 20, 21
Ball Aerospace.......................................8
Beechcraft............................................ 34
Bell Helicopter.................................8, 32
Boeing...................4, 8, 14, 22, 26, 30,
31, 33, 36
Bombardier........................................... 36
Carpenter Technology........................ 27
Caterpillar...................................... 42, 43
Cessna Aircraft.................................... 31
CFM International............................... 30
Chomerics............................................ 16
Cincinnati Machine............................. 36
Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing.... 31
Cummins............................................... 43
Dantec................................................... 12
Dassault................................................ 25
Dassault Systèmes............................. 39
dSPACE................................................ 22
EADS........................................................8
EADS Defence & Security................ 30
EASA..................................................... 19
Eclipse Aviation....................................10
EDO MTech.......................................... 23
EEStor................................................... 30
Elbit Systems....................................... 35
Elta Systems........................................ 34
Engine Alliance............................. 19, 28
ETIRC Aviation.................................... 11
FAA......................................................... 19
Factory Mutual Engineering
Association......................................... 40
Finmeccanica....................................... 25
Finnish Defence Forces..................... 30
FLIR Systems....................................... 34
FMW Composite Systems............... 15
Frost & Sullivan.................................... 32
GE-Aviation............................ 15, 27, 30
General Atomics................................. 32
General Dynamics C-4 Systems..... 31
German Ministry of Defence............ 30
GKN Aerospace.................................. 14
Goodrich........................................30, 39
Goodrich HABOM............................. 30
Graco..................................................... 44
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited........ 31
Humicap................................................ 12
ICAO...................................................... 19
Indiana State University..................... 43
Intercim.....................................................8
Israel Aircraft Industries..................... 34
ITT Interconnect Solutions................ 45
Jeppesen............................................... 45
John Deere........................................... 42
Kansas State University..................... 30
Keyence................................................. 45
Komatsu................................................ 42
L-3 Communications.......................... 31
L-3 Wescam......................................... 35
Lockheed Martin....................15, 26, 30
Lyman-Alpha......................................... 12
Mahr Federal........................................ 44
Marshall Space Flight Center.......... 18
Mercury Computer Systems............ 21
MEN Micro........................................... 12
Microsoft...........................................8, 39
MIT......................................................... 41
Mitsubishi.............................................. 28
Molex...................................................... 45
MPC Products..................................... 22
NASA........................ 16, 18, 22, 28, 31
Northrop Grumman..................... 31, 32
Novator.....................................................7
Novotechnik.......................................... 45
Penn State University......................... 40
PercepTek............................................. 30
Pertinence................................................8
Pratt & Whitney............................28, 30
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne............ 19
Precision Castparts............................ 27
Qatar Airways...................................... 20
Qatar Fuel............................................. 20
Qatar Petroleum.................................. 20
Qatar Science
and Technology Park....................... 20
Raytheon............................................... 32
Renishaw....................................... 10, 44
Right Hemisphere................................10
Rolls-Royce................................... 15, 19
Rosemount........................................... 12
SAAB..................................................... 25
SAE International.............6, 23, 40, 43
Scaled Composites............................ 34
Shell....................................................... 20
Siemens................................................ 36
Sikorsky Aircraft........................... 14, 31
Simulia................................................... 39
SolidCAM............................................. 39
SolidWorks........................................... 39
Southwest Research Institute.......... 40
Special Metals..................................... 27
SpectraTime......................................... 45
Stennis Space Center....................... 18
Tamam................................................... 35
Teal Group............................................ 32
Telephonics.......................................... 34
Textron................................................... 32
Thales.................................................... 34
Thermo Fisher Scientific.................... 44
TT Electronics...................................... 45
Turkish Airlines Technic...................... 30
United Launch Alliance.........................8
United Technologies........................... 14
University of Braunschweig.............. 12
University of Florida............................ 41
University of Otago............................. 45
University of Washington............17, 45
U.S. Air Force................................ 23, 33
U.S. Army................................14, 31, 32
U.S. Coast Guard............................... 34
U.S. Department of Defense............ 24
U.S. Marine Corps.............................. 34
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy...... 40
U.S. Navy................................24, 31, 35
Vistagy............................................36, 38
Volvo Aero............................................. 30
Wenzel................................................... 44
West Virginia University..................... 43
Wintek................................................... 23
World Wide Lightning Location
Network............................................... 45
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Aerospace engineering & manufacturing
47
AdIndex
January/February 2008
Advertiser Name
Circle Page
Aurora Bearing Co
31...............31.................. aerox.hotims.com/16170-31
Brush Wellman Inc
Website Address
Regional Sales Representatives
21...............21.................. aerox.hotims.com/16170-21
Custom Sensors & Technologies (CST) 45...............47.................. aerox.hotims.com/16170-45
Hexagon Metrology
49...............Cover4......... aerox.hotims.com/16170-49
Louisiana Economic Development
9..................9.................... aerox.hotims.com/16170-9
Morris Technologies
11...............11.................. aerox.hotims.com/16170-11
National Research Council Canada
13...............13.................. aerox.hotims.com/16170-13
Norbar USA Inc
23...............23.................. aerox.hotims.com/16170-23
SAE World Headquarters
SAE International
400 Commonwealth Drive
Warrendale, PA 15096-0001
Thomas J. Drozda
1..................1.................... aerox.hotims.com/16170-1
17...............17.................. aerox.hotims.com/16170-17
TEC Materials Testing Division
46...............47.................. aerox.hotims.com/16170-46
The MathWorks
47...............Cover 2........ aerox.hotims.com/16170-47
The Lee Company
48...............Cover3......... aerox.hotims.com/16170-48
TUV SUD America Inc
5..................5.................... aerox.hotims.com/16170-5
General Manager, Global Sales
V: 1-281-374-7135
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meliss@sae.org
Marcie Hineman
Doug Shymoniak
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OK, OR, TX, UT, WA)
V: 1-724-772-4081
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Manager, Aerospace Sales
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jimbrowne@sae.org
Outside North America
Martha Schanno
Manager, New Markets
V: 1-724-772-7155
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mschanno@sae.org
Debby Catalano
Sales Offices
Great Lakes
(MI, Toledo metro, Ontario)
SAE Automotive Headquarters
Australia, Brasil, Malaysia,
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SAE International
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400 Commonwealth Drive
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V: 1-305-933-1292
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Central & Eastern Europe
(Austria, Czech Republic,
Germany, Hungary, Poland,
Switzerland)
IMP (Inter Media
Partners GmbH)
Sven Anacker
Ralf Gerbracht
In der Fleute 46
42389 Wuppertal
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V: 49-2 02 -27 16 90
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mail@InterMediaPartners.de
Steve Rhodes
V: 1-248-273-4086
F: 1-248-273-4082
glsales@sae.org
Midwest
Taiwan - V: 886-4-2329-7318
* F: 886-4-2310-7167
kwong@ringier.com.hk
European Union, Russia
SAE International
Arlene Sloan
80A Cedar Ridge
Barrington IL 60010
V: 1-847-304-8151
F: 1-847-304-8157
tstange@sae.org
(Alberta CAN, AK, AZ, British
Columbia CAN, CA)
V: 1-480-621-6665
F: 1-480-471-8704
rvogelei@sae.org
Director, Event Sales
V: 1-724-772-4078
F: 1-724-776-3087
agrech@sae.org
V: 1-248-273-4094
F: 1-248-273-4082
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Kelly Wong
Rick Vogelei
Robert Kuzawinski
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Shanghai – V: 86-21-6289-5533
* F: 86-21-6213-6446
cwong@ringiertrade.com
400 Commonwealth Drive
Warrendale, PA 15096
755 West Big Beaver Road
Suite 1600
Troy, MI 48084
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Christina Wong
Southwest / West Coast
SAE International
Associate Publisher /
Assistant Sales Manager
V: 1-724-772-4074
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hineman@sae.org
Unit 401-5, 4/F New Victory House
93-103 Wing Lok Street
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Hong Kong - V: 852-2369-8788
* F: 852-2869-5919
annie@ringier.com.hk
SAE International
Terri L. Stange
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China, Hong Kong, Taiwan
Ringier Trade Publishing Ltd.
Annie Chin
(AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, OH,
SC, TN, W.PA, WV)
Classified / Recruitment Sales
V: 1-724-772-4014
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Bob Nelson
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Southeast
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V: 1-248-273-4088
F: 1-248-273-4082
emccallum@sae.org
Amanda Grech
PRIMA North America
(CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH,
NJ, NY, E. PA, Quebec, RI,
VA, VT)
Nelson & Miller Associates, Inc.
120 Main St.
Irvington, NY 10533
V: 1-914-591-5053
F: 1-914-591-8733
sales@nelsonmiller.com
Director of Publications
V: 1-724-772-8591
F: 1-724-776-3087
tdrozda@sae.org
Edward McCallum
Omegadyne Inc
Northeast
Director, International Sales
400 Commonwealth Drive
Warrendale PA 15096
V: 1-724-772-8546
F: 1-724-776-3087
sloan@sae.org
India
SAE International
Melissa R. Mishler
400 Commonwealth Drive
Warrendale, PA 15096
V: 1-281-374-7135
F: 1-281-251-7101
meliss@sae.org
Japan
EMS, Inc.
Eiji Yoshikawa
2-22-8-102, Matsubara, Setagaya-ku
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V: 81-3-3327-5756
F: 81-3-3322-7933
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South Korea
Young Media Inc.
Young J. Baek
407 Jinyang Sangga,
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V: 44-207-834-7676
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media@alaincharles.com
(IA, IL, IN, KS, Manitoba,
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95 Revere Drive, Suite H
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Free Subscription to Aerospace Engineering
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V: 1-847-498-4520
F: 1-847-498-5911
chris@didierandbroderick.com
Fax your Inquiry for product information — mark your circle numbers, complete this form, and fax to (416) 620-9790
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