A Hybrid Composite Material and Manufacturing Approach for Low-Cost Aircraft

An emerging class of attritable aircraft are low-cost, un-manned assets that perform a defined, limited mission-set without having the durability or sustainment considerations typical of more highly capable aircraft platforms; however, many of the manufacturing processes used to create composite fuselage and other components rely on legacy techniques developed for more highly capable, and much more expensive aircraft. Creare’s Hybrid Composite Material (HCM) for attritable aircraft component production will meet the demanding requirements of the USAF, while leveraging novel, mature manufacturing processes to significantly reduce component cost and production time. We are teaming with key partners to make use of existing tools and to leverage several advanced manufacturing technologies to fabricate the HCM, including: 3D printing, fiber placement, and laser-based heating processes. These technologies are either commercially-available or transition-ready, dramatically shortening the time to a fielded solution. During the Phase I project, we will work with partners, end-users and customers to specify key requirements, develop initial technology integration plans, and analytically demonstrate the viability of our approach. During Phase II, we will demonstrate HCM manufacturing, establish material qualification requirements, and complete manufacturing and production planning.