Nanotechnology-based Retrofit of Legacy Aircraft Systems

This proposal describes an effort to utilize advances in nanotechnology to explore the potential for replicating existing aircraft system functions at nanoscale levels. Areas where such goals and capabilities might serve useful will be explored, and thebenefits in terms of cost and logistics of such an approach determined. The technical feasibility of accomplishing this will be assessed, identifying those technologies that are likely to provide short term breakthroughs as well as those that may besuitable for longer term investigation. Device fabrication and demonstration of their feasibility may then be performed using circuit card components and/or the systems within which they reside. Also, methods for verifying and validating the performance ofany resulting devices and or technologies can be defined and implemented. Success in thie endeavor will benefit both Government and commercial entities as it may facilitate development of revolutionary new aircraft, extending the useful life of existingaircraft, and providing weapon system capabilities possessing small dimension and low costs that heretofore could not be imagined.