Certification tests for aircraft vehicle structures are necessary to ensure the load carrying capability and performance of each component and/or assembly. However, hardware testing is costly and delays the design cycle. Substantial cost and time savingsare possible by replacing a certification… More

"Certification tests for aircraft structures are necessary to ensure the load carrying capability and performance of each component. However, hardware testing is costly and delays the design cycle. In current certification procedures, a limited number oftests are performed, especially at full-scale,… More

Proposed is a new structural analysis capability specifically for designing innovative bonded and bolted joint concepts that join metallic and composite hybrid structures. Industry relies heavily on the use of bolted joints due to their successful history over many decades of operation, however… More

The innovation of the proposed effort is a unique automated process for the analysis, design, and sizing of CEV structures and TPS. This developed process will permit hundreds of conceptual and preliminary design trade studies to be performed in a matter of only a few days rather than several… More

Proposed are two innovations for improved structural analysis and weight savings of composite/metallic joint concepts. First is the development of new structural analysis capabilities and second is the design and analysis of two novel hybrid joint concepts that minimize composite to metallic thermal… More

The innovation of the proposed effort is a unique automated process for the analysis, design, and sizing of CLV/CEV composite and metallic structures. This developed process will permit hundreds of conceptual and preliminary design trade studies to be performed in a matter of only a few days rather… More

The Air Force "Fully Reusable Access to Space Technology" (FAST) program, has dictated that the operation of a reusable launch system will be "airplane-like" and that maintenance, cost and operational restrictions of state-of-the-art TPS systems may not be acceptable. To meet Air Force… More

Innovative research is proposed in integrating fundamental aircraft design processes with an emphasis on composite structures. Efficient, lightweight composite laminate structural design requires highly integrated structural analyses on the laminate and stiffened panel levels, while incorporating… More