composite Material Design and Manufacturing Assessment for Advanced Navy Aircraft and Missile Systems

The Navy desires to model the cost and performance trades influencing composite material and manufacturing method selection. During Phase I, KaZaK Composites (KCI) will prepare a summary of factors influencing cost of composite aircraft and missile components. Ten different types of aircraft and missile structures will be analyzed in detail. Candidate materials, manufacturing methods and structural concepts will be conceptualized and traded to demonstrate the impact of various design decisions. A general model for cost / performance trades will be formulated and presented. This will form the basis for a commercial software package to be developed in Phase II. The strength of this proposal lies in the quality of the team that will work together on the program. KCI specializes in composite design and implementation of low cost manufacturing systems. KCI's efforts will be supported by: - Jim Sicari, Northrop Grumman, author of Grumman's Advanced Composite Design Guide. - Sam Dastin, former director of Grumman's Advanced Projects group, an M&P expert, - Dave Sheikh, formerly with McDonnell Douglas Missile Systems, a missile product and process innovator, - Tom Stagliano, Kaman Corporation, a manufacturer of Naval helicopters, and - Maria Bozzuto, specialist in aerospace data base and graphics software development.