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Part 2 is the Commercial Aircraft Composite Structure Bonded Repair curriculum. Part 3 is the Commercial Aircraft Composite Structure Bolted Repair curriculum. ...This document establishes the minimum curriculum requirements for training, practical assessments, and certifying composite structure repair personnel and metalbond repair personnel. It establishes criteria for the certification of personnel requiring appropriate knowledge of the technical principles underlying the composite structural repairs and/or metalbond they perform. ...It establishes criteria for the certification of personnel requiring appropriate knowledge of the technical principles underlying the composite structural repairs and/or metalbond they perform. Persons certified under this document may be eligible for licensing/certification/qualification by an appropriate authority, in addition to this industry accepted technician certification.

This information report provides general guidance for the design considerations, qualification in endurance, strength and fatigue of landing gear using composite components as principle structural elements. The information discussed herein includes the development and evaluation of design data considering: the potential for imbedded manufacturing defects, manufacturing process variations, the component operating environment, potential damage threats in service, rework and overhaul, and inspection processes. ...This AIR mainly discusses the use of thick composites for landing gear structural components. Considerations and recommendations provided in this AIR may therefore differ greatly from considerations and recommendations found in widely accepted composite design references such as CMH-17 and Advisory Circulars such as AC 20-107(B). ...Considerations and recommendations provided in this AIR may therefore differ greatly from considerations and recommendations found in widely accepted composite design references such as CMH-17 and Advisory Circulars such as AC 20-107(B).

This SAE Aerospace Recommended Practice (ARP) describes standard methods for restoring damaged core on commercial aircraft sandwich structures. The methods shall only be used when specified in an approved repair procedure or with the agreement of the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) or regulatory authority. The repair materials shall be defined in the approved repairs referencing these methods.

This SAE Aerospace Information Report (AIR) is a compilation of engineering references and data useful to the technical community that can be used to ensure fuel system compatibility with composite structure. This AIR is not a complete detailed design guide and is not intended to satisfy all potential fuel system applications.

This SAE Aerospace Recommended Practice (ARP) describes methods of masking and cleaning commercial aircraft, epoxy and polyester matrix, composite parts prior to their entry into the composites shop, masking and cleaning of on-wing repair areas in preparation for carrying out repairs and wipe cleaning during repair and prior to bonding. ...If this document is used for the masking or cleaning of materials other than epoxy and polyester matrix thermosetting composite materials, the fitness for this purpose must be determined by the user. The methods of masking and cleaning described in this document have specific limited application and are not interchangeable.

Module 1 is the Composite Awareness curriculum, independent of the application. Module 2 is the Initial Inspection and Damage Mapping curriculum. ...The combination of the modules represents the applicable identification and assessment process for damage to composite aircraft structures (see Figure 1). Module 1 is prerequisite for attendance to the other modules. ...The contents of Module 1 may also be used for composite awareness training of a broader target audience, including line mechanics.

These changes effected the propeller weight drastically. A composite propeller blade has been developed that is significantly lighter than a blade fabricated from aluminum. ...Additional advantages of the composite blade is strength and maintenance characteristics. Considerable testing was accomplished to demonstrate the strength and fatigue characteristics of the blade.

The concept shows promise of alternatively providing rotor drive power and cruise thrust from the same engine for composite (stowed rotor) helicopter applications. The effects of varying several engine design features, including bypass ratio, compressor split, and variable geometry, on the amount of power available will be explored. ...Data on a specific engine will be used to investigate the installation, performance, and control characteristics of the engine in relation to the requirements of a typical composite helicopter.

Bell Helicopter Textron has used fiber reinforced plastic materials in many applications since the earliest appearance of these materials. An overview of past, present and future usage is presented. The discussion includes examples of fuselage, control system, main rotor, energy attenuator and engine cowling/firewall applications.

A unique automation solution for the production of composite parts is the Continuous Composite Preforming System (CCPS) by BROETJE-Automation (BA). ...A closing of the gap between the unit costs of composite parts and those of the competing metal parts as demanded by the market for years can best be achieved through use of automated systems. ...This system permits the automated, continuous production of 3D shaped and curved composite profiles such as those requiredfor the frames and stringers of modern aircraft. At present such components can only be produced in a very time-intensive sequential manual or semi-automated process.

Damage and Repair of Aerospace Composite Materials reports the latest developments on the detection and repair of composite structures from the perspective of ten SAE technical papers, especially chosen for this book. ...On the damage detection side, really important techniques are explained, including: • Porosity inspection of large composite panels. • Damage detection of large composites using acoustic ultrasonic and radio frequency methods. • Discrimination of damaged and undamaged composite panels using acoustic emission sensors. • Automated defect inspection system integrated in the production line by utilizing laser sensors and cameras. .... • the method for economically repairing the holes on composites. • the development of a novel cutting tool for the scarf repair of composites. • the use the 3D-printing technology to repair gaps and steps in large composite panels.

The generation of holes in graphite/epoxy composite materials for the installation of thousands of fasteners is one of the costliest operations in the production of high-performance aircraft. ...The increasing use of composite materials in aircraft structures has made the development of lower cost manufacturing methods imperative. ...This paper describes the manufacturing methods, cutting tools, feed rates and speeds developed for reducing the costs of generating high quality holes in composite graphite/epoxy materials.

A component was identified, the fasteners were installed in a secondary composite structure, and flight tests were conducted. Results verified that composite fasteners provide an efficient means to lower costs and aircraft weight, and reduce radar signature. ...Composite fasteners are of great interest to the aircraft industry as an improved method for joining composite structure. ...Composite fasteners are of great interest to the aircraft industry as an improved method for joining composite structure. Current metal-fastener technology does not adequately address all the relevant concerns, problems that contribute to increased costs, weight, and radar signature.

In this study, graphite-epoxy composite materials are used in conceptual design of major structural portions of an advanced medium STOL transport (AMST) aircraft. ...Low-cost design concepts combined with innovative manufacturing techniques contribute to a unit cost reduction of $760,000 and a life-cycle cost saving of $474 million for a resized composite aircraft using pitch-based fiber, and maintaining the same performance as the larger baseline metal aircraft. ...When the composite design weight savings were converted to performance improvements, rather than to resizing, the vehicle could carry 20.4-percent more payload weight, fly the baseline payload 46.3 percent farther, or take off from a 6-percent shorter runway.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Advisory Circular AC 20-107, Composite Aircraft Structure, provides guidance material for use in showing compliance with the applicable Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR). ...Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Advisory Circular AC 20-107, Composite Aircraft Structure, provides guidance material for use in showing compliance with the applicable Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR). The composite material evaluation criteria presented therein is reviewed relative to state-of-the-art aircraft applications. ...Examples of civil applications of composite materials are provided.

The interaction of lightning with aircraft structure, and the coupling of induced energy with harnesses and systems inside the airframe, is a complex phenomenon, mainly for composite aircraft. Composite structures are either not conductive at all (e.g., fiberglass) or are significantly less conductive than metals (e.g., carbon fiber). ...This is why the protection of a composite aircraft from lightning strike induced effects is a real challenge, and cannot be improvised. ...A good knowledge of the physics related to the coupling mechanism of lightning energy and a composite aircraft including systems inside, is essential in order to provide adequate protection to the airframe and its systems with minimum cost and weight.

The composite design for the B-1 stabilizer was developed to satisfy all of the form, fit, and functional requirements of the aircraft and to be competitive with the metal stabilizer on both a weight and production cost basis. ...Actual weights of the composite stabilizer show a 15 percent savings for the total stabilizer and a 21 percent savings for the composite torque box over the existing metal configuration. ...Actual weights of the composite stabilizer show a 15 percent savings for the total stabilizer and a 21 percent savings for the composite torque box over the existing metal configuration. Cost savings of 17 to 20 percent are estimated in production.

A review of critical technologies and manufacturing advances that have enabled the evolution of the composite fuselage is described. The author’s perspective on several development, military, and production programs that have influenced and affected the current state of commercial fuselage production is presented. ...Some questions about the future of composite fuselage are posed based on the lessons learned from today and yesterday.

The primary force behind composite materials development for aircraft applications was to achieve weight savings in weight-critical regions. ...In today's aircraft technology, graphite/epoxy composites are fulfilling this need and are being used as structural materials in the form of cross-plied fiber-reinforced laminates for conventional monolithic wing/empennage skins and substructure, or as face sheets on honeycomb-type structure. ...All metal components have been replaced by composite structure on aircraft such as the B-1, F-18, and AV-8B. Weight/cost savings were demonstrated for the B-1 aircraft in which not only weight savings, but also cost competitiveness were the goals.

In this decade we are witnessing the transition from all metal to all composite helicopter rotor blades. One such helicopter is already in full scale production. A driving factor is structural reliability and guarantee against catastrophic failure. ...Low crack propagation rate and the nature of failures in composite structures are the characteristics which make this quality product superior to metal structures for rotor blades.