Development of Integrated Composite Structures

"A program is proposed to demonstrate the feasibility of an integrated composite missile airframe structure applicable to defensive interceptors. Integrated composite structures offer significant design features for reducing costs of missile airframecomponents. In addition, an integrated composite structure simplifies the fabrication and will improve performance and reliability. Traditional missile airframe structures are comprised of a metallic substructure and a secondary bonded thermal protectionsystem. Developments in composite weaving technology coupled with the availability of high temperature polymer matrices, which can be processed using traditional fabrication methods, offer the ability to eliminate the long established multilayer missileairframe structure design. The bondline between the thermal protection material and the substrate has traditionally been the weak link in that temperatures are limited to the ability of the adhesive. Lightweight, high strength, composite material wouldreplace the traditional metallic substrate using a high temperature matrix which is common to the composite. The key feature to an integrated composite structure is the ability of the matrix to perform as a structural material that has the ability totransfer load; an insulator which can prevent thermal transfer, and provide ablative characteristics for aerothermal heating. The direct benefit of this technology will be the ability to produce