Lightweight Aircraft Tiedowns

Current TD-1A/B chain tiedowns are heavy and physically demanding for Navy personnel to handle. But, any replacement requires high strength and extreme robustness to UV radiation, salt water, corrosion, solvents, oils, extreme temperatures, abrasion, and droppage, making weight optimization challenging. Significant research has been devoted to using synthetic materials instead of chain to reduce weight. However, environmental testing for flight deck operations includes water immersion and freezing conditions that can greatly effect both polymer lifetime and flexibility related to positive tensioning. The use of chain sidesteps many of these performance barriers, and the TD-1A/B is accepted and proven under conditions including near-darkness and freezing rain through extensive in-service testing. Therefore, Templeman Automation LLC. (TA) proposes a new approach for lightweight chain tiedowns using innovative weight-reduction design practices. The critical advantage of TA's LiteLinx approach is that the resulting chain system will function with existing TD-1A/B tensioners, and LiteLinx tensioners will work identically to current tensioners with current, in-service chains. While only the combination of LiteLinx chains and tensioners will meet the target weight of 6 lbs, the interoperability achieved will be critical for Navy adoption of the new technology as TD-1A/B hardware is gradually replaced through natural attrition.