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Aircraft manufacturing, production and maintenance

15th World Conference on Non-Destructive Testing : Aeronautics and Aerospace

This site provides the full text of the majority of the papers presented in the aeronautics and aerospace programme of the 15th World Conference on Non-Destructive Testing. This was held from 15-21 October 2000 in Rome. The papers are available in HTML format.

15th World Conference on Nondestructive Testing

The web site provides access to the proceedings and other information on WCNDT 2000, held in Rome, 15-21 October 2000. The site contains a description of the conference programme, and links to a searchable database that provides access to the full text of the conference papers. The papers can be retrieved either by using a search box or by selecting key word descriptors. Aerospace topics covered in the proceedings include: NDE; acoustic emissions; ultrasonics; turbine blades; condition monitoring; and aging aircraft. The full text papers are available online in HTML format. This is one of the information resouces available via NDT.net.

7th European Conference on Non-Destructive Testing : Proceedings Online

The web site provides access to the proceedings of ECNDT '98, held in Copenhagen, 26-29 May 1998 and ECNDT '02 held in Barcelona, 17-22 June, 2002. The site includes over 500 online abstracts and 100 full text papers from the conference. The technical and scientific sessions can be browsed online and are arranged under the headings of industrial applications and examination methods. The Aerospace Session contains over 50 papers, a proportion of which are available in full text (HTML format). This session covers topics such as: design of modern aircraft structures and the role of NDT; ultrasonic imaging; and NDT in commercial aircraft maintenance. The site is one of the resources available via NDT.net, the e-Journal of Nondestructive Testing & Ultrasonics.

8th European Conference on Non-Destructive Testing : Proceedings Online

The web site provides access to the proceedings of the 8th European Conference on Nondestructive Testing (ECNDT'02), Barcelona (Spain), June 17-21, 2002, organized by the Spanish Society for NDT . The site includes search and browse access to paper titles and a selection of online abstracts and full text papers from the conference. The aerospace session contains some 16 papers in full text. The site is one of the resources available via NDT.net, the e-Journal of Nondestructive Testing & Ultrasonics

A Decision Support System for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Cost Estimation

This web site provides access to a Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering PhD dissertation, by Mark Alan Eaglesham, dated 10 April 1998. The dissertation describes the development of a methodology for the improvement of cost estimation at the conceptual design phase. This methodology uses intelligent searching and storage of existing accounting data in order to enhance access and retrieval. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. The full text of the document is accessible online in PDF format [951.15 Kb]. This title is part of Virginia Tech's Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Collection (VT ETD).

A Fully Stochastic Approach to Determine the Lifetime and Inspection Scheme of Aircraft Components

This technical report (NLR-TP-2004-131) was published by NLR (the National Aerospace Laboratory of the Netherlands) in 2004 and was written by Frank Grooteman. A fully stochastic fatigue life philosophy SLAP for aircraft components is presented. This approach covers the fatigue crack initiation and growth periods in a realistic way, and avoids important disadvantages of the current deterministic Damage Tolerance approach, which can be very conservative and yet does not give well-defined safety levels (Probability Of Failure). SLAP gives more realistic predictions of component lifetimes and inspection schedules, whereby the required safety level has a primary role in the determination of the inspection schedules. This is demonstrated by an example that uses in-service inspection data for the upper longerons of the F-16 aircraft. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

A Recommended Methodology for Quantifying NDE/NDI Based on Aircraft Engine Experience

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-LS-190, dated April 1993. Methods to quantify nondestructive inspection (NDI) reliability and capability have been evolving for over twenty-five years. Initial attempts were qualitative rather than quantitative. With the advent of damage tolerance methodologies, it has become imperative to express more accurately probability of detection for a given inspection method and inspection system. This Lecture Series is aimed at providing a methodology to quantify probability of detection. This methodology includes, but is not limited to, design of experiments, specimen generation and maintenance, statistical analyses, data reduction and presentation, evaluation of inspection results in retirement for cause decisions, and the procedure required to establish a reliable probability based inspection for detecting anomalies in engine parts. The material to be presented is applicable to civil as well as military aircraft and turbine engine manufacturing and maintenance organizations. The lectures will examine the detection capabilities of fluorescent penetrant inspection, eddy current, ultrasonic, and magnetic particle inspection. This Lecture Series incorporates lessons learned in the design of experiments to validate nondestructive evaluation (NDE)/NDI systems and in the interpretation of the results of these experiments. Samples of specimens used in NDE/NDI reliability programs will be available for inspection by attendees. The Lecture Series also includes examples to help with the understanding of design of experiments and the statistical modeling for probability of detection analyses. This Lecture Series, sponsored by the Structures and Materials Panel of AGARD, was implemented by the Consultant and Exchange Program. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (** MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

A study of the Impact of E-Business on the UK Aerospace Sector

This web site provides access to the full text of the UK Department of Trade and Industry Report, URN 00/1309, prepared by PA Consulting, and published 11 October 2000. The objectives of the study were to investigate the e-business issues facing the UK aerospace manufacturing industry; to identify challenges and opportunities, and to inform the development of a programme of future action. The report recommends that the aerospace industry in the UK takes urgent collective and individual action to develop e-business strategies, in order to counter the threat of market consolidation and domination by overseas competitors. The text of the report is available in PDF format.

A System Dynamics Approach to Modeling Aircraft System Production Break Costs

This is the full text of a thesis by John J. Dubelko which was presented to the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) in 2002. This research effort employs a System Dynamics methodology to model Air Force aircraft production break costs. The Air Force currently used the Anderlohr, Modified Anderlohr, and Retrograde methods for the estimation of aircraft production breaks. These methods offer little insight into the dynamic behavior of an aircraft production break. System Dynamics offers a unique way of capturing expert opinions in this area and dynamically presenting behaviors of an Air Force aircraft production line during a production break. Development of this model followed a four-step process of conceptualization, formulation, testing, and implementation. Five Air Force aircraft production break experts in were interviewed to formulate and validate the model. This research identified manpower turbulence and parts disruptions as the main cost drivers during the initial shutdown of an aircraft production line. During the break, there were minimal costs and no main costs drivers. During the restart of production, new requirements and the reconstitution of the workforce were found to be key cost drivers. Expert feedback indicates the System Dynamics model developed during this research will prove most valuable in policy formulation and in training of cost analysts. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the thesis is available in PDF format and is provided by the air University ResearchWeb site.

Active control technology Applications and Lessons Learned

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-CP-560 , dated January 1995. In the last decade, Active Control Technology (ACT) has emerged from the realm of theory and modest experimental applications to full-scale use on production aircraft, while more elaborate forms of ACT are under test for the future production of aircraft. New technologies have been applied in military fighters to maximize maneuverability and agility, and in civil transports to reduce trim drag, lower pilot workload and improve riding qualities. During this symposium the status of Active Control Technology was assessed in light of the experience gained over the last decade. The symposium was organized around four sessions comprising 28 technical papers in all. These sessions focused on: Specifications for flight control design, Design and analysis methods, System integration and Implementation of experience. For individual titles, see N95-31990 through N95-32017. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (104MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Advanced Guidance and Control Aspects in Robotics

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-LS-193, dated June 1994. To ensure the capability of defense, a demand for equipment and systems which can be embraced under the title of 'Robotics' will emerge in the near future. In this context, 'Robotics' represents a specific problem area involving all the guidance and control functions which are associated with achieving goal-oriented autonomous behavior in structured and unstructured environments for mobile and manipulator systems as applied to ground, sea, air, and space operations. Related robotic systems must combine constituent functions such as intelligent decision making, control, manipulation, motion, sensing, and communication. The scope of the special course will cover new developments in the areas of autonomous navigation for planetary and surface systems, and control and operations of remote manipulators. For individual titles, see N95-14943 through N95-14949. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (31.49MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Advanced Materials, Manufacturing, and Testing Information Analysis Center (AMMTIAC)

Formed from three pre-existing information analysis centres (AMPTIAC, MTIAC and NTIAC), AMNTIAC's mission is to support the warfighter in all environments. The site provides a library catalogue search, the National Materials Information System (NAMIS - needs a log in), links, and publications, including AMNTIAC Quarterly.

AePortal

This service has been produced at the recommendation of the the United Kingdom Department of Trade and Industry's Aerospace Innovation and Growth Team (AeGIT) by the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC). This information portal is designed to help UK aerospace companies find their way around the plethora of business support initiatives. New initiatives from organisations which provide direct or indirect business support are tracked along with specific sources of funding. The service is aimed at members of the UK aerospace industry and Government and it is necessary to submit an online form in order to register.

Aeronautics Innovation: NASA's Challenges and Opportunities

NASA is a global leader in aeronautics research and development — fostering advances in aviation safety and emissions, propulsion technology, and many other areas. The agency's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) has played a vital role in the U.S. aeronautics industry. In recent years, the directorate's leaders and experts outside the agency have sought ways to speed innovative uses of ARMD's research results. But the directorate faces management challenges that make it difficult for such applications to succeed — or to occur at all. This report from the National Academies' National Research Council, offers the agency guidance on how to manage the transfer of technology to external users, as well as implement flexible personnel and financial-management practices. The report also points out problems that stem from a lack of agreement on ARMD's future direction and several years of federal budget cuts. The text is available in open book format.

AeroSME

AeroSME is a jointly sponsored by AECMA, the European Association of Aerospace Industries and the European Commission. It aims at encouraging and supporting the participation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the EU Framework Programme of Research and Technological Development. AeroSME is also designed to facilitate co-operation among SMEs, between SMEs and large companies, and with other aeronautics related bodies in order to improve SMEs position in the supply chain and networking opportunities. The site contains a database which allows companies to search for partners for EU projects and/or business opportunities. The R&D Project Overview page provides information on the latest EU aeronautical related R&D Research projects. Other sections of the site include news, links, and contact details.

Aerospace and Electronic Cost Indices

Provided by the UK Office of National Statistics, this monthly publication contains cost indices (purchase of materials and fuels, hourly earnings of employees on adult rates, salaries and general expenses and combined costs) relating to four aerospace and electronics industries. The four industries are: manufacture of weapons and ammunition (class 2960); manufacture of electronic valves tubes and other components (class 3210); manufacture of instruments and appliances for measuring, checking, testing, navigating and other purposes except industrial processing control equipment (class 3320); manufacture of aircraft and spacecraft. The monthly publications are available from March 2002 to the present and are provided as downloadable PDF files.

Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) Home Page

The Aerospace Industries Association is a US trade association representing manufacturers of commercial, military and business aircraft, helicopters, aircraft engines and the like. The site provides statistics on the industry including reviews, forecasts and economic indicators, press releases, industry news, issues of importance to the industry each year, and details of membership benefits. It is possible to sign up for a free email newsletter. Some of the information is available to paying members only.

Aerospace Industries Association of Canada (AIAC)

This is the national trade organisation of Canada's aerospace manufacturing and service sector. The site provides information about AIAC, careers and events. It also has information about Canada's aerospace industry including industry facts and figures, a Canadian aerospace capability guide and links to related aerospace sites.

Aerospace Innovation and Growth Team

The AeIGT has been set up by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to identify the key issues that face the Aerospace industry in the UK and make recommendations on how the UK can best respond to competitive challenges over the next 20 years. These pages provide programme news, updates, events, links and reports.

Aerospace Testing Expo 2004

This site offers access to the full text of more than 100 papers presented at this conference. Papers are provided on a range of testing disciplines with specialist papers also on flight testing, non-destructive testing (NDT) and maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO). In order to access the papers a registration screen must be completed.

Aerospace-Index.com

Aerospace-Index.com is a freely available directory of aerospace manufacturers designed to meet the information needs of professionals within the civil and military aerospace community. The directory can be browsed by product/service, by manufacturers name or by country and press releases, distributor and supplier information are also included where available as is company news and details of forthcoming conferences. The site is available in English, Spanish and Arabic.

AeroWorldNet: The Aerospace World on the Internet

AeroWorldNet is a commercial US based aerospace directory and news service. It features jobs listings, trade literature, a listing of aerospace companies, a-z of aerospace products services, and aviation and aerospace industry associations. It provides of industry products, aerospace events and a people and places section. A selection of daily news stories is displayed. The site also has a message/discussion area.

Ageing of U.S. Air Force Aircraft: Final Report

This report was written by the Committee on Ageing of U.S. Air Force Aircraft (National Research Council) in 1997. It provides a strategy to address the technical needs and priorities associated with the Air Force's aging airframe structures. The book includes a detailed summary of the structural status of the aging force, identification of key technical issues, recommendations for near-term engineering and management actions, and prioritized near-term and long-term research recommendations. The full text is available online in Open Book format and a summary is available in HTML.

Aging Aircraft : Implications for Programmed Depot Maintenance and Engine-Support Costs

This provides access to RAND publication CT-149, prepared by Raymond Pyles, dated February 1999. The report is published in the RAND testimony series, as part of the Project Air Force programme. The full text is available in PDF format.

Aging Avionics in Military Aircraft

This electronic book addresses the issue of the aging of the United States' military aircraft, particularly in terms of avionics systems. It was published in 2001 by the Committee on Aging Avionics in Military Aircraft, Air Force Science and Technology Board, National Research Council, and is available in HTML or PDF format.

Aging Engines, Avionics, Subsystems and Helicopters

This web site provides access to an Educational Note produced by the Reseach and Technology Organization (RTO), RTO-EN-014, dated October 2000. The document was produced by the RTO's Applied Vehicle Technology Panel (AVT) and the Consultant and Exchange Programme of RTO in support of a Lecture Series presented on 23-24 October 2000 in Atlantic City, USA and 26-27 October 2000 in Madrid, Spain. The lecture series covered a range of topics including: an operator's perspective; modernisation programmes; aging electrical systems and wiring; aging avionics; helicopter related issues; other subsystems; and safety and service difficulty reporting. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text of the document (19.5 Mbytes) can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

AHR International : Bearing Technical Database

AHR International Ltd is one of Europe's premier exporters of ball bearings, roller bearings and plain bearings to all overseas industries. The product range covers everything from the classic deep groove bearing types to complex aerospace bearings and are supplied directly from virtually all the leading commercial and aerospace bearing manufacturers. This bearing technical database allows you to search by part number, bore, outside diameter, internal diameter, width or weight or a combination. There are also links to product information, manufacturer information and further technical help.

AHS International : The Vertical Flight Society

AHS International (formerly the American Helicopter Society) describes itself as, "the professional society for the advancement of vertical flight technology and its useful application throughout the world". The web site provides access to a variety of information resources. There is a listing of the officers and members of the Board of Directors, Technical Council, Technical Committees, Chapters and other commitees. A membership section describes member programmes, services and benefits. Other sections of the site provide information relating to AHS publications (including Vertiflite and the Journal of the American Helicopter Society); AHS Calendar of Events, and the AHS Annual Forum. The site contains an online searchable bibliographic database of AHS articles and other documents. There is also an on-line AHS Membership Directory, which is available to members only.

AHS Online Documents Catalog

The web site provides access to a searchable database of articles and other documents, published by AHS International (formerly the American Helicopter Society). The database contains bibliographic details and abstracts of documents derived from the following: AHS Journal, Vertiflite; AHS Annual Forum Proceedings; Specialist conference proceedings; AHS book and report collection.

Air Force Research Laboratory

The United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is situated at Wright- Patterson Air Force Base. This website provides information concerning the AFRL headquarters, including details of its reading room, corporate strategy, organisation, symposiums, seminars and conferences. There are also links to the AFRL's various directorates: air vehicles, directed energy, human effectiveness, information, materials & manufacturing, munitions, propulsion, sensors and space vehicles.

Air Transport World

ATW Media Group publishes this journal which provides news, statistics and in-depth analysis of issues of concern to airline managers. The site provides the following features - whats new, news, contents and features from the current issue, archives and editorial comment, statistics, aviation industry events and conferences, and details of other ATW products.

Aircraft Maintenance Safety Survey

This web site provides access to an Australian Transport Safety Bureau document titled: Aircraft Maintenance Safety Survey - Results, by Alan Hobbs and Ann Williamson, Department of Transport and Regional services, Australian Transport Safety Bureau, 2000. The report presents the results of a survey undertaken in September 1998 by the Bureau of Air Safety Investigation (BASI). The survey, which was designed to identify safety issues in maintenance, with a particular emphasis on human factors, was distributed to Licenced Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (LAMEs) in Australia. The full text is available in PDF format (120 Kb).

Aircraft Maintenance Technology

This is an electronic journal for the aerospace industry from Cygnus Publishing which contains an article archive going back to 1990, as well as searchable product, industry and article indexes. This site also offers links to an industry calendar, a training company listing and an industry jobs page. All its contents are in HTML format.

Aircraft Wiring Harness Shield Degradation Study

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report DOT/FAA AR-04/12 by J.B. O�fLoughlin and S.R. Skinner dated August 2004. This report presents the results of the effects of aircraft wiring harness shield degradation when harnesses and connectors are subjected to a variety of environmental, mechanical, and vibration test conditions adapted from RTCA/DO-160-D. Two aircraft manufacturers each fabricated six identical test panels. Each panel had two 24�� shielded wire bundles with backshells and cable end connectors attached to separate termination boxes and center bulkhead brackets that were mechanically mounted and electrically bonded to the ground plane test panel. One panel served as the baseline, and the other five panels were exposed to three severity levels for each test. Direct current bond (joint) resistance, shield loop resistance at 200 Hz, and network analyzer swept-frequency impedance measurements from 10 Hz to 10 MHz were taken of each panel before and after each test to record the electrical changes. Careful visual inspections and digital photographs were taken of each panel before and after each test to record the visual changes. Comparisons were made in detecting shield degradation using loop resistance measurement techniques, swept-frequency impedance measurements, and careful visual inspection to identify unsafe conditions for the aircraft. The shield loop resistance of the wire bundles subjected to all types of degradation increased from 9.7 to 16.3 milliohms, or less than 5 dB. Little or no change in wire bundle inductance was observed, except at high levels during the mechanical shield degradation tests. It was found that the shield degradation increases the resistance of the shield loop much more than its inductance, providing evidence that loop resistance measurements are adequate to detect shield degradation without taking swept-frequency impedance measurements. This study also revealed that careful visual inspection can detect and pinpoint the source of shield degradation before a significant increase in electrical shield loop resistance is measurable. However, visual inspection is only possible if the wiring harness and connectors are visually and physically accessible on the aircraft. Otherwise, loop resistance measurements on any accessible part of the harness, performed by a trained and skilled operator, can detect shield degradation but cannot necessarily pinpoint the location or source of the problem without further joint resistance measurements. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the report is available in PDF format from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Airlines-Pneumatics

This is a UK company website offering compressed air and pneumatic components, air tools and accessories. The site provides background information about the company and a product catalogue detailing their products under the following categories: airline accessories, compressors/dryers, cylinders, filters/drain valves, filters/regulators/lubricators/gauges, fittings, tools, tubing/hoses, vacuum equipment and valves. Products can be ordered via the web site.

Allied Aerospace

The Company provides a broad range of aerospace and defence products, services, and testing facitities. Allied Aerospace was formed in 1999 by the acquisition of GASL, Inc., Dynamic Engineering Inc., and Micro Craft, Inc. The company has five primary business areas: Propulsion Systems; test rigs and components (fans, compressors, turbines); Aerospace Systems; prototype and test hardware (fixed wing aircraft, rotary wing aircraft, missiles); Wind Tunnel Test Services (two wind tunnels providing low speed, transonic, and supersonic flows); Unmanned Systems (UAVs); and Field Services (technical and management services to NASA and DoD). Perhaps Allied's best known products to date are the X-43 family of hypersonic test vehicles for NASA's Hyper-X Programme. The web site describes the company's products and services and provides news and employment information.

AMMTIAC Quarterly

The AMMTIAC Quarterly is published by the Advanced Materials, Manufacturing, and Testing Information Analysis Center (AMMTIAC). AMMTIAC is a DoD-sponsored Information Analysis Centre. This site provides searchable access to current and previous issues, as well as access to its preceding publication NTIAC Newsletter back to 1999, and to the AMPTIAC Newsletter back to 1999.

An Application of a Reduced Order Computational Methodology for Eddy Current Based Nondestructive Evaluation Techniques

This is a North Carolina State University (NCSU), Department of Applied Mathematics PhD dissertation, by Michele Lynn Joyner, dated 1 June, 2001. It explores the feasibility of detecting hidden corrosion and flaws in structures such as aircraft and pipelines by the application of an eddy current based technique and reduced order modeling. Reduced order Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) techniques are employed for the creation of a set of basis elements spanning a data set consisting of either numerical simulations or experimental data. Two different approaches in forming the POD approximation, a POD/Galerkin technique and a POD/Interpolation technique are investigated. The error in the approximation using one approach versus the other is examined and the results of the parameter estimation problem for both techniques are presented. Finally, results of the parameter estimation problem are given using both simulated data with relative noise added as well as experimental data obtained using a giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensor. The experimental results are based on successfully using actual experimental data to form the POD basis elements (instead of numerical simulations) thus illustrating the effectiveness of this method on a wide range of applications. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. The full text of the document is accessible online in PDF format [3.03 Mb]. This title is part of North Carolina State University's Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Collection

An Identification and Discussion of Key Success Factors in the Acquisition of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS-) Based Systems

The site provides access to an Air University, Air Force Institute of Technology, Graduate School of Engineering and Management, MSc Thesis, by Captain John F. Corbett, USAF, AFIT/GAQ/ENV/01M-03, dated March 2001. The thesis presents a multiple case study of USAF acquisition plans from several COTS-based systems. Citation details and an abstract are available in HTML format. The full text can be accessed in PDF format. The document is part of the Air University Research Database

An Independent Report on the Future of the UK Aerospace Industry : Overview Report (Vol B)

A joint DTI / Industry Aerospace Innovation & Growth Team (AeIGT) report published in June 2003 is available in full-text via a zip file. The report recommends how the UK Aerospace Industry can best respond to the global competitive challenges it will face over the next 20 years. The report is the most comprehensive review of the UK aerospace industry for over 40 years. This AeIGT report details five areas for action: Research & Technology; Productivity; Workforce; Policy Support and Safety, Security and the Environment. The text of the report is available in a compressed (zipped) PDF (1338 Kb) file, and n Executive Summary in PDF (473 Kb) format is also available from the AeIGT web site.

An Introduction to Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Human Factors for JAR 66

This link provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority publication Civil Aviation Paper CAP 715, prepared by the Air Traffic Services Standards Department, 22 January 2002. It is intended to provide an introduction to human factors and human performance and limitations for ab-initio engineers studying for their JAR-66 engineering licenses. The text of the document is available in PDF format (1.1 MB).

Analyses of Fatigue Crack Growth Databases for Use in a Damage Tolerance Approach for Aircraft Propellers and Rotorcraft

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AR-07/49) was published by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Aviation Research and Development in November 2007 and was written by James C. Newman, Jr. A large portion of the fatigue crack growth threshold data in this report is inappropriate due to the load reduction test procedure that was used to generate these data. The author, in collaboration with National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) Langley Research Center (LaRC) personnel, is developing new test procedures to generate threshold data under steady-state constant-amplitude loading conditions without any load history effects. The new test method involves using compression precracking to generate a crack at a V-notch and then to test the specimen under constant-amplitude loading. A large test program on the development of these fatigue crack growth databases, for use in damage-tolerant analyses for aircraft propellers and rotorcraft components, was conducted at NASA LaRC under a Memorandum of Agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Some materials tested and analyzed herein were 7050-T7451 and 7075-T7351 aluminum alloys and D6AC and 4340 steels. Only the steels were tested as part of the FAA program. The 7075 alloy was tested at the NASA Johnson Space Center, and the 7050 and 7075 alloys were tested at NASA LaRC. This test program was conducted to generate more accurate representations of fatigue crack growth rate behavior in the near-threshold regime and approaching fracture under a wide range of constant stress ratio (R = Pmin/Pmax) conditions. The objective of the proposed research grant was to analyze the test data on selected propeller and rotorcraft materials to develop the effective stress-intensity factor range against crack growth rate relationship for use in damage tolerance analyses. The resulting relationships can then be used in the strip-yield model in NASGRO (Stripy), AFGROW, or used to generate the stress-intensity factor range against crack growth rate curves for use in NASGRO, AFGROW, or any other life-prediction code requiring linear elastic fracture mechanics procedures. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Analytical Results for a Single-Unit System Subject to Markovian Wear and Shocks

This is the full text of a thesis by Daniel F. Finkelstein which was presented to the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) in 2004. This thesis develops and analyzes a mathematical model for the reliability measures of a single-unit system subject to continuous wear due to its operating environment and randomly occurring shocks that inflict a random amount of damage to the unit. Assuming a Markovian operating environment and shock arrival mechanism, Laplace-Stieltjes transform expressions are obtained for the failure time distribution and all of its moments. Moreover, an analytical expression is derived for the long-run availability of the single-unit system when it is subject to an inspect-and-replace maintenance policy. The analytical results are illustrated, and their results compared with those of Monte Carlo-simulated failure data. The numerical results indicate that the reliability measures may be accurately computed via numerical inversion of the transform expressions in a straightforward manner when the input parameters are known a priori. In stark contrast to the simulation model which requires several hours to obtain the reliability measures, the analytical procedure computes the same measures in only a few seconds. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the thesis is available in PDF format and is provided by the Air Univeristy ResearchWeb site.

Army Technology - Current Projects

Army Technology provides information about defence industries - army. This part of their site provides details of current projects being undertaken by the defence industry. These include contracts for Main Battle Tanks, Armoured Fighting Vehicles, Artillery Systems, Missile Systems, Attack and Support Helicopters. For each project information is also available about approved suppliers. The rest of the Army Technology site can be accessed from here, which gives details of defence equipment, companies and conferences.

Association of European Research Establishments in Aeronautics (EREA)

EREA is a non-profit association comprising a number of leading european aerospace research organisations. Founded in October 1994 EREA's mission is is to provide European industry and authorities as well as governments with a cost effective high quality aeronautics technology base through joint research programmes and through the harmonised use of resources, facilities and personnel exchange. The site contains mainly descriptive information covering the Association's founding, history and development, its mission, objectives and vision, organisation and capabilities. Other sections of the site provide news and spin-offs, including brief examples of how aeronautical research disseminates technology to other sectors.

AugustaWestland Company

AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, today represents a global leader in an industry sector, which is amongst the most competitive internationally. AgustaWestland is unique in the marketplace with its unrivalled capability in design, technical innovation, manufacturing, training and customer support. AgustaWestland is more than just a helicopter manufacturer; it is a provider of solutions to meet customer needs. AgustaWestland is proud of its heritage and tradition of yesterday, effective in serving the customers' needs of today, and ready to confirm and strengthen its position as the global leader in the rotorcraft industry. There is also products, training, photo gallery and history of the company available.

Aurora Flight Sciences

Aurora specialized in the design and production of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Aurora's business groups focus on the design, development, manufacturing and operaion of a high altitude long endurance UAVs for a wode range of tactical and science / research applications. The web site contains company information, including a brief history, and provides descriptions of various Aurora products and programmes. These include HALE designs such as Perseus A and Perseus B, Theseus A and Theseus B; the development of UAVs to fly in the Martian environment, MarsFlyer, ARES, and two High Altitude Deployment Demonstrators (HADD1 and HADD2); as well as tactical systems including GoldenEye-50, GoldenEye-100, Excalibur, Hunter II, and Orion. The site also provides access to a media collection for downloading including press releases and fact sheets. The site also gives employment and contact details.

Automated Inspection of Aircraft

This final report (DOT/FAA/AR-97/69) was published by the Federal Aviation Administration in April 1998, and was written by C. J. Alberts et al. It summarises the development of a robotic system designed to assist aircraft inspectors by remotely deploying non-destructive (NDI) sensors and acquiring, processing, and storing inspection data [extracted from the author abstract]. This is a PDF file so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Avia Global

This Spanish language site brings together web resources in the field of aviation including business, military issues and many links to full text reports, articles and memorandums. It offers channels such as commercial aviation, executive aviation, space, airports, and events.

AviaNation

This site provides details of aviation jobs and aviation employment opportunities around the world. Jobs for pilots, mechanics, flight attendants, and many other professions are included. Job seekers can browse vacancies, make their CV available and apply for jobs online. Employers can use the service to find suitable candidates and schedule their ads. The service is free to employers, job seekers need to register and pay a fee.

Aviation Maintenance Human Factors (EASA Part-145)

This is the full text UK Civil Aviation Authority Civil Aviation Paper CAP 716, prepared by Human Factors, Operating Standards Division, of the CAA's Safety Regulation Group, Issue 2, 18 December 2003. The document provides guidance material in support of the human factors requirements in EASA Part 145 (previously amendment 5 to JAR 145). It is divided into three parts: (i) human factors organisational requirements in Part-145 (in particular, those introduced in amendment 5 to JAR145 - see Table 1) and how to meet them, (ii) guidance material on the maintenance human factors training requirements in Part 145.A.30(e), and (iii) appendices containing further guidance, background and reference information on human factors in maintenance, should this be required. The text of the document is available online in PDF format (1.5 mb).

Aviation Mechanics Bulletin

This is a bimonthly publication (established 1953) of the Flight Safety Foundation, Aviation Mechanics Bulletin supplements the technician's training and manuals by featuring a specific aspect of maintenance in each issue. Subjects have included an evaluation of the influence of human factors on aircraft-inspection reliability; the optimum format for maintenance records; maintenance workplace safety checklists, and urgent new U.S. National Transportation Safety Board recommendations concerning hazardous cargo. Articles from recent issues may be viewed in full-text using the Adobe Acrobat reader, but a free registration process must be followed first.

Aviation Reference Desk

This site is maintained by a team of aerospace professionals and consists of a large number of links to aerospace-related sites on the Internet. Links are organised into several categories namely commercial transport, business aviation, general aviation, defence and space, industry news, key organisations, aerospace suppliers, engineering and jobs, forthcoming events and enthusiasts' sites. Each category can be browsed. The site primarily links to US sites.

Aviation Week : Overhaul and Maintenance

This is one of the channels on Aviation Week's site. The Overhaul and Maintenance magazine section brings together a range of information resources, in particular current news headline stories and a calendar of the MOR industry (maintenance, repair & overhauls).

Aviation Week World Aerospace Database : World Aviation Directory and Buyer's Guide

This service allows you to request product and service information from the current and previous issues of Aviation Week. It is searchable by company, category or RS# number. It is possible to request further information or there is a link to visit the appropriate web site.

BAE Systems Information and Electronic Warfare Systems

Producer of aircraft self-protection systems, tactical surveillance and intelligence systems for the military. Site provides information about the business including its history as Sanders Associates and its acquisition by Lockheed and the eventual sale to BAE Systems. There are press releases about IEWS including an archive to 1998, pdf documents giving detailed information about products and services and links to other business areas such as electronic countermeasures, infrared imaging and space systems.

BAE Systems

BAE Systems comprises British Aerospace and Marconi Electronic Systems. The site gives an overview of the company and its activities, in particular, a 'virtual news room' provides details including breaking news. The investor relations area of the site gives a range of financial indicators including share prices and a five year summary. Overview information on current programmes including the Eurofighter, Hawk, Gripen, Nimrod and Future Offensive Air Systems (FOAS) is provided. Information on the complete range of products is available, as are press releases, recruitement, an image library and movie clips.

Ballard Technology

Ballard Technology is a company based in Everett, Washington, in the United States, which specialises in interface products and solutions for the testing, simulation, maintenance and development of avionics databuses. The site contains a company overview, a product directory of interfaces to military and commercial databuses, platforms, software and protocols. A range of databus brochures and tutorials are also available.

BCAR Section L : Licensing

This provides access to A UK Civil Aviation Authority Publication Civil Aviation Paper CAP 468, prepared by the Safety Regulation Group, Issue 15, February 2003. British Civil Airworthiness Requirements constitute the basis for the issue of approvals and certificates required by the current Air Navigation Order. BCAR Section L covers the grant, extension and renewal of Aircraft Maintenance Engineers? Licences and the approval and recognition of training applicable thereto. The text is available in PDF format (21.5 mb) from the CAA's publications web site

Best Practices for the Mitigation and Control of Foreign Object Damage-Induced High Cycle Fatigue in Gas Turbine Engine Compression System Airfoils

This is a report from the Research and Technology Organisation (RTO), numbered RTO-TR-AVT-094. It was originally published as NATO unclassified in December 2004, and it was downgraded to unclassified/unlimited in June 2005. It consists of papers given at RTO Applied Vehicle Technology Panel (AVT) Task Group-094. High Cycle Fatigue (HCF) failures are a dominant and costly failure mode for gas turbine-engines. Foreign object damage (FOD) is one of the major contributing factors necessitating preventive engine repair to avoid consecutive HCF mishaps, causing operational readiness decrease and weapon system support costs increase. Best practices for NATO to deal with this FOD-HCF problem were developed. This is supplemented by overviews on air land, sea and space FOD issues, engine blade damage definitions, and soft-body FOD issues. In addition, safe maintenance procedures and design activity were defined. Blade design, traditionally based on material�s stress allowances and simple excitation avoidance, was improved by a simple and robust design methodology including the interaction between FOD and HCF on new blade designs. Effects of supplementary treatment of a component�s surface for reducing the effect of potential FOD. Some ways of FOD prevention following maintenance mishaps such as loss of tools or material are discussed. It is recommended that NATO member Nations use this document and its recommendations to analyse and improve their practice. Setting up a NATO FOD forum is recommended.

Boeing 777

This 777 'family' home website provides background information on the Boeing 777, there is also a multimedia section with video's and photo's and 'virtual tours' of the cockpit and interior, techinical specifications and information on markets - which includes orders, deliveries and reports.

Boeing

The Boeing Company is the largest aerospace company in the world. It manufactures commercial aeroplanes and military aircraft. This large site contains the full text of all press releases and statements since 1997, and from Boeing and McDonnell Douglas since before the merger in 1997. A lot of detailed financial information is available, including financial reports and the Investor Relations Newsletter. Product, news and market information are also available for commercial and military aeroplanes, business jets, rotorcraft, space systems, and electronics and information systems.

Boeing’s Diffusion of Commercial Aircraft Design and Manufacturing Technology to Japan : Surrendering the US Aircraft Industry for Foreign Financial Support

This is the full text (PDF) of Canada-United States Trade Center occasional paper no. 30, published in March 2005 and written by David Pritchard and Alan MacPherson. This paper offers a critical commentary on the technology transfer through commercial aircraft outsourcing that has had a major impact on developing the build and design capabilities of the Japanese aerospace industry. This has evolved from a simple “build to print” subcontractor relationship to a turnkey “design and build” risk-sharing partnership. Using the Boeing 767, 777 and 787 as examples, we argue that the motives for Boeing’s commercial outsourcing to Japan are to access the market, spread risk, gain access to capital, and lower US spending on research and development. This has clear implications for US trade and employment, in that Japanese subcontracting boosts foreign imports and reduces the need for domestic production workers and US suppliers. From a trade perspective, however, a potentially troubling feature of allowing the Japanese to produce large commercial aircraft subassemblies is that major Japanese public financial supports are involved which contravene existing international agreements on production subsidies. This paper reviews the types of production contracts that Japanese companies have sought on the Boeing 767, 777 and 787 programs. These contracts have allowed the Japanese to develop new capabilities in terms of production capacity, tooling, design and final assembly. Ultimately, these capabilities imply that Japan will eventually enter the market as a fully-fledged producer of commercial aircraft. This does not bode well for the western aerospace sector, since the Japanese government has recently funded a research program to produce a regional jet aircraft.

Bombardier Aerospace

Bombardier is the third largest airframe manufacturer in the world, and is based in Canada. The company manufactures regional, business and amphibious aircraft, and the site contains images and specifications of these products. The site also provides information about Bombardier's defence services - fleet management and aviation training management. Several full text newsletters are accessible from the site. These are 'Regional Update', back to January/February 1997 in PDF format, 'Bombardier Aerospace World' back to Spring 1998 in HTML format, and 'Initial Attack' back to Autumn 1993 also in HTML format. There is also an investor relations area containing share prices, financial information and company news.

Boundary Correction Factors for Elliptic Surface Cracks Emanating From Countersunk Rivet Holes Under Tension, Bending, and Wedge Loading Conditions : Final Report

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report, DOT/FAA/AR-98/37, by Anisur Rahman and others, dated March 1999. The report focuses on the calculation of stress-intensity factor (SIF) solutions for cracks at countersunk rivet holes for tension, bending and wedge load conditions. The full text of the report is available in PDF format, from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Bowmill Engineering Limited

This company manufactures small precision components for a wide rage of industries. Products include complete valve assemblies, detail parts and major flying control assemblies. The site includes photographs of products, a company profile and an online enquiry form.

British Microlight Aircraft Association

The British Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA) promotes the interests of microlight owners in the UK. The site provides the BMAA directory, a service which provides details of manufacturers and retailers, mainly in the UK, but world wide resources are included. Other information provided includes technical and weather data, a history of microlights, extracts from Microlight Flying Magazine, the full text of Flightline Online in PDF format, discussion lists, flight tests and links to other relevant web sites.

Britten-Norman

This company manufactures multi purpose utility aircraft for access to remote areas. The site includes product information, photographs and diagrams. It also has pages on support and maintenance services, an online order request form, and contact details. The site also provides access to the B-N Magazine and a link to the B-N Historians web site

Calculation of the Actual Cost of Engine Maintenance

This is the full text of a thesis by Oguz Ezil which was presented to the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) in 2003. The cost of military operations has been difficult to determine, yet considered of high importance. The cost of an operation is largely dependant upon the answers to subordinate questions involving the discrete costs of military activities, like supporting individual items. While different cost estimates have received attention from the media, the question arises as to how accurate these figures are. There have been numerous studies performed by the Operations Research analysts to minimize costs while allocating scarce resources. However, the values of these studies are dependent upon whether or not the cost figures used are sufficiently "true" or accurate. This research deals with the true representation of cost, in particular true cost of engine maintenance. In order to reach that goal, the thesis effort aimed to first look at the archival methods and models used to prepare cost estimations for a weapon system or a task performed in the Air Force. The engine maintenance is one and an important one of these tasks. Looking at those previous studies gained us insight on what the cost elements and factors might be. The research also looks at some of the current practices serving the same purpose. The characteristics of all of those models are also discussed briefly. Four analytical steps helped to come up with the cost elements that should go into the �actual� total cost of engine maintenance at the Base or Wing Level. The research provides detailed definitions of these consolidated elements and the relationships between them. The research also presents ways to gather the required data out of several databases whose functions and data types are also briefly discussed. A case study would not be possible due to the fact that the data was not accessible. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the thesis is available in PDF format and is provided by the Air University ResearchWeb site.

CAP 455: Airworthiness Notices - cancellation and tranfer to CAP 747

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) publication dated September 2009. Cancellation of CAP 455. All Airworthiness Notices (ANs), previously published in CAP 455, cancelled or transferred to CAP 747 (Mandatory Requirements for CAP 562 (Civil Aircraft Airworthiness Information and Procedures). therefore, now been withdrawn.A List of Cancelled and Relocated ANs has been published to clarify transferred ANs. This should be retained for future reference. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of this CAP is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

CAP 741 : Aircraft Maintenance Engineers Log Book

This document is introduced by the Civil Aviation Authority to be used by engineers as a record of the individual's employment history, experience and qualifications and can be used to confirm technical competency when applying for a licence, examination or seeking employment. Version 1, January 2004. It is available in PDF format.

CAP 747 : Mandatory Requirements for Airworthiness

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) document, Civil Aviation Paper CAP 747 Issue 3 including amendments to November, 2009. The primary document recording the Continued Airworthiness Requirements that must be complied with by UK registered aircraft. CAP 476 continues to provide the mandatory requirements, established prior to September 2004, that must be complied with by UK registered aircraft, but CAP 476 is no longer amended. Later mandatory requirements and the cancellation of mandatory requirements recorded in CAP 476 are now notified through revisions to CAP 747. CAPs 473, 474 and 480 have been withdrawn. Airworthiness Directives issued by the States where products were designed must be obtained from those States (or from EASA in the case of EU products). [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

CAP 766 : Light Aircraft Maintenance Programme - Aeroplanes

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) publication CAP 766. The CAA are introducing CAP 766 in order to account for the implementation of Commission Regulation 2042/2003 Annex 1, Part M, M.A.302. The programme addresses the scheduled maintenance requirements for aeroplanes with less than 2730 kg MTOM, regulated by EASA under Regulation (EC) 1592/2002. Amendment 1/2008 was published in January 2008 to clarify details within the document. The full text is available in DF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Challenges in the Better, Faster, Cheaper Era of Aeronatuical Design, Engineering and Manufacturing

This working paper (ESD-2000-03) was published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineering Systems Division in 2000 and was written by Earll. M. Murman, Myles Walton, and Eric Rebentisch. 'Better, Faster, Cheaper' BFC emerged in the 1990's as a new paradigm for aerospace products. In this paper, we examine some of the underlying reasons for BFC and offer some thoughts to help frame the thinking and action of aerospace industry professionals in this new era. Examination of literature on industrial innovation indicates that aeronautical products have evolved to a 'dominant design' and entered the 'specific phase' of their product life cycle. Innovation in this phase centres on: incremental product improvement, especially for productivity and quality; process technology; technological innovations that offer superior substitutes The first two of these are aligned with BFC objectives. [Taken from abstract]. This is in PDF format, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Circle Seals Controls Inc

A company web site providing information on their products and services. Based in California and founded fifty years ago they produce a variety of valves and controls for use both in military/aerospace and industrial applications. Their list of products includes : check valves, relief valves, shutoff valves, solenoid Valves, pressure regulators cyrogenic valves, tire fill valve gauges, fuse valves, restrictors, manifold systems and motor operated valves. They also produce systems combining various products and manufacture to customers'own specifications. The company conforms to International Standard(ISO)9001.

ComAero Fasteners

ComAero Fasteners supplies a wide range of commercial and aerospace fasteners, including hard to source items, small batch quantities, contract supplies, kits and ad-hoc requirements to industry and the stockist and distributor network. Based in London, the company is the approved supplier to both Britax Aircraft Seating and Bristow Helicopters. The site provides product information, the company's quality policy and online order form.

Combat Automation for Airborne Weapon Systems: Man/Machine Interface Trends and Technologies

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-CP-520, dated April 1993. Recent advances in combat automation technologies offer significant potential for improving overall mission effectiveness. Development of advanced situational awareness display concepts, parallel distributed computer architecture, and tactical information fusion techniques have paved the way for new operational capabilities and weapon system employment tactics. Harnessing these innovative technologies is critically dependent upon establishing an effective and intuitive pilot vehicle interface. The symposium addressed changing and possible future operational scenarios, advanced technology concepts, application issues and experimental development efforts and included sessions on: fusion, situation awareness, human capabilities and limitations, and design and evaluation of integrated systems. For individual titles, see N93-28851 through N93-28872. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (117.96MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Commercial Use of UAVs

This is the Laboratory for Information Systems & Telecommunications, (LIST), website. LIST is an interdisciplinary research group in the department of electrical & computer engineering at the University of Florida. It brings some information about UAVs and their use in commercial applications. It provides access to 52 UAV manufacturers and a brief history of UAVs. It also brings a project proposal on Airborne Traffic Surveillance Systems in pdf format.

Corrosion and Corrosion Fatigue of Airframe Materials : Final Report

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report, DOT/FAA/AR-00/22, by Robert P. Wei, dated July 2000. The report shows how localized pitting corrosion acts as crack nuclei and causes early crack nucleation and the onset of fatigue crack growth. A simplified probability model is presented, and this is used to demonstrate the feasibility of translating laboratory data into predictions of the evolution and distribution of damage of aircraft in service. The full text of the report is available in PDF format from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Crack Growth-Based Predictive Methodology for the Maintenance of the Structural Integrity of Repaired and Nonrepaired Aging Engine Stationary Components : Final Report

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report, DOT/FAA/AR-97/88, by Michael L. Barron, dated April 1999. The report describes an investigation carried out by General Electric Aircraft Engines (GEAE) of specific components, combustion casings, and compressor rear frames in service on older GEAE engines to determine if periodic inspections are warranted and to develop the tools necessary to conduct effective inspections should the data support a proactive need. The full text of the report is available in PDF format from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Creativity Design and Business Performance

This is UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Economics Paper No. 15, published in November 2005. This report sets out the current state of knowledge on the economics of creativity and design and their role in driving business performance and productivity. It reviews the existing economic and management literature on creativity and design, and draws on five specifically commissioned papers by experts in the field. The report seeks to answer five key questions: What are the economics of creativity and design in a business context; What are the UK’s strengths and weaknesses in creativity and design; How can creativity and design enhance value and productivity in firms; How can businesses develop and use creativity and design; and, What role can Government play in fostering creativity and design? The text of the paper is available in PDF format (1,077 KB).

CS-25 : Large Aeroplanes

This EASA Airworthiness Certification Specification CS-25 for Large Aeroplanes dated 17 October 2003 is available in full-text PDF. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is tasked with the regulation of civil aviation safety in the states of the European Union. Its mission is to promote the highest common standards of safety and environmental protection in civil aviation for a safe and sustainable aviation system and the CSs concentrate on the fields of aircraft design, manufacture, aircraft operation and maintenance and the licensing of aviation personnel. These regulations that were often loosely referred to as "design requirements" or "airworthiness codes" have essentially remained unchanged in technical content in the transition from Joint Airwothiness Requirements (JARs) to EASA Certification Specifications (CSs). However the advisory material that was contained in a series of advisory circulars (ACJs), is now placed in Part 2 of the CSs as Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC). Amendments may also be available for this document at the main Certification Sepcifications page of the EASA website.

Damage Tolerance and Durability of Selectively Stitched, Stiffened Panels : Final Report

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report, DOT/FAA/AR-03/46, by H. Thomas Hahn, Jenn Ming Yang, Sung Suh, Tan Yi, and Guocai Wu, dated June 2003. The goal of this project was to investigate the effectiveness of selective stitching on the damage tolerance and durability of a stiffened structural element applicable to air transportation systems. The full text of the report is available in PDF format, from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Darchem Engineering Ltd

The company has three business units, two of which provide engineered solutions to the high temperature problems of, primarily, the aerospace industry. The website has quick links to general company information, product details including capability listings and photographs, and process information. As well as general contact details, specific contacts are provided for different products and services.

DatAccess.net

This site provides a global aircraft parts location service which requires payment in order to make full use of its features, although buyers and sellers can access some information free of charge after registering. The following services are available: parts search facility, an RFQ (request for quotation) service, X-refs/alternates, installation tooling, related parts, NSN/MCRD and cage codes.

Delft Aerospace

This is the web site of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University. It describes the various educational programmes on offer along with supporting course information. There is also information on the various research groups, facilities, support services, student organisations as well as the Delft Aerospace Alumni Society. Other sections of the site include news and events, and a database of staff contact information.

Delphion Patent Search Form

This site allows you to search for United States patents, European patents and patent applications, Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) application data from the World Intellectual Property Office, the Patent Abstracts of Japan and INPADOC data. The service can be searched in several different ways, including patent number, US classification and Boolean keyword search. It is possible to view to the bibliographic information of granted US patents free of charge, all other services are payable. You will need to register to use this service, which is free of charge.

Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering at Virginia Tech

The Department Aerospace and Ocean Engineering at Virginia Tech makes use of the World Wide Web to distribute and provide teaching materials. These materials are catalogued by course. The site provides access to teaching materials, including lecture notes, tutorials, assignments, and homework for a range of courses. There are also Java and Javascript programs, self-taught units, course texts, manuals, homeworks and handouts in HTML, PostScript and PDF formats, and computer programs. The site also contains descriptive information about the Department's research activities including its facilities, research interests and research groups.

Department of Trade and Industry : Industries and Sectors : Aerospace and Defence

This site describes the activities of the aerospace and defence sector team in the DTI's Business Group, which is split into 5 teams - airframes, engines and equipment, defence, technology, regional and supply chain issues and scheme delivery. It also gives information on Technology Partnerships in Aeronautics, the SBAC (Society of British Aerospace Companies) Masters Engineers Programme, the SBAC Competitiveness Challenge, launch investment for civil programmes and the Export Opportunities Service.

Deploying Network Real-Time Simulation, Putting the Virtual Enterprise to Work Some Aerospace Experience

This technical report (NLR-TP-2002-003) was published by NLR (the National Aerospace Laboratory of the Netherlands) in 2002 and was written by E. Kesseler. Aerospace products are typically high-tech, high quality and low volume. They are produced by specialised geographically dispersed companies. The production is dominated by a large amount of engineering. In the engineering phase each company makes extensive use of real-time simulation for its own (sub) systems. At the same time the aerospace industry is becoming more competitive. This way of working combined with the business realities provides an opportunity to deploy the virtual enterprise concept in the aerospace domain. This paper focuses on the virtual enterprise as realised by networking existing real-time simulators. Major applications of networked real-time simulation are training, mission planning and networked R&D. Each of these applications is illustrated with an example from a different domain. Networked simulations require exercise management for which this paper presents a re-usable implementation based on international standards. Our experience consolidated in the SmartFED tool, shows that the virtual enterprise concept as embodied in networked simulation provides benefits like increased quality and reduced time-to-market of a product. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available as a PDF file.

Design in the New Millennium : Advanced Engineering Environments Phase 2

This web site provides access to a report prepared by the National Research Council's Committee on Advanced Engineering Environments, Washington, DC, National Academy Press, 2000. This is the second of a two part study on Advanced Engineering Environments. It focusses on the long term potential of AEE technologies and systems. AEEs are expected to effectively combine advanced networked computer systems with modelling and simulation technologies, to enable global collaboration between integrated working teams comprising researchers, designers, manufacturers, suppliers and customers. The study was sponsored by NASA, and the Committee was asked to look in particular at NASA and the aerospace industry. Bibliographic and abstract information is available in HTML format, and access to the full text is provided online in both HTML and Open Book formats.

Design, Manufacturing, and Performance of Stitched Stiffened Composite Panels With and Without Impact Damage : Final Report

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report, DOT/FAA/AR-02/111, by H. Thomas Hahn, Jenn Ming Yang, Sung S. Suh, and Nanlin Han, dated October 2002. The goal of this project was to develop the knowledge base required for certification of composite structures in air transportation systems in the form of a design-manufacturing-performance relationship. The full text of the report is available in PDF format, from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Detection of Stress Buildup in Airframes

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report DOT/FAA/AR-03/71 by Dr. P.A. Stampe, Dr. R. J. Kennedy, and Dr. W.P. Tucker dated August 2004. This exploratory study investigates the role of texture development during fatigue cycling on crack initiation in airframes. The presence of texture in metals is known to relate to fatigue and the initiation of cracks. It has not been conclusively demonstrated, however, that texture will develop in a material simply due to cyclic fatigue. In this study, the development of texture during fatigue cycling of rolled aluminum 2024-T3 sheet was monitored using x-ray diffraction techniques. The texture development was calculated as a function of number of fatigue cycles (1) to determine whether texture changes as a material is fatigued and (2) to correlate the development of texture to crack formation. X-ray diffraction measurements show that the rolling direction initially lies normal to the preferred plane on which grains are oriented. In Millers indices, the rolling direction and the normal plane are denoted as [100] and (100) respectively. Upon fatigue cycling, an initially rapid development of texture is found to occur. Prior to cracking, the grains rotate such that the [100] direction lies along the stress axis. The rate of texture development is dependent on the direction of the strain axis with respect to the rolling direction of the aluminum and the number of cycles to failure. After crack initiation, the texture development slows down and changes gradually until the point of failure. This demonstrates that texture development does indeed occur with fatigue and plays a role in the development of cracks in the aluminum sheet. A more detailed study is required to develop a diagnostic test for proximity to crack initiation. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the report is available in PDF format from the online cataligue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Detection Reliability for Small Cracks Beneath Rivet Heads Using Eddy-Current Nondestructive Inspection Techniques : Final Report

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report, DOT/FAA/AR-97/73, by Floyd W. Spencer, dated December 1998. The report provides an assessment of the potential of advanced eddy-current inspection technology on representative aircraft applications. The full text of the report is available in PDF format, from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Development and Evaluation of a Hard Patch Repair Method for Composite Stiffened Wing Panels

This technical report (NLR-TP-99033) was published by NLR (the National Aerospace Laboratory of the Netherlands) in 1999 and was written by A. L. P. J. Michielsen, L. C. Ubels and F. Baas. Within the framework of European program Euclid RTP 3.1 'Repair methodology on-aircraft', repair methods were developed for composite structures in fighter aircraft. The National Aerospace Laboratory (NLR), in co-operation with Hogeschool Haarlem, developed a hard patch repair method. In this approach, the damaged zone is completely removed and substituted with a pre-cured patch, flush mounted on a flange that is bolted (and bonded) to the interior skin surface. Two types of repair were studied, which involve either a skin bay between two stiffeners or a stiffener zone. For each case, the method was developed on small specimens. After a feasible solution was established in terms of structural performance, its applicability in structures with one-sided access only was validated on a full scale panel structure. It was concluded that the repair method is suited to be performed "on aircraft", because it is possible to perform the repair with access from the outside only, by field and maintenance personnel and with relatively simple tools. The method used results in an aerodynamic smooth surface: the patches are flush at the outer skin side apart from a number of rivets. The fatigue and residual strength tests showed that the requirements were fulfilled with respect to repair performance for all configurations studied in the development phase and for the configuration tested in the validation phase. The method is thought to be promising for the future but is still not developed to the extent, that the application in service is possible without further improvements in repair skills, adaptation of repair materials and further validation tests. Additional research has to be performed if the method is selected to become a standard repair procedure for a specific aircraft. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available as a PDF file.

Development of Generic Composite Box Structures with Prepeg Preforms and RTM

This technical report (NLR-TP-2002-019) was published by NLR (the National Aerospace Laboratory of the Netherlands) in 2002 and was written by H. P. J. de Vries. In the framework of a national technology program an one shot manufacturing process for closed composite box structures with accurate dimensions was developed. The goals of the program were the development of a manufacturing process which leads to net shaped box structures with a dimensional tolerance of 񠰮05 mm and the development of a reliable stringer/skin attachment without rivets. An RTM manufacturing concept with matched Invar tooling and a prepreg preform with stitched spars and stringers was developed. Three generic box structures were manufactured successfully. The dimensional tolerances of the boxes were within 񠰮05 mm and within 񠰮3?. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available as a PDF file.

DoD Index of Specifications and Standards (DODISS)

The DoD Index of Specifications and Standards (DODISS) lists the unclassified Federal and Military specifications, standards, and related standardization documents, and those non- government standards adopted for DoD use. Users may now link directly to full text DoD Specifications and Standards located on the Defense Automated Printing Service (DAPS), eAccess database. Full text documents available in Portable Document Format, (PDF) may be downloaded by clicking on the title in your DoDISS search results. The title acts as a link to the corresponding full text document. Please note that certain specifications and standards canceled prior to 1986 may not be available.

Dy 4 Systems

This company specialises in providing embedded computing systems which can operate in harsh environment aerospace applications. The site provides background details about the company, its products and services including data sheets in PDF format and a series of 'white papers' written by Dy 4 staff.

Eaton Aerospace

Eaton Aerospace designs, manufactures and integrates fluid power generation and conveyance, electromechanical actuation and motion control, electrical distribution and control, cockpit controls and displays and fluid monitoring and sensor products and systems worldwide. The site provides the full text of its customer support newsletter in PDF format back to April 1999, the full text of its Supplier Quality Manual in PDF format, news headlines featuring Eaton and extensive information about its products and services, including drawings and specifications.

Enhanced Crack Detection by Combination of Laser and Ultrasonic Techniques

This web site provides access to a University of Cincinnati, Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics PhD dissertation, by Zhongyu Yan, dated 2001. It examines two methods of enhancing the detection of fatigue cracks using pulsed laser irradiation. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. The title page, contents and the full text of the document are accessible online in PDF format (1.87 MB). This title is part of the OhioLink Electronic Theses and Dissertations Project.

Environmentally Safe and Effective Processes for Paint Removal

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD Lecture Series report, AGARD-LS-201, dated April 1995. Paint stripping and repainting of aircraft surfaces are required periodically during the operating lifetime of an aircraft. Historically, paint removal has been achieved using chemical strippers, involving materials which contain toxic components and which create hazardous working conditions. The process generates large amounts of hazardous waste from the chemicals used. Alternative methods for aircraft paint removal are now being investigated within the NATO nations with regard to their environmental safety and effective application. These processes include: Plastic Media Blasting, Wheat Starch Dry Media Blasting, Carbon Dioxide Pellet Blasting, Sodium Bicarbonate Blasting and Thermal Decomposition Methods (Laser, Flash Lamps/Carbon Dioxide). The Lecture Series will review these current state-of-the-art alternative methods with environmental effects and related health hazards, costs, process controls, and more. For individual titles, see N95-32166 through N95-32181. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (10 Kb) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Environmentally Safe and Effective Processes for Paint Removal

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-R-791, dated March 1993. Paint stripping and repainting of aircraft surfaces are required periodically during the operating lifetime of an aircraft. Historically, paint removal has been achieved with chemical strippers. These materials often contain toxic components and create hazardous working conditions. It is necessary to ensure that alternate paint removal techniques are available that can be performed in a cost effective, environmentally safe manner without causing damage to aircraft surfaces. For individual titles, see N94-10614 through N94-10629. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (34.27 MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Euravia Engineering and Supply Co Ltd

Euravia is an aeronautical gas turbine and propulsion engineering company situated in Lancashire, UK, which specialises in repair, overhaul, modification, engineering, manufacturing and supply support for the international aviation market. The Web site provides background information about the company and includes details of their repair, overhaul, and engine testing facilities.

European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS)

EADS is one of the largest aerospace companies in Europe and was formed from a merger between French Aerospatiale Matra S.A. (Paris), the Spanish Construcciones Aeron�uticas S.A. (CASA, Madrid) and the German DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG (Dasa, Munich). EADS covers the areas of Airbus, aeronautics (military aircraft, helicopters, regional aircraft), military transport aircraft, defence and security systems and space. This site provides product information and specifications, a photo gallery, press releases, employment and financial information plus the latest stock quotes. The site is also available in German, French and Spanish.

European Aeronautics : A Vision for 2020

This provides access to a European Commission report prepared by the Group of Personalities under the Chairmanship of Commissioner Philippe Busquin, issued January 2001. The report sets out a number of recommendations for fulfilling Europe's goal of better serving society's needs while becoming a global leader in the field of aeronautics. Among its conclusions, the Group stressed the need for a new Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACARE) whose goal would be to develop and implement a strategic approach to European aeronautics research. The text of the report is avaialble in HTMl and PDF (480 Kb) format.

European Aeronautics Science Network (EASN)

This is a three year funded project which aims to bring the European universities with aeronautics activities into an integrated network, operating in parallel with industry and the national research establishments. EASN has a Steering Committee representing partners to oversee the activities of the network, as well as a number of Interest Groups (IGs) addressing various thematic issues. There are 10 interest areas covering Flight Physics, Aerostructures, Propulsion, Aircraft Avionics Systems and Equipment, Flight Mechanics, Integrated Design and Validation, Air Traffic Management, Airports, Human Factors, and Innovative Concepts and Scenarios. Within these areas several Interest Groups have been established for Advanced Combustion Chambers, Ageing Aircraft, Crashworthiness and Structural Impact, Emission Minimizing Flight Operations, Fault Tolerant Systems, Increased Exploitation of Composites, Manufacturing Processes and Technologies of Aero-Engines, Risk Analysis Based LCE in Aeronautics, Surface Engineering Treatments, Vortical Structures and IG Innovative Contacts and Scenarios. The central element is an open, Internet based network that will enable communication between groups and will provide access to a database. The Network Database contains Information on the university institutes with their aerospace competence profiles, companies and organisations in the aerospace supply chain, research establishments and information on national aeronautics research programmes. The web site describes the network members and provides details of each of the regional contact points. It identifies R&T areas and Interest Groups and the Universities who are engaged in research activities in these areas. The site also provides news and a list of related links.

European Association of Aerospace Industries : Standardisation

Described as a 'portal' for the preparation and promotion of European (EN) standards for aerospace applications. AECMA-STAN is the legal successor of AECMA-CN (the Standardization Committee) and is non-profit making. Founded by the National Aerospace Associations of France, Italy, Spain and Sweden and large aerospace companies (British Aerospace, EADS-Airbus-Germany, Rolls Royce), it comprises nominated experts from the largest European Aerospace companies, equipment manufacturers and national aerospace associations. Information about the standards process, including FAQs, is available as well as an online store and contact information. Latest news are available through a monthly newsletter.

Federal Aviation Administration : Suspected Unapproved Parts (SUP) Program

The Program coordinates the Administration's efforts to educate its inspectors and the public regarding the potential safety threat posed by aeronautical parts that do not meet applicable design, manufacturing, and maintenance requirements. The site brings together a number of information resources and provides a Standard Parts overview. The site also links to a number of documents and forms. These include the full text of the following: Advisory Circular (AC) 00-56, Voluntary Industry Distributor Accreditation Program, that describes FAA-acceptable quality systems that may be adopted by civil aircraft parts distributors; FAA Unapproved Parts Notifications (UPN); and Foreign Civil Aviation Authority Unapproved Parts.

Final Report of the Commission on the Future of the US Aerospace Industry

The Commission was formed to study the future of the United States aerospace industry in the global economy, particularly in relationship to US national security, and to assess the future importance of the domestic aerospace industry for the economic and national security of the United States. The report provides a complete overview of findngs and recommendations. The full report is available in PDF format.

Finite Element Analysis of Lamb Waves Acting within a Thin Aluminum Plate

This is the full text of a thesis written by Sejin Han, which was presented to the Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio in September 2007. Structural health monitoring (SHM) is an emerging technology that can be used to identify, locate and quantify structural damages before failure. Among SHM techniques, Lamb waves have become widely used since they can cover large areas from one single location. Due to the development of various structural simulation programs, there is increasing interest in whether SHM data obtained from the simulation can be verified by experimentation. The objective of this thesis is to determine Lamb wave responses using SHM models in ABAQUS CAE(a Finite Element Analysis(FEA) program). These results are then compared to experimental results and theoretical predictions under isothermal and thermal gradient conditions in order to assess the sensitivity of piezo-generated Lamb wave propagation. Simulations of isothermal tests are conducted over a temperature range of 0-190 deg F with 100kHz and 300kHz excitation signal frequencies. The changes in temperature-dependent material properties are correlated to measurable differences in the response signal's waveform and propagation speed. An analysis of the simulated signal response data demonstrated that elevated temperatures delay wave propagation, although the delays are minimal at the temperatures tested in this study. [Taken from abstract]. This is in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Flight Simulation Engineering and Maintenance Conference (FSEMC)

The Flight Simulation Engineering and Maintenance Conference (FSEMC) is intended to be a forum for the discussion and resolution of flight simulation engineering and maintenance issues. It is sponsored by ARINC Inc. The site includes details of future as well past conferences, including the full text of presentations and reports.

Flightglobal.com

This is the website of Flight International, Airline Business, ACAS, Air Transport Intelligence (ATI) and The Flight Collection. It provides jobs, blogs, and primarily industry news. It is a large site and much of the content is to be found behind the browse links on the left of the page. These links are: aircraft, air transport, airlines, defence, safety, UAVs, helicopters, business and GA, maintenance, and spaceflight. The site contains the content of the current issues of Flight International and Airline Business as soon as it is published along with searchable archives going back to 1996 which are accessible to all. It also covers worldwide major air shows (Paris, Dubai, Asian Aerospace, and Farnborough) and produces daily newspapers during these events. There are three versions of the site - global, professional and expert.

Foresight Defence, Aerospace and Systems Panel

The aim of the UK Government's Foresight Programme is to improve collaboration between government, industry and academia in order to increase national wealth and quality of life. Defence, Aerospace and Systems was one of 13 sectoral panels created in the first round of the programme to consider possible future trends and opportunities. Although no longer current the web site brings together a range of information resouces including details of Panel and Task Force members. A number of Panel reports and other publications produced between 1999 and 2002 are available online.

Fundamentals of Aircraft Pneudraulics

The full text of this US Army field manual is provided in electronic form by the General Dennis J. Reimer Training and Doctrine Digital Library. It is available in both PDF and HTML formats and is given document number FM 1-509, dated 1991. The document acts as a general manual providing guidance for repairing pneumatic and hydraulic systems, includes hydraulic principles and describes hydraulic systems employed in US Army aircraft.

Fundamentals of Rotor and Power Train Maintenance : Techniques and Procedures

The full text of this US Army field manual is provided in electronic form by the General Dennis J. Reimer Training and Doctrine Digital Library. It is available in both PDF and HTML formats and is given document number FM 1-514, dated 1991. The document acts as a general guide to army repairers on aircraft rotor and power train maintenance.

General Accounting Office Reports

The General Accounting Office is the investigative arm of Congress. GAO's mission is to help the Congress oversee federal programs and operations to assure accountability to the American people. GAO accomplishes its mission through a variety of activities including financial audits, program reviews, investigations, legal support, and policy/program analyses. The GAO Reports databases contain reports on audits, surveys, investigations, and evaluations of Federal programs conducted by the GAO from fiscal year 1995 through the present. All published reports, with the exception of correspondence and reports that are restricted or classified, are included. The current year's database is updated within two business days of a report's release. Reports are available as ASCII text and Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) files.

General Electric (GE) Aircraft Engines

This company is a major manufacturer of jet engines for commercial, corporate, military and regional aviation, as well as for marine propulsion. The site makes brief product details available for each application and provides details of GEAE supplier relations, news and recruitment. It is also possible to access the GE annual report, a history of the company and its worldwide locations. The GE Engine Center provides purchase, repair, support, and service solutions. Information about technical publications and training programmes is also available, plus customer support. Certain parts of the site are only available to customers who have a username and password.

General Electric Company (GE)

GE is a diversified services, technology and manufacturing company with a commitment to achieving customer success and worldwide leadership in each of its businesses. GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs nearly 313,000 people worldwide. Jeffrey R. Immalt has been Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GE from September 2001. This site provides information about GE businesses, which include aircraft engines and aviation services. There are also details about their business finance, industry solutions and home solutions, plus personal finance. Corporate information is available, along with news items and stock details. It is possible to buy General Electric products online from this site, and careers information is also available.

General Electric Ircraft Engines : Military

The General Electric Company (GE) provides engines for a range of military vehicles, including military transports, attack helicopters and unmanned aircraft. This part of the GE site provides links to the following military engines; CFM56, F101, F103/CF6, F110, F118, F136, F404, F414, J79, J85, LV100, T58, T64, T700/CT7, TF34, TF39. For each engine, information is available about models, overhaul, upgrades, parts, product support, repair services and support equipment. The rest of the General Electric site can be reached from here, and registered customers can also log on.

Global Aviation Navigator

Global Aviation Navigatior (GAN) is a commercial aviation directory service. Entries in the directory are arranged under the following headings: Airports; Avionics; Charter, Brokers/Dealers; FAA; FBO - Aviation Handlers; Finance; Flight Schools; Insurance; Maintenance; Manufacturing; New Links; Other Services; Parts; Pilot services; Bookstore; Reservations and Weather. The site also features a calendar of forthcoming events, discussion forums on Corporate and General Aviation, and a classified advertisements section.

Going the Distance : Boeing 777 200LR WorldLiner

This 'Flash' website provides information on the Boeing 777-200LR and the 777 family which claims to be able to fly farther, faster and with more efficiency than any other of its kind. There are links to information about the GE 90 Turbofan as well as the 777 'world tour' (Going the Distance), press releases and information about the 777 family.

Goodrich Corporation

The company is an international supplier of systems and components for aerospace and defense industry. It has a product range that includes: aircraft engine nacelles, pylons and thrust reversers; wheels, brakes and landing gear; emergency evacuation systems; sensors; ice protection systems; instruments and avionics; and flight management and control systems. The web site provides access to a range of information resoures. There is a wealth of corporate and investor information including company profile, overview, history, annual reports and other inhouse publications, news, and career opportunities. The web site describes the corporate structure and includes a complete product listing. The site also contains a large online archive of corporate technical documents, which includes component maintenance manuals; service bulletins and service letters. Access to some of the documents in this collection are restricted to authorised users only

Guidelines for Analysis, Testing, and Nondestructive Inspection of Impact-Damaged Composite Sandwich Structures : Final Report

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report, DOT/FAA/AR-02/121, by Peter Shyprykevich, J.Tomblin, and L.Ilcewicz, dated March 2003, In this report, past work is summarized and synthesized to provide guidance for analysis, testing, and nondestructive inspection of impact-damaged composite structures. The full text of the report is available in PDF format, from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Guidelines to Minimize Manufacturing Induced Anomolies in Critical Rotating Parts

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report DOT/FAA AR-06/3 dated February 2006. This report was developed by a partnership of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) Rotor Manufacturing Project Team (RoMan) and the Federal Aviation Administration in response to accidents and incidents caused by manufacturing induced anomalies in critical rotating parts. According to a 1997 summary from the AIA Rotor Integrity Sub-Committee, about 25% of recent rotor cracks/events have been caused by post-forging manufacturing induced anomalies. The guidelines contained herein represent an industry consensus on the currently available best practices to minimize manufacturing induced anomalies in critical rotating parts consistent with the AIA RoMan team charter and vision. Recommendations for nominal rotor manufacturing process development and control, including process validation, quality assurance, disposition of suspect parts, process monitoring, human factors and training, and non-destructive evaluation, are included to provide an overall framework for a highly reliable manufacturing process. Because critical rotating part reliability has demonstrated particular sensitivity to hole machining practices, specific recommendations for hole making are included. In addition, a section containing industry lessons learned is included to provide guidance on issues common in the industry. The term lessons learned generally refers to useful pieces of practical wisdom acquired by experience or study. Appendices are attached which include the team charter and vision and detailed information concerning process monitoring of holes and non-destructive evaluation. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Center Library.

Helicopter Association International

The Helicopter Association International (HAI) is a non-profit, professional trade association of over 1,400 member organisations from 70 nations. Since 1948, HAI has been dedicated to promoting the helicopter as a safe and efficient method of transportation, and to the advancement of the civil helicopter industry. The site provides a range of information about the HAI including mission, accomplishments, key current issues and committee structure. A range of information services and resources are also available. These include databases for aircraft sales and helicopter parts (the HAI Marketplace), helicopter technical specifications, and listings for conferences and jobs. US civil helicopter safety statistics are also available.

High Performance Work Organisation in UK Aerospace : the SBAC Human Capital Audit 2002

This report was by Marc Thompson, Templeton College University of Oxford, 2002. This study, funded by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and co-ordinated by the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC), brings together five years of research on the relationship between human capital and performance in the UK aerospace industry. The aim of the report is to help firms identify investment in human capital in the industry, understand its effect on performance and pinpoint for action areas of strength and weakness. The report provides some statistics about, and an overview of, the UK aerospace industry and discusses the impact on September 11th. The report concludes that an upturn in the industry will expose a deficit of scientific, engineering and technical skills in the UK aerospace sector; that aerospace companies need to invest more in workforce development; and that investment in human capital has a direct bearing on organisational performance. The report is in PDF format from the Templeton College web site.

High temperature cyclic behavior of aerospace materials: Room temperature validation tests of Ti-6Al-4V

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-AR-328, dated June 1994. Materials specification and distribution of Ti-6Al-4V specimens are presented along with the collated data from those participants that have supplied test results. Crack propagation and strain control low cycle fatigue data are discussed, along with a number of points of clarification regarding test technique. This report, sponsored by the Structures and Materials Panel of AGARD, contains all relevant information on the validation exercise conducted by participants of Working Group 26. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (6.52MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Honeywell

Honeywell is a leader in control technology. The company has five main divisions: Aerospace - supplier of engines, systems, avionics and services for commercial and business aviation, military aircraft and spacecraft; Automation and Control solutions for industry and houses; Airport and Aircraft Security and Safety; Transportation and Power Systems - leading provider of automotive turbochargers; and Speciality Materials. The site provides company information, news and press releases, careers information and a section on investor relations which includes the annual report.

Human Factors Guidance for the Use of Handheld, Portable and Wearable Computing Devices

This technical report (DOT/FAA/CT-05/15) was published by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in November 2005 and was written by Carolina Zingale, Vicki Ahlstrom and Bonnie Kudrick. This report provides human factors guidance for the selection and use of handheld, portable, and wearable computing devices, including personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablet computers, and, to a more limited extent, head-mounted display systems. These devices are becoming more common in the workplace. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) wanted to know if these devices would be beneficial to maintenance specialists. Human factors researchers from the William J. Hughes Technical Center were asked to identify the advantages and disadvantages of these devices. These systems require different usage guidelines than standard desktop computing systems because of their size, portability, human-computer interface (HCI) designs, and intended work environments. In this report, we discuss differences between different maintenance tasks and how these differences may affect the selection of an appropriate device. We summarize the advantages and disadvantages of common handheld, portable, and wearable systems, specifically focusing on areas such as device size, screen size and resolution, input method, one- or two-handed operation, and headsdowntime. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Human Factors Issues in Aircraft Maintenance and Inspection

This page provides access to a selection of full text documents published by the Federal Aviation Administration Human FActors in Aviation Maintenance and Inspection research programme. Documents available include research reports from 1997, the Human Factors Guide for Aviation Maintenance and Inspection version 3.0 (1998), the FAA/AAM Human Factors in Aviation Maintenance and Inspection Research Phase Reports (1991-1999), Human Factors Issues in Aircraft Maintenance and Inspection Meeting Proceedings (1989-1998), Strategic Program Plan 1998, the National Transportation Safety Board Maintenance Accident Report Infobase, research reports published 2000 and 2001, a bibliography of publications 1989-1998 and the Powerpoint presentations from the Advances in Aviation Safety Conference and Exposition, 2000.

Human Factors Survey of Aviation Technical Manuals Phase 1 : Manual Development Procedures : Interim Report

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report, DOT/FAA/AR-01/43, by Alex Chaparro, and Loren S. Groff, dated August 2001. This is the first part of a three phase study. It examines aviation industry procedures for developing maintenance technical data. The report's findings have revealed three significant maintenance technical data issues: inconsistent development process guidelines, reactive rather than proactive response to user feedback, and inadequate assessment of errors involving usability as opposed to accuracy. The full text of the report is available in PDF format, from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Huntsville Simulation Conference 2001

The site provides access to abstracts and the full text of papers from the HuntsvillE Simulation Conference (HSC 2001), which was held October 3-4, 2001. The papers are grouped under the following headings, Battlefield Simulation, Distributed Simulation, Hardware-in-the Loop Simulation, Law Enforcement Applications, Manuafacturing, Missile System Simulation, Radar Simulation, Real Time Scene Generation, Simulation Based Acquisition, Simulation Methodology, Test and Evaluation, Validation, Verification, and Accreditation, and Visualization. All abstracts and papers are available in PDF format and are hosted by the Redstone Scientific Information Center web site.

Hybrid Stochastic Models for Remaining Lifetime Prognosis Dissertation

This is the full text of a thesis by Steven M. Cox which was presented to the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) in 2004. This dissertation is concerned with the development of implementable ana- lytical models for the estimation of the remaining lifetime probability distribution of a component subject to a randomly evolving environment. The models incor- porate estimated parameters via environmental or degradation measures obtained from component sensors. We consider three distinct stochastic process models for the random environment: a temporally nonhomogeneous Markov environment, a temporally homogeneous Markov environment, and a temporally homogeneous semi- Markov environment. The hybrid approach unites real environment state or degrada- tion measures with analytical, stochastic failure models to numerically compute the distributions and their moments. Additionally, it is shown that the lifetime distribu- tions resulting from the homogeneous Markov environment and a special case of the nonhomogeneous Markov environment are distributions of the matrix-exponential type. Because the lifetime distribution in the semi-Markov case is computation- ally intensive, we instead utilize phase-type (PH) approximations that transform the semi-Markov environment to a time-homogeneous Markov environment. The numer- ical experiments indicate that the analytical techniques developed in this research hold great promise for remaining lifetime prognosis in a variety of contexts. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the thesis is available in PDF format and is provided by the Air University ResearchWeb site.

Impact of Parameter Accuracy on Aircraft Structural Integrity Estimates

The site provides access to an Air University Air Command and Staff College Research Report, by Major Scott A. Fawaz, USAF, AU/ACSC/048/2001-04, dated April 2001. The purpose of this research was to investigate the sensitivity of fatigue life estimates on the parameters used to generate the estimate. Nine linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) parameters are identified that affect the fatigue life. These are initial flaw assumption, boundary correction factor, load interaction models, crack growth rate data, stress intensity factor, threshold stress intensity factor, yield stress, and critical stress intensity factor. The parameters are classified as primary or secondary based on their effect on the life cycle costs, inspection schedule, and flight safety. Citation and abstract details are provided in HTML format, and the full text is available for downloading as a PDF file. This is one of the collection student research studies available from Air University's Research Web.

In-Service Inspection of Glare Fuselage Structures

This technical report (NLR-TP-2001-608) was published by NLR (the National Aerospace Laboratory of the Netherlands) in 2001 and was written by J.H. Heida and D.J. Platenkamp. This paper describes a first investigation into the suitability of current non-destructive inspection (NDI) methods for the in-service inspection of Glare fuselage structures. The NDI methods comprise the eddy current technique for the detection of sub-surface cracks at fastener rows, and the Fokker Bondtester (resonance-impedance method) and ultrasonic technique for the local detection of delaminations or debonding. It is shown that the NDI methods described are suitable for the detection of significant defects. The detection of sub-surface cracks greatly depends on the depth of interest: for example at a depth of 3 mm, cracks larger than 4 mm are readily detectable, but at a depth larger than 6 mm cracks are no longer reliably detectable. Both the Fokker Bondtester and ultrasonic inspection can detect delaminations or debonding to a degree of accuracy: the Fokker Bondtester is preferred for relatively thin structures (up to 5 mm) and ultrasonic inspection is preferred for thicker structures. The detectable delamination size is in the order of the probe diameter. The results primarily represent measurements with Glare specimens with artificial defects. In addition, specimens with real defects were inspected. First results of an ongoing investigation indicate that the results described in this paper are representative for those specimens. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available as a PDF file.

Integrated Airframe Design Technology

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-R-794 , dated December 1993. Integrated airframe design embraces the concept of bringing together all of the aspects of airframe design, including various disciplines such as structures, materials, aerodynamics, controls, and manufacturing, from conceptual design all the way through manufacturing. It also includes the sub-disciplines which are involved in each discipline and the interactions these have with one another. Moreover, an IAD process also affects the organizational structure of the personnel. In order to provide a broad-based approach to evaluating and identifying future research and development directions required to provide IAD technology, the First Integrated Airframe Design Technology Workshop, sponsored by AGARD, was held in Antalya, Turkey on 19-20 Apr. 1993. This document summarizes the output of that Workshop. For individual titles, see N94-24314 through N94-24327. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (46.29MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

International Aerospace Quality Group

The International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG) is a cooperative organisation of prime aerospace industry companies who pool and exchange experiences to establish initiatives that make a significant improvement in quality and cost reductions. IAQG focuses on continuous improvement to deliver consistently high quality products. Links to information about membership (company signatories), meetings, publications (standards), projects and audit information are available. An SAE forum is also available for members. IAQG is sponsored by the European Association of Aerospace Industries (AECMA), the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) and the Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies (SJAC).

Jane's Aerospace Discovery

Provided by Jane's, this service is a specialist Internet search engine for the aerospace industry. It allows keyword searching for sites with the option of restricting the search to particular categories such as aerospace manufacturing, defence forces, and centres of learning and research. Once a search has been performed, it is possible to further refine it by selecting suggested keywords or by choosing sites which are particularly relevant.

Jimfinder

Jimfinder, a service from Findlay Publications, is a recruitment marketplace designed specifically for engineering and manufacturing professionals. It is focused on filling permanent and contract vacancies within the UK engineering sector. Job seekers can search a database of jobs, submit a CV or receive regular e-mails giving job details. Recruiters can submit vacancies or browse CVs. A 'Jimfinder on Campus' section is aimed specifically at recent graduates.

Knowledge integration for problem solving in the development of complex aerospace systems

This is the full text of a PhD thesis by Marc George Haddad, completed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division in 2008. The development of complex products requires widespread knowledge interactions among a significant number of individuals and teams designing numerous interrelated components. Increasing product complexity typically leads to a corresponding increase in the types and sources of knowledge that need to be tapped during development, and a common strategy for managing product complexity is to outsource parts and components to external suppliers. As a result, the knowledge required for development is increasingly specialized and distributed across multiple boundaries spanning large-scale organizational networks, thus requiring the subsequent integration of this knowledge in order to accomplish the development task. A framework for knowledge integration in the development of complex systems in a large-scale organizational context is proposed in this thesis using an extensive review of the pertinent literature. The framework consists of the main channels, strategies, practices and mechanisms most commonly used to transfer, share and apply knowledge in the course of complex technical problem solving. The framework is progressively refined using empirical data collected through several rounds of interviews and a questionnaire instrument administered across three major aircraft programs in the defense aerospace industry. We find that knowledge integration in routine problem solving situations is most efficiently and effectively accomplished through extensive transfer and sharing of codified information using formal mechanisms such as information systems, while knowledge integration for major non-routine troubleshooting events requires extensive integration of individual expertise and know-how through both formal and informal advice sharing as well as direct assistance across internal and external organizational boundaries. A principal contribution of this research is in demonstrating how different characteristics of the engineering artifact defined in terms of product complexity, architecture and technology newness, and different aspects of problem solving including problem type and novelty, drive the knowledge integration process and the organizational system. We conclude that permeability of cross-program boundaries, direct relationships with functional groups and rich tacit knowledge flow from suppliers are critical for countering rampant firefighting in complex product development.

Landings

Landings is an established aviation directory service. It provides access to a wide variety of aviation related resources. It includes mediated expert forums covering topic areas such as GPS, maintenance, aviation medicine and law. There are listings of newsgroups and e-mail groups. An extensive reference section includes links to various databases of FAA Regulations, Canadian Regulations, Service Difficulty Reports, Airworthiness Alerts, NTSB Briefs, N Numbers and many more. The reference section also includes coverage of aerospace companies, museums, reports and other publications. Landings also has sections devoted to aircraft/parts; air transport/airports; services; general aviation; government/military: and pilot supplies.

Landings: Federal Aviation Regulations

This is an information resource provided by the Landings aviation directory service. It provides online access to most of the FARs. They are in HTML format with one file per paragraph. They contain hyperlinks between paragraphs and sections, making cross-references possible. There is now a search capability for the FARs. Please note this is not an official FAA server, so the FARs provided here are not the official FARs. You cannot rely on them being accurate.

Lean Advancement Initiative

This is the Web site of the Lean Advancement Initiative (LAI) formerly known as Lean Aerospace Initiative (LAI), a collaboration formed by the US Air Force, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), trade unions, and defence aerospace businesses with the aim of revitalising the industry by applying lean concepts. The site contains information about its sponsors, an overview of the programme, details of its research including research plans, a selection of full text reports, working papers and conference papers in PDF format and staff and student contact details. Some resources are accessible only to members of the LAI programme.

Lean Aerospace Engineering

This working paper (ESD-WP-2008-01) published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineering Division is William Littlewood Memorial Lecture presented by Earll M. Murman at the 46th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting in January 2008. Littlewood Lecture Outline• Introduction to Lean Thinking• Lean Thinking and Aerospace• Lean Engineering framework• Tailoring Lean Engineering• Lean Engineering challenges. Hypothesis: The application of Lean Thinking principles, practices and tools to engineering can lead to superior aerospace product development results and happier more satisfied engineers. [Taken from abstract].

Lean Transformation in the U.S. Aerospace Industry: Appreciating Interdependent Social and Technical Systems

This working paper (ESD-WP-2003-08) was published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division in 2003 and was written by Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld. Lean practices and principles build on a half-century of successive initiatives aimed at transforming social and technical systems in organizations. While they are seen as central to the revitalisation of the U.S. aerospace industry, there is great variation in the degree to which lean initiatives emphasise just technical/manufacturing systems versus additional social and enterprise dimensions. Based on a national random sample survey of 362 U.S. aerospace facilities, this paper examines factors that account for the incidence of lean practices and the impact on outcomes relevant to key stakeholders. While structural factors such as industry sector, facility size and others have limited explanatory power, two process factors - organisational learning and the value placed on intellectual capital - do account for the increased presence of lean practices. In examining employment outcomes, facilities higher just on the technical/manufacturing aspects of lean have a significant and negative impact on job growth, while facilities higher around the social systems associated with lean have significant and positive employment growth. This finding is consistent with the views of critics of the more narrow technical, manufacturing-oriented approaches to lean as a threat to employment and it validates proponents of a broader value-creating approach to lean as a way of growing the enterprise. Enterprise dimensions of lean (including both social and technical aspects of lean) have positive impact on productivity. Examining outcomes relevant to multiple stakeholders and various factor inputs produces a more complete understanding of the limitations and potential for lean transformation in the aerospace industry. [Taken from abstract]. This in PDF format so aDobe Acrobat software will be required to read it.

Leeham Company LLC : Airbus and Boeing

This site focusses on the world’s two major aviation manufacturers – Airbus and Boeing. Its aim is to provide easy access to key white papers, opinion pieces, aviation trade articles, news stories, commentaries, and studies relating to the two companies. The 'archives' area of the site provides many full text resources, including: commentaries by Scott Hamilton, an aviation journalist and publisher, archives of commercial aviation reports (CARs), new articles and reports and studies.

Light Aircraft Maintenance Schedule (Aeroplanes)

This is the full text of CAP 411, 4th edition, 14th March 2005. The schedule addresses the scheduled maintenance requirements for aeroplanes used for commercial air transport and non-commercial air transport. It is available in PDF format.

Light Aircraft Maintenance Schedules (Helicopters)

This site provides the full text of the 4th edition of this schedule published on the 14th March 2005. The schedule addresses the scheduled maintenance requirements for helicopters used for commercial air transport and non-commercial air transport and is applicable to EASA regulated helicopters. It is available in PDF format.

Lindstrand Balloons

This is the home page of Lindstrand Balloons, a company specialising in the design and manufacture of balloons. The site provides company news and press releases, general information about balloons and ballooning, product information about balloons produced by the company, research projects, for example, high altitude long endurance (HALE), the manufacture of both hot air and gas balloons and information about purchase and sponsorship.

LMG Solutions

This company specialises in numerical control part programming of multi axis machine tools for the manufacture of machined aerospace components. Their Web site provides details of the services that the company offers including part programming and verification, part program conversion and post processing.

Mandatory Aircraft Modifications and Inspections Summary (UK Aircraft)

This provides access to a UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) document, Civil Aviation Paper CAP 476, CAA Safety Regulation Group, Issue 287, September 2004. It summarises mandatory actions that are required to be complied with by United Kingdom Owners/Operators in respect of aircraft, engines, propellers, aircraft radio stations, instruments and equipment of United Kingdom design. The text of CAP 476 is available in PDF format (2.4 Mb), from the CAA's web site.

Materials Safety Data Sheets

This web site provides access to a large, searchable archive of Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). It includes links to many new MSDS archives provided by manufacturers concerned about the safe use of their products. The archive contains details of hazardous materials used in the aerospace industry - eg lubricants, coatings, cleaning compounds etc. The whole MSDS archive can be downloaded. The site also features a searchable database of toxicology reports, which can be accessed by entering a chemical name, or the CAS or RTECS number.

Mechanical Systems Characterization of Boeing 747 Aging Systems Test Bed Aircraft

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AR-TN02/119) was produced by the Aviation Research office of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in December 2002 and was written by Total Aircraft Services, Inc. As part of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aging Aircraft Program, the FAA purchased a Boeing 747 to be used as a test bed aircraft for investigating aging mechanical and electrical systems. When retired, the airplane was decommissioned in a way to preserve the functionality of the mechanical and electrical systems. Total Aircraft Services, Inc., under contract to the FAA Airwortiness Assurance Nondestructive Validation Center located at Sandia National Laboratories, was charged with assessing the status of the aircraft's systems. The purpose of the assessment was to determine the condition of the mechanical systems on the airplane and to determine what would be required to make any nonworking systems functional. This report documents the results of this assessment. This assessment determined that most of the mechnanical systems that are significant to the Aging Mechanical Systems Project are operational or are capable of easily being made operational. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Messier Services

The company is jointly owned by two major aerospace equipment manufacturers, Messier-Dowty and Messier-Bugatti, and alll three are three companies are backed by the Snecma Group. It is a global services and repair network for aircraft landing, braking systems and associated hydraulics. The company offers three types of service - repair of complete landing and braking systems, support services and technical assistance. The site offers background information about the company and company news as well as a global capability list, service bulletins (for subscribers only), and official agreeements. There is an interactive online catalogue for A340 maintenance tools which includes noise leg and drag strut tools, noise landing gear tools, main and centreline landing gears equipment tools and servicing tools for each line station. The site also provides a facility to request quotations for second hand spare parts for the A300 and A310.

Messier-Bugatti

This company is a member of the French Snecma group and provides high performance aircraft brakes. The site provides background information on the company and its latest news, and information about its products. These include wheels and brakes, braking systems and hydraulics. Some technical information and specifications are available as PDF documents. Certain sections of the site are accessible only to registered customers.

Midlands Aerospace Alliance

The Midlands Aerospace Alliance (MAA) was formed in 2003 to support and represent the aerospace industry across the Midlands region. The site describes its activities, lists the key companies, and makes its 'Midlands aerospace cluster strategy' available in PDF format. It also has a news section and provides information about forthcoming events. There is a searchable members' directory which can be searched by name, capability, accreditation or approval.

MIL-HDBK-5H : Metallic Materials and Elements for Aerospace Vehicle Structures

MIL-HDBK-5H, dated 1 December 1998 is a key military handbook provided by the US Government Department of Defense and Federal Aviation Administration. It is intended primarily as a source of design allowables, which are those strength properties of metallic materials and elements (primarily fasteners) that are widely used in the design of aerospace structures. It contains information and data for other properties and characteristics, such as fracture toughness strength, fatigue strength, creep strength, rupture strength, fatigue-crack propagation rate, and resistance to stress corrosion cracking. It also features some of the more commonly used methods and formulas by which the strengths of various structural elements or components are calculated. This particular online version has been produced by materials information specialists, Granta Designs. The text of the handbook is available as a series of PDF files. Please note that in May 2004 the United States Department of Defense issued a notice of cancellation for MIL-HDBK-5. Future acquisitions may refer to DOT/FAA/AR-MMPDS-01, Metallic Materials Properties Development and Standardization (MMPDS) but users are cautioned to evaluate this document for their particular application before using it as a replacement document.

Military Technical Academy

The Romanian Military Technical Academy trains engineer officers in technical specialties such as armament, missiles, aircraft, armour, electronics, computer systems, engineering and geodetics. This site provides information about the Academy and its educational process, events and admissions. Links are also provided to other Romanian resources and related sites. The site is also available in Romanian and French.

Ministry of Defence : Implementation of Integrated Project Teams : Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General

This provides access to a UK National Audit Office (NAO) Report HC 671 2001-2002, 14 March 2002. The report examines whether the transition to Integrated Project Teams (IPTs)is being managed effectively. Specifically it looks at whether IPT structures and processes have been successfully introduced; and whether the momentum of transition is being maintained through continued development of IPT leadership, resources and people. The text of the report is available on the NAO's web site in PDF format (791 KB).

Ministry of Defence: Battlefield Helicopters

This is the full text of a report published in April 2004 by the National Audit Office as HC 486 session 2003-4. It reviews the procurement of Chinook helicopters by the Ministry of Defence. Critical comments are made by the MOD procurement management. Reference is also made about poor provision of helicopter power in the British defence and armed forces. The report is in pdf and so readers need adobe acrobat to read it.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Multinational company with over 37,000 employees worldwide. It has 11 headquarters, each with a different specialism, including shipbuilding and Ocean Development, Power Systems, Nuclear Energy Systems and Aerospace Systems. Site gives company and product information including its annual report, financial statements and abstracts of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Technical Review. Site is also available in Japanese.

Molecular Nanotechnology in Aerospace : 1999

This web page provides online access to a NASA Ames Research Center report, prepared by Al Globus, published January 2000. The report presents a high-level discussion of molecular nanotechnology, and addresses potential aerospace applications including, computers, materials and sensors. A bibliographic description and abstract is available in HTML format. The full text can be accessed online in either HTML format (2 Mbytes) or PDF format (3.4 Mbytes). The document is contained in the Papers and Reports section of the NASA NAS Systems Division's web site.

MTU Aero Engines

This is the web site of German company MTU Aero Engines, it is available in both English and German, although certain parts of the site are restricted to German residents. The company manufactures engine modules and components, and complete aero engines and develops, manufactures and provides service support for military and civil aircraft engines. The site provides background information about the company, and detailed information about its products and services. This includes technical specifications and photographs of its commercial, military and industrial gas turbines. There are many full text PDF reports available in the Engineering News section of the site about production, development, compressors, turbines and others. The 'Special' section contains learning resources including 'How does a gas turbine work?', which is a description of the parts of a gas turbine and how they function, including video (Windows media player).

Nanotechnology Aerospace Applications

This is a NATO Research and Technology Organization (RTO) Educational Note, RTO-EN-AVT-129, Paris, December 2005. The material in this publication was assembled to support a Lecture Series under the sponsorship of the Applied Vehicle Technology Panel (AVT) presented on 9-10 May 2005 in Monterey, USA; 12-13 May 2005 in Montreal, Canada; 30-31 May 2005 in Ankara, Turkey; and 2-3 June 2005 in Brussels, Belgium. The Educational Notes contain the abstracts and the lecture material of ten presentations, which provide a general introduction into nanotechnologies with selected topics, such as nanotechnology fabrication, characterization, applications (lifestyle, defence, and aerospace), and commercialisation. The lectures show that nanotechnology is an enabling technology that will impact electronics and computing, materials and manufacturing, health, medicine, energy, transportation, and other areas. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, individual papers and the full text of the document (54.0 Mbytes) can be accessed online in PDF format.

NASA : Improving Flight

This site is part of the larger 'Life on Earth' NASA site which aims to show how NASA is contributing to research to understand and protect the planet. The improving flight part of the site provides more information on work being undertaken to advance military and civilian aircraft.

NASA Cost Estimating Handbook

This site provides the full text of the updated 2004 handbook in HTML format, accessible chapter-by-chapter. It is designed to provide useful information on cost estimating for the entire NASA cost estimating community. Its objective is to be both informative for the new NASA cost estimator and a good reference document for the experienced NASA cost estimator. Helpful to project Continuous Cost-Risk Management (CCRM) participants, who include Project Managers, Headquarters (HQ) staff, the resource community, and the systems engineering community, the information included in this handbook provides NASA-relevant perspectives and NASA-centric data useful in the NASA environment and facilitates the development of reliable, comprehensive, defensible, and well-documented cost estimates.

National Aerospace Technology Strategy Implementation Report

The United Kingdom's The Aerospace Innovation and Growth Team (AeGIT) report on the Future of the UK Aerospace Industry, (Executive Summary (Vol A), Overview Report (Vol B)) published in July 2003, recommended the establishment of a National Aerospace Technology Strategy (NATS) as a partnership between Government, Industry and Academia. This follow-up report, published in August 2004, defines the background, process and structures necessary for the implementation of the AeGiT's strategy. The Implementation Report recommends the establishment of Aerospace Innovation Networks to carry out focused research followed by validation carried out through Aerospace Technology Validation Programmes, all of which involve industry, university and research establishment partners supported through balanced and coordinated industry and government funding. Furthermore, the report outlines the organisational structure required to carry forward the Technology work programme, this being done through an Aerospace Technology Steering Group interacting with the R&T Sub Group of the National Defence Industry Council. The full text of the report is available for downloading from the AeIGT website

NDT.net : The Online Journal of Nondestructive Testing and Ultrasonics

This electronic journal has been published monthly since 1996. It provides free full text access to online articles and other features relating to non-destructive testing. In addition to the articles, it contains a variety of information resources including: exhibitions and events; web sites; Nondestructive Testing Encyclopedia; electronic discussion forum; and lists of books, journals, and conference proceedings. The archive can be searched or browsed. It contains full text articles and abstracts covering a range of aerospace related topics including: nondestructive inspection; ultrasonic imaging; and aging aircraft structures.

NLR Contribution to the PLANET Newsletter

This technical report (NLR-TP-2002-575) was published by NLR (the National Aerospace Laboratory of the Netherlands) in 2002 and was written by R. R. Selj饠and H. H. Hesselink. "AI Planning is a key enabling technology for intelligent systems. It increases the autonomy, flexibility, and robustness for a wide variety of application systems. These include web-based information and e-commerce systems, autonomous virtual and physical agents, and systems for the design and monitoring of production, management, and business processes. PLANET is the European co-ordinating organisation for research and development in the field of AI Planning and Scheduling. It aims to stimulate innovative research and development and to promote the industrial uptake of the technology" (mission statement of PLANET). PLANET publishes on a regular basis a newsletter that informs their community about recent and ongoing activities of the network. The NLR has contributed in the third issue of their newsletter by an article about planning activities at NLR. The content of this article is presented in this document. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available as a PDF file.

Nondestructive Evaluation of Superalloy Specimens with a Thermal Barrier Coating

This technical report (NLR-TP-2004-154) was published by NLR (the National Aerospace Laboratory of the Netherlands) in 2004 and was written by J. H. Heida. This paper describes an investigation into the applicability of NDE techniques for the inspection of superalloy specimens with a thermal barrier coating (TBC), both in unloaded condition and during constant load exposure at high temperatures (creep). More specifically, the eddy current (ET) and ultrasonic (UT) techniques were investigated for the characterisation of the TBC (at room temperature), while the acoustic emission (AE) technique was examined for the monitoring of the degradation incurred in the material during creep (at high temperature). Both uncoated and TBC specimens of single crystal and directionally solidified material were used in the investigation. The main conclusions of the investigation are: - The ET technique can be effectively used in the measurement of the coating thickness. The phase and the length of the lift-off response give information about the thickness of the bond coat and top coat, respectively. Differences in the bond and top coat thickness of about 20 μm can be distinguished (in the specific thickness range of interest). - The UT technique does not provide enough information about the thickness or the quality of the TBC. - The AE technique can be effectively used during creep testing to monitor the evolution of the material degradation, particularly in the coating layer of the TBC specimens. A distinctly different AE response was observed in the TBC specimens when creep tested at a different temperature (750 to 950ºC). A correlation between the number of AE events and the number of coating cracks was demonstrated. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Off Track? The Future of the European Defense Industry

This technical report (MG-144-OSD) was published by The RAND Corporation in 2004 and was written by Katia Vlachos-Dengler. With the Western European defense industry virtually reduced to four major players, what will its role be in the global defense industry? The author provides an overview of the market; describes the players, their activities, and their partnerships; and explores the market�s driving factors. She posits alternative scenarios by examining these factors and traces the implication of the scenarios for the progress of defense industrial cooperation. She concludes that the industry is in difficulty and suggests areas of change to improve the industry�s outlook. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

On-Wing Testing of Large Turbofan Engines : Final Report

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report, DOT/FAA/AR-03/32, by William T. Westfield, Ed Lynch, Mark Muller and Jagdeep Tahliani, dated May 2003. This report addresses the issue of on-wing testing of large turbofan engines used in transport aircraft. The full text of the report is available in PDF format, from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Operational Evaluation of Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS)

This final report (NASA/CR-1998-207409; DOT/FAA/AR-97/64; ARL-CR-420) was published by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in April 1998, and was written by J. Cronkhite et al. This report describes the results of a research program to evaluate structural usage monitoring and damage tolerance methodology using data collected concurrently during a helicopter flight program. In addition to usage monitoring evaluations, guidelines for HUMS certification are discussed along with potential economic benefits and simplified "mini-HUMS" approaches to provide low cost systems with high paybacks [extracted from FAA abstract]. This is a PDF file [57 pages, 1Mb] so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Opportunities for Systems Engineering to Contribute to Durability and Damage Tolerance of Hybrid Structures for Airframes

This gives access to a Rand Organization technical report written by Jean R. Gebman and published in 2008. The structures making up airframes must be durable and damage tolerant, and the means of ensuring that they are have long been well defined for structures made of metal. But a host of new hybrid materials, some of which contain no metal, are now being used, and these can present new damage mechanisms that engineers must address. The Air Force has established a general approach to airframe durability and damage tolerance. The author examines that approach and considers ways it will need to adapt for the new materials. Given the variety of materials, processes, and end uses involved, the engineering effort will necessarily involve multiple specialties. In these circumstances, the tailoring process could benefit from the efforts of systems engineers. The report addresses both technical and programmatic concerns and identifies opportunities for materials and structural engineers to collaborate with systems engineers. Finally, it offers a framework for collaboration. [Taken from abstract]. The full report is available in PDf format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Order Stability in Supply Chains : Coordination Risk and the Role of Coordination Stock

This working paper (ESD-WP-2004-04) was published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division in November 2004 and was written by Rachel Croson, Karen Donohue, Elena Katok and John Sterman. The bullwhip effect describes the tendency for the variance of orders in supply chains to increase as one moves upstream from consumer demand. Previous research attributes this phenomenon to both operational and behavioral causes. Operational causes are features of the institutional setting that lead rational agents to amplify changes in demand, while behavioral causes arise from suboptimal decisionmaking. This paper examines causes of the bullwhip through experiments with a serial supply chain, using the Beer Distribution Game. A new behavioral cause of the bullwhip, coordination risk, is proposed. This arises when players place excessive orders to address the perceived risk that others will not behave optimally. Two strategies aimed at mitigating coordination risk are tested; holding additional on-hand inventory, and creating common knowledge by informing participants of the optimal policy. [Taken from abstract]. This paper is in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Outgassing Data for Selecting Spacecraft Materials Online

This site features a database of outgassing data of materials intended for spacecraft use, obtained at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Materials Engineering Branch, and utilising equipment developed at Stanford Research Institue (SRI) under contract to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The site provides a system description, and the possibility to download the entire Outgassing database. The Outgassing Materials Search function provides the capabilility to search all across materials tested at GSFC for determining the mass loss in a vacuum and for collecting the outgassed products. A Manufacturer Lookup allows to search on manufacturer name or code, or to browse the manufacturer list. There are also category and alphabetical listings and a report documentation page.

Overview of Human Factors in Aviation Maintenance

This provides access to an Australian Transport Safety Bureau Research and Analysis Report No.AR2008055 written by Alan Hobbs and dated December 2008. Maintenance is essential to aviation safety, yet improper maintenance contributes to a significant proportion of aviation accidents and incidents. This is because a small percentage of maintenance tasks are performed incorrectly or are omitted due to human error. Examples include parts installed incorrectly, missing parts, and the omission of necessary checks. While precise statistics are unavailable, it is likely that the great majority of maintenance errors are inconsequential, however, a small proportion present significant safety threats. In comparison to many other threats to aviation safety, the mistakes of maintenance personnel can be more difficult to detect, and have the potential to remain latent, affecting the safe operation of aircraft for longer periods of time. While acknowledging that maintenance personnel are responsible for their actions, it must also be recognised that, in many cases, the errors of maintenance technicians are the visible manifestation of problems with roots deep in the organisation. A careful examination of each error, combined with a preparedness to inquire into why the error occurred, can help to identify underlying organisational problems. Effective countermeasures to maintenance error require a systemic approach, not only towards issues at the level of the technician and their work environment, but also to organisational factors such as procedures, task scheduling and training. Some countermeasures to the threat of maintenance error are directed at reducing the probability of error through improvements to training, equipment, the work environment and other conditions. A second, complementary, approach is to acknowledge that despite the best efforts, it is not possible to eliminate all maintenance errors, and countermeasures must be put in place to make systems more resilient to those residual maintenance errors that are not prevented. Aviation organisations are increasingly introducing safety management systems (SMS) that go beyond legal compliance with rules and regulations, and instead emphasise continual improvement through the identification of hazards and the management of risk. The activities involved in managing the risk of maintenance error can be appropriately included within the SMS approach. Key activities include internal incident reporting and investigation systems, human factors awareness for maintenance personnel, and the continual identification and treatment of uncontrolled risks. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Parametric Estimating Handbook

The International Society of Parametric Analysis (ISPA) was one of the contributors to the third edition of the Parametric Estimating Initiative (PEI) Parametric Estimating Handbook. The third edition was sponsored by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) and Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA). This page provides links to the final version of the third edition of the Handbook

Pay and Performance in UK Aerospace

This provides access to the text of a report prepared by Marc Thompson and Donna Butttigieg, Templeton College, University of Oxford. The report was produced as part of the People Management Practices and Business Performance initiative, and presents further analysis from a survey sponsored by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in association with the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC). The study forms part of the Competitiveness Challenge, and the text of the report is available in PDF format from the Templeton College web site.

People Management : Skills, Training and Business Performance in the Aerospace Sector

This provides access to the text of a report prepared by Marc Thompson, Templeton College, University of Oxford. The report was produced as part of the People Management Practices and Business Performance initiative, and presents further analysis from a survey sponsored by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in association with the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC). The report explores training and skill development for non-management employees in the wider context of both business strategy and business performance. The study forms part of the Competitiveness Challenge, and the text of the report is available in PDF format from the Templeton College, High Performance Work Organizations in Aerospace Program web site.

People Management in Aerospace : Report Summary

The report presents an assessment of how effective UK aerospace businesses are in managing people, and the impact of better human resouce management on organisational performance. It presents a detailed audit of people management practice and sets out a people management agenda for the industry. The study was jointly commissioned by the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), as part of the Competitiveness Challenge Programme. The study was conducted by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES). The text of the report is available in PDF format from the SBAC's web site.

Persistent and Critical Issues in the Nation�s Aviation and Aeronautics Enterprise

This report was released by the Aerospace Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Washington, DC, November 2003. A Steering Committee consisting of members of key United States engineering and aerospace associations was asked by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to provide the engineering community's perspective on prioritizing technologies critical to the long-term health of the nations's civil and military aviation and aeronautics technology enterprise. This statement summarises the Steering Committee�s findings and recommendations. It includes an overview of cross-cutting technology and policy issues, as well as individual sections covering aerodynamics, aircraft propulsion, avionics and embedded information technology, flight mechanics and control, information technology in design, and structures and materials. The text is available in PDF format. Useful tables and figures include Uninhabited Air Vehicles (UAV) Project Count, by Country of Development; National Aeronautics and Space Administration Aeronautics R&T Funding; U.S. Department of Defense Aeronautics R&T Funding; Aerospace Engineering Degrees Awarded; Graduate Degrees In Aeronautical Engineering, U.S. and Foreign; and a List of Recent X-plane Prototype Programmes.

Phoenix Aerospace Inc

Phoenix Aerospace is a world class leader in airborne power conversions, distribution and regulation equipment based in Kansas City Missouri USA. Their products, which include transverters and voltage regulators, have been accepted and used worldwide by leading airframe manufacturers for over a quarter of a century. These include state-of-the-art electronic components and circuitry proven reliable by millions of flight hours in a wide variety of high production commercial and military fixed-wing and rotary wing aircraft. Supplemental type certificats (STCs) are available to view in PDF format and video showing their production is also available on the website as well as product information and a buyers guide.

Pilotportal.com : Airpage database

Produced by a commercial sales company, the Pilotportal.com site is predominantly an online clothes and accessories store for aviators. However, the Airpage database contains physical specifications, performance data and historical notes on over 950 aeroplanes. Flight test information, photographs and aircraft listings are provided, and the database is searchable by manufacturer.

POD Assessment of NDI Procedures Using a Round Robin Test

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD report, AGARD-R-809, dated January 1995. Under the auspices of the AGARD Structures and Materials Panel R&D Cooperation Program, a round-robin NDI demonstration has been carried out. Six laboratories in four NATO countries participated in the project. The aim of the project was to determine the sensitivity and reliability of NDI procedures presently employed by the participating laboratories and to establish whether or not the procedures would be adequate for the implementation of a damage-tolerance based maintenance approach or whether improved methods are required. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (5.96 MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Policy Issues in Aerospace Offsets

This is the full text of a workshop organised by the National Research Council Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy. The workshop examined the various pressures facing US companies to grant offsets in the the face of increasing global competition in both defence and commercial aerospace markets. The contents include an overview of the offsets issue, direct and indirect offsets, technical dimensions of national security, impacts on key suppliers and sub-tier producers, implications for employment. The proceedings of the workshop were published by National Academy Press in 1997.

Practices and Perspectives in Outsourcing Aircraft Maintenance : Final Report

This technical report (DOT/FAA/AR-02/122) was produced by the Aviation Research office of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in March 2003 and was written by Edward Czepiel. The objective of this study was to identify the most common criteria that airlines use to select, monitor, and assess the performance of third-party maintenance facilities. These criteria formed the basis to develop performance measures and risk indicators for the operation of aviation maintenance repair stations. In particular, this study focused on outsourcing of major maintenance to larger repair stations. A limited data collection effort was conducted by interviewing representatives from both airlines and repair stations, primarily in their respective quality assurance departments. The most important measures and risk indicators are grouped into three areas. The most important measures for repair station capabilities include training of employees, experience level of employees, and tools and test equipment of the repair station. The most important measures for repair station performance include audit procedures, ability to meet turn times, number of work discrepancies, suspected unapproved part(s) and certification infractions of the repair station. The most important measures for repair station administration include the financial status of the repair station and change in management of the repair station. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it. The full text of the report is available in PDF format, from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture

Published twelve times a year, the Journal of Engineering Manufacture is a forum for the communication of ideas and methods presently in use at the forefront of technology in the field of manufacturing. It contains papers on all aspects of engineering manufacturing, technological and scientific research, developments and management implementation in manufacturing. The scope is wide, covering research, knowledge management, sustainable development, clean manufacturing, nanotechnology, high speed machining, product introduction processes, virtual enterprises, disassembly and logistics. The site provides contents information for the journal. If you wish to view full text check with your library to see if they have a subscription.

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part C: Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science

Published twelve times a year, the Journal of Mechanical Engineering Sciences is a forum for the communication of ideas and methods presently in use at the forefront of technology in the field of engineering science. It contains papers on all aspects of mechanical engineering and its application to the solution of problems in mechanical systems, machines and components. Main focus is the demonstration of engineering science solutions to specific industrial problems. The site provides contents information for the journal. If you wish to view full text check with your library to see if they have a subscription.

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part E: Journal of Process Mechanical Engineering

Published four times a year, the Journal of Process Mechanical Engineering is a forum for the communication of ideas and methods presently in use at the forefront of technology in the field of mechanical engineering associated with the design and operation of process equipment. It contains papers on all aspects of design, pressure vessels and piping, equipment and components, ventilation and refrigeration and many more. Additionally, the impact design on the overall performance of the industrial enterprise, including efficiency, quality sustainability and waste management is an important feature of the journal. The site provides contents information for the journal. If you wish to view full text check with your library to see if they have a subscription.

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part G : Journal of Aerospace Engineering

Published six times a year, the Journal of Aerospace Engineering is a forum for the communication of ideas and methods presently in use at the forefront of technology in the field of aerospace engineering. It contains papers on both theoretical and practical aspects of all types of civil and military aircraft and spacecraft and their support systems. The scope is wide, covering research, design, development, production, operation, servicing and repair, components and auxiliary equipment, safety and reliability. The site provides contents information for the journal. If you wish to view full text check with your library to see if they have a subscription.

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part L: Journal of Materials: Design and Applications

Published four times a year, the Journal of Materials: Design and Application, is a forum for the communication of ideas and methods presently in use at the forefront of technology in the field of materials science. This journal is addressing a whole range of materials engineering and technology, which includes metallic materials, polymers, composites and ceramics. In addition, metal matrix composites and ceramic matrix composites are part of the portfolio. The site provides contents information for the journal. If you wish to view full text check with your library to see if they have a subscription.

Progress Through Partnership : 12 - Defence and Aerospace

This web site provides access to one of a series of reports published as part of the first UK Technology Foresight programme, in March 1995. The Defence and Aerospace Panel report describes the strategic issues and priorities which emerged from an extensive programme of analysis and consultation. The report presents a series of furture market scenarios, along with a set of key technical priorities and recommendations. The sectors covered in the report include: defence, civil aerospace, and space. The full text is available in HTML format.

R&D Intensive Businesses in the UK

This is UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Economics Paper No. 11, published in March 2005. The UK Government?s ten-year framework for investment in science and innovation, published in 2004, set a challenging target for a step-change in levels of Research and Development (R&D) in the British economy. This paper is part of the DTI's evolving assessment of the UK's science, technology and innovation performance. It forms part of a broader annual assessment by the Government of the UK?s performance across the full range of outputs and attributes of the UK?s science and innovation system. The paper shows that along with pharmaceuticals, the aerospace industry is one of most R&D intensive sectors within UK manufacturing. The text of the paper is available in PDF format (288 KB).

Recent Trends in US Aeronautics Research and Technology

This is the full text (in HTML) of a report published by the National Academy Press in 2000. The report is produced by the Committee on Strategic Assessment of US Aeronautics, National Research Council. It is possible to search the text of the report, or alternatively view a listing of sections and select which one to view.

Reliability and Maintainability Flight Test Techniques

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD AGARDographs report, AGARD-AG-300-13 , dated February 1995. This AGARDograph outlines the rudiments of reliability and maintainability (R&M) evaluations conducted during initial flight test programs. Many organizations, both military and civilian, prefer to defer R&M evaluations until the new equipment has been delivered to the eventual user. The U.S. Air Force Flight Test Center has long conducted R&M evaluations during initial flight test and has found value in that process. This document discusses, first, the objectives of the early evaluations. Then, the acquisition process and the test planning process, as they relate to R&M evaluations, are presented. The test planning section discusses the data needed for a successful R&M evaluation and the sources of such data. The conduct of the test, analysis of results, and subsequent reporting methods are delineated. Follow-up actions that are needed after the test are considered. In conclusion, the document lists some R&M considerations for the future. A table of contents, and the full text (11.17 MB)of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Reliability of Progress Curves in Airframe Production

This technical report (RM-260-1) was published by The RAND Corporation in 1950 and was written by Armen Albert Alchian. This report presents a statistical study of the reliability of a given function for certain types of estimates in the aircraft industry and Air Force. It is indisputable that lower direct labor costs occur as the number of items produced increases. Questions can be raised, however, about the specifics of planning, estimating, and forecasting using this function. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

Review of Damage Tolerance for Composite Sandwich Airframe Structures : Final Report

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report, DOT/FAA/AR-99/49, by J. Tomblin and others, dated August 1999. The report presents a review of previous damage tolerance investigations. It includes a compilation of damage tolerance certification procedures; a survey of past and current airframe industry sandwich constructions; and recommendations for future research. The full text of the report is available in PDF format from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

RFT Systems

RFT Systems is a UK based engineering consultancy specialising in engineering conditioning systems for both aircraft and avionics. For example, it provides solutions for aircraft mechanical systems and thermal analysis of avionic equipment or complete aircraft Environmental Control Systems (ECS). Its strengths lie in equipment selection and qualification, systems analysis, testing and certification and engineering and design support. The site provides information and news about the company and contact details.

Rojac Tooling Technologies

Rojac is a supplier of modelwork, pattern equipment and mould tooling systems to a worldwide market within the automotive, aerospace, motorsport and marine sectors. The company specialises in CAD/CAM, 3 and 5 axis CNC machining, prototype and production moulds, compression moulds, RTM, superplastic form, stretch form, jigs, fixtures, VAC form, preform, S RIM, PU Foam and GRP tooling. The site describes the company's capabilities and provides access to a demonstration version of the company's customer forum, which allows customers to check on the progress of their orders.

Rolls-Royce Defence Aerospace

Rolls-Royce is a high technology engineering group involved in the aerospace and industrial power systems industries. It provides products and services to commercial and military customers in propulsion, electrical power and materials handling markets around the world. Rolls-Royce provides power to the world's armed forces for applications ranging from front line combat aircraft and large military transporters to combat and light helicopters. This part of their site provides details of their military product range which include turbofans, turboshafts and turboprops fact sheets with detailed drawings and specifications of the products can also be downloaded. Details are available about market trends and customer services. The rest of the Rolls-Royce site can be reached from here, which contains information about civil aerospace, marine, energy and investor relations. Careers information and the latest news is also available.

Rolls-Royce Outlook 2003/4

This outlook covers global demand for commercial aircraft and engines for airline and business operation throughout the world. This includes cargo and passenger use, regional and mainline airlines, and business jets. These markets require an average of 2,000 aircraft deliveries each year, generating an engine market worth $510bn over the next 20 years. This page provides the document in both PDF and Word formats as well as several updates.

Saab Group

The Saab Group is an international company specialising in aviation, space and defence. The site describes the companies business units, and provides investor information, key financial statistics, details of job opportunities. A searchable database of all products produced by the Saab Group is available. This includes the Gripen fighter, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and the Saab 340 and 2000 family of commercial aircraft. There is also a publications database which provides access to the annual report, brochures and the in-house magazine. Documents are available in PDF format. In addition, there is a history of the Saab company, contact details, information on the press releases, as well as an image and a movie bank.

Scoping Aerospace. Tracking Federal Procurement and R&D Spending in the Aerospace Sector

This technical report (TR-263-OSD) was published by The RAND Corportation in 2005 and was written by Thor Hogan, Donna Fossum, Dana J. Johnson and Lawrence S. Painter. Assesses the scope of external federal spending in the aerospace industry from 1993 to 2003 by tracking all government aerospace procurement and research and development (R&D) expenditures from 1993 to 2003. The report finds evidence of a clear downward trend in federal aerospace procurement and R&D expenditures during the decade. [Taken from abstract]. This is a PDF file, so Adobe Acrobat software is required in order to read it.

Shear Stress-Strain Data for Structural Adhesives : Final Report

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report, DOT/FAA/AR-02/97, by John Tomblin, Waruna Seneviratne, Paulo Escobar, and Yap Yoon-Khian, dated November 2002. The main objective of this investigation was to generate characteristic shear responses for several adhesives used for aerospace structural bonding applications. The full text of the report is available in PDF format, from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Shield Degradation Effects of Loosened Connector Backshells of Aircraft Wiring Harnesses

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report DOT/FAA AR-04/14 by J.B. O�Loughlin and S.R. Skinner dated October 2004. Backshells of aircraft wiring harness connectors were loosened by percent torque and by degree turns to study the degrading effects on the electrical characteristics of the shielding these connectors provide. For the two types of backshells studied, both became visually loose before any significant increase in harness loop resistance was measured. Therefore, careful visual inspection can detect and pinpoint the source of shield degradation before a significant increase in electrical shield loop resistance is measurable. However, a check for backshell visual looseness and hand looseness is only possible if the wiring harness connector backshells are visually and physically accessible on the aircraft. Otherwise, loop resistance measurements on any accessible part of the harness, performed by a skilled operator, can detect shield degradation but cannot pinpoint the location or source of the problem. Due to the variance found in the test results between the two different types of backshells studied in this report, a further study is recommended in order to recommend maintenance procedures for a wide variety of aircraft connector backshells. In addition to electrical loop resistance measurement techniques used to indicate the looseness of a connector backshell, visually loose and hand loose methods are also explicitly defined and studied in this report. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the report is available in PDF format from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Side Load Factor Statistics From Commercial Aircraft Ground Operations : Final Report

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report, DOT/FAA/AR-02/129, by Daniel O. Tipps, John Rustenburg and Donald Skinn, dated January 2003. The primary objective of this research is to support the FAA�s Operational Loads Monitoring Research by developing new and improved methods and criteria for processing and presenting commercial transport airplane flight and ground loads usage data.The full text of the report is available in PDF format, from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center library

Small Business Innovation Research to Support Aging Aircraft : Priority Technical Areas and Process Improvements

This electronic book was published by the U.S Committee on Small Business Innovation Research to Support Aging Aircraft, National Materials Advisory Board, National Resarch Council in 2001. It reports the results of a study to determine how Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)programmes can be used more effectively to develop and implement technologies to improve the cost-effectiveness of maintenance and operation of aging aircraft. It is available in HTML and PDF format.

Small gas turbines for helicopters and surface transport

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-LS-46, dated May 1971. This Lecture Series is sponsored by the Propulsion and Energetics Panel and the Consultant and Exchange Program. In view of the increasing interest in Small Gas Turbines for the propulsion of surface vehicles, it was felt appropriate by AGARD Propulsion and Energetics Panel to set up a team of selected experts from various NATO nations to present a series of lectures on this subject. After a survey of the field of application for Small Gas Turbines, to replace reciprocating engines for helicopters and surface vehicles propulsion, the present state-of-the-art will be reviewed together with problems related to reliability, life time, pollution regulation, weight and volume according to various applications. Conventional and advanced cycles (cycle of Nernst cycle with heat exchange) will be compared. A description of components (compressors, combustion chamber, turbines, nozzles, shafts with various configurations) will be followed by a review of industrial and technological problems. The use of Small Gas Turbines for power generation, auxiliary stand by or emergency power plant is then presented. The last paper will be a Survey of Future Possible Developments and performance improvements (mixed diesel and turbines - use of high temperature materials). A round table discussion with the participation of all the speakers will conclude the Lecture Series which will be presented in four different NATO nations (France, UK, Canada and USA) from 21 June to 2 July 1971. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents and the full text (36.91MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Smiths Aerospace Components Burnley Limited

The company specialise in the field of design, test, manufacture and service of gas turbine fuel injection systems and related combustion components. The site provides information about the company's products and services arranged under under eight main headings: design analysis, repairs, instruments, small batch manufacturing, injectors, high volume fabrications, testing and test rigs. Other sections of the site include details of environmental policies, current initiatives, and job vacancies.

Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC)

The Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) is the internationally recognised trade association for the UK aerospace industry. The site provides information about the Society, its activities, boards and committees, membership and a members capability matrix (PDF). On the home page the latest news and events are listed and there is also access to archives, which can be searched, of press releases and news items. There is a media centre that provides the full text of annual reviews and UK aerospace facts and figures back to 1998 along with frequently asked questions and a glossary where you can suggest terms. Please note, some content and pages within this website are for SBAC website members only and require registration and login to access them.

Society of British Aerospace Companies Annual Reviews

The site provides access to the text of the SBAC's Annual Review reports from 1998. The Review contains a summary of SBAC activities and programmes, and provides a snapshot of the UK aerospace industry. A number of statistical analyses are presented. The review also includes a list of SBAC officers and council members. The text of each Review is available in PDF format. Please note, some content and pages within this website are for SBAC website members only and require registration and login to access them.

Society of British Aerospace Industries : Best Practice Centre

The SBAC's Best Practice Centre is an online service for disseminating a range of public and privileged knowledge on best practices and working processes to the UK Aerospace Industry. The site provides background details of key initiatives such as the Lean Aerospace Initiative (UKLAI), Supply Chain Relationships in Action (SCRIA), Skills and People Management and, the E-Business programme. Some of the resources on the site require registration to view and are only available to recognised UK aerospace companies.

Society of British Aerospace Industries : Members Capability Guide

This guide, which is in PDF (171.8 KB) format, details the core competencies of SBAC members. The information is presented in the form of a matrix which presents an alphabetical listing of activities cross-referenced with the names of the companies that provide the service. Contact details of each company are also provided. Please note, access to some content and pages is limited to SBAC website members only.

Statistical Process Control: An Application in Aircraft Maintenance Management

This is the full text of a thesis by Bradley A. Beabout which was presented to the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) in 2003. Maintenance management at the 135th Airlift Wing, Maryland Air National Guard desires a visualization tool for their maintenance performance metrics. Currently they monitor their metrics via an electronic spreadsheet. They desire a tool that presents the performance information in a graphical manner. This thesis effort focuses on the development of a visualization tool utilizing two of the seven tools offered by Statistical Process Control (SPC). This research demonstrates the application of p-charts and Pareto diagrams in the aircraft maintenance arena. P-charts are used for displaying mission capable (MC) rates and flying scheduling effectiveness (FSE) rates. Pareto diagrams are then used to highlight which aircraft subsystems are affecting those two performance indicators. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the thesis is available in PDF format and is provided by the Air University ResearchWeb site.

Strain gauge measurements on aircraft, volume 7

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-AG-160-VOL-7, dated April 1976. Various subjects related to the application of strain gauges to aircraft structures were presented. These include: (1) introductory discussion, (2) physical properties of strain gauges, (3) measurement of resistance changes in strain guages, (4) error estimation for strain gauges with metallic measuring grids, (5) types of strain guages, (6) applications of strain gauges for static and dynamic short and long term measurements under normal conditions, (7) strain gauges for special applications, (8) use of strain gauges under extreme environmental conditions, (9) instrumentation of two VAK 191 B aircraft with flight load measuring systems. For individual titles, see N76-25581 through N76-25589. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (7.41MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Structural design applications of mathematical programming techniques

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-AG-149, dated February 1971. The Structures and Materials Panel of the Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development (AGARD) comprises scientists , engineers and technical administrators from government, universities and industry, who are concerned with the advancement of aerospace research and development and with the provision of data necessary for the design and fabrication of the vehicles and equipment which NATO requires. The panel provides a mechanism for discussion, the exchange of information and for conducting co-operative theoretical and experimental studies in selected areas. This volume describes the present state of development of the use of mathematical programming techniques in the optimum design of aerospace and similar structures. Although optimization with respect to cost is considered when possible, the main emphasis is on the minimization of weight, due to the overwhelming importance of this parameter in aerospace applications, and also due to the fact that it is one of the few merit functions that can be defined with reasonable precision. The use of mathematical modelling techniques in the selection of materials is also discussed to the limited extent meaningful at the present time. This report is divided into four main sections. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents and the full text (16.19MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Structural Health Monitoring and Detection of Progressive and Existing Damage using Artificial Neural Networks-Based System Identification

This is a North Carolina State University (NCSU), Department of Electrical Engineering PhD dissertation, by Soheil Saadat, dated 25th February, 2003. This dissertation presents a novel "Intelligent Parameter Varying" (IPV) health monitoring and damage detection technique that accurately detects the existence, location, and time of damage occurrence without any assumptions about the constitutive nature of structural non-linearities. This technique combines the advantages of parametric techniques with the non-parametric capabilities of artificial neural networks by incorporating artificial neural networks into a traditional parametric model. This IPV technique is demonstrated using a lumped-mass structural model with an embedded array of artificial neural networks. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. The full text of the document is accessible online in PDF format [52.84 Mb]. This title is part of North Carolina State University's Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) Collection

Sustainable Aviation

A comprehensive programme for long-term reductions in aviation�s impact on the environment has been launched by Britain�s leading airlines, airports, aerospace manufacturers and air navigation service providers. This pioneering initiative, unique in global aviation, commits UK companies to a joint strategy aimed at delivering radical cuts in carbon dioxide emissions, nitrogen oxide emissions and aircraft noise over the next 15 years. The �Sustainable Aviation� strategy sets up mechanisms for monitoring and regular reporting of progress towards a range of specific objectives which include: improving fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions by 50 per cent per seat kilometre by 2020 compared with 2000 levels; improving air quality by reducing nitrogen oxide emissions by 80 per cent over the same period; lowering the perceived external noise of new aircraft by 50 per cent by 2020 compared with their 2000 equivalents; establishing a common system for the reporting of total CO2 emissions and fleet fuel efficiency by the end of 2005, and pressing for aviation�s inclusion in the EU emissions trading scheme at the earliest possible date; new airport plans for community-related noise limitations, including landing and take-off restrictions where necessary. A summary of the Sustainable Aviation initiative strategy document is available in PDF format.

System Reliability Center (SRC)

Alion Science and Technology Corporation operates SRC as a technical focal point for information, data, analysis, training and technical assistance in the engineering fields of Reliability, Maintainability, Supportability, and Quality (RMSQ). The web site describes the SRC's products and services which include publications, databases, training, distance lerarning, consultancy and software. The information resources section includes the R&M Library, a searchable database containing references to relevant articles and other documents. Other information resources include several directories that provide details of software tools, a catalogue of government and industry Reliability, Maintainability, Supportability, and Quality (RMSQ) standards, and information on the various Standards Developing Organizations (SDO's), and a listing of links to sites of related interest. Other resources available from the site include an events calendar, the SRC's quarterly technical journal, and START, a current awareness publication.

The Changing Structure of the Global Large Civil Aircraft Industry and Market : Implications for the Competitiveness of the U.S. Industry

Published in 1998 by the U.S. International Trade Commission as publication 3143 this report addresses structural changes in the global large civil aircraft (LCA) industry and market during 1992-97 that have affected the competitive position of the U.S. industry, including the Boeing-McDonnell Douglas merger; the restructuring of Airbus Industrie, the emergence of Russian LCA producers; the possibility of Asian parts suppliers forming joint ventures and consortia to manufacture complete airframes; the emergence of markets for regional and jumbo jets; and issues involving Open Skies agreements and free flight systems. It is available in full text in PDF format.

The characterization and application of materials

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-LS-51, dated May 1971. This is a lecture series edited by the Structures and Materials Panel and the Consultant and Exchange Programme of AGARD. The Lecture Series will begin with a discussion of the systems approach to the selection and application of materials, to be given by Dr Robert Maddin. The second in the series will be given by Dr Walter S.Owen and will be primarily concerned with the characterization, selection and use of high strength steels. The third lecture will be given by Dr Joseph Pask and will be concerned with the characterization, selection and uses of ceramic materials. The fourth in the series will be given by Professor Wippler and will cover the characterization, selection and use of polymeric materials. Dr Kelly will present the fifth lecture which will deal with characterization, selection and use of composite materials. The last lecture will cover two fields of special interest to aerospace: aluminium alloys and titanium, their characterization and selection aspects. This lecture will be divided into two parts and will be presented by Mr Syre for the titanium, and by Mr Tigeot for the aluminium alloys part of the paper. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents and the full text (25.52 MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

The Composite Materials Handbook

The site is maintained by the MIL-17 organisation in order to disseminate and share information on composite materials. The site is primarily concerned with supporting the use of MIL-HDBK-17. This handbook is jointly produced by the Department of Defence and the Federal Aviation Administration. It documents engineering methodologies for the development of standardised, statistically-based material property data for polymer matrix composites. It also provides selected guidance on materials selection, materials specification, material processing, design, analysis, quality control, and repair of typical polymer matrix composite materials. The site describes the content of the volumes, a user's forum, links to related documents, and instructions on how to obtain copies of the handbook. Please note that the text of MIL-HDBK-17/1-5 are available online from the Assist-Quick Search web site.

The Emerging Airline Industry

A joint study by A T Kearney and the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) on whether the business model for commercial aviation has changed permanently post 9/11. A 12-week study of the airline industry took place, beginning in July 2002 at the Farnborough International Airshow covering research, analyses and interviews with over 50 aviation leaders in government and sectors of the industry (operators, manufacturers, suppliers and airport authorities). Generally, the findings reveal that the primary impact of September 11 was a significant acceleration of existing trends (trends that include the ongoing global economic slowdown, a continued concern over terrorism, the parking of large numbers of aircraft in the desert, and a rise in low-cost airlines). This last trend was creating a strong buyers� market for aircraft and thereby causing a significant drop in the price of new and used aircraft. It concludes that the supply chain is unlikely to recover before 2004 or 2005. The full-text of the report is available in PDF from the A.T. Kearney web site.

The Impact of Global Aerospace Consolidation on UK Suppliers

This provides access to the text of a report prepared by ATKearney, in association with the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC). The report highlights a number of challenges currently facing UK aerospace suppliers including: redefined supply chains, global competition, and the need for self-financed R&D. The document is available from the SBAC web site in PDF (677 Kb) format.

The Status of Lean Thinking in UK Lean Aerospace Initiative (UK-LAI) Supply Chains : a Survey

This study was carried out as part of the UK Lean Aerospace Initative (UK-LAI) programme by Alan Harrison, Jane Pavitt and Jennifer Alexander of Cranfield University's School of Management, in January 2002. It presents some of the results of a survey, undertaken in the summer of 2001, to ascertain the types of supply chain practices and behaviours in the UK aerospace industry, while at the same time identifying the link between supply chain strategy and corporate strategy of individual organisations. It also aims to identify where the UK aerospace industry sits in terms of development of lean supply chains. The text is available in PDF format.

The True Cost of Subcontracting Work to Low Cost Economies

This study was prepared by Bravura Consulting on behalf of the Farnborough Aerospace Consortium Ltd (FAC) with the assistance of a grant from the South East of England Development Agency (SEEDA), and published in March 2004. It investigates the true costs related to sourcing aerospace products and services from the Low Cost Sources (LCS) or New Procurement Markets. It has six major objectives: Establish the current situation with regard to Low Cost Sources; Identify the major factors influencing the transfer of work to low cost sources; Determine buyer intentions regarding further transfer of work to Low Cost Sources; Determine additional factors and costs affecting sourcing decisions; Identify the implications of continued subcontracting to Low Cost Sources; and Develop a sourcing model which allows a true cost of acquisition to be estimated. The report demonstrates the outcome of each of these objectives to show the true cost and implications of subcontracting to low cost countries. The full report and an executive summary are available for downloading in PDF format from the FAC web site.

The US Jet Transport Industry Competition, Regulation, and Global Market Factors Affecting US Producers

This U.S. Department of Commerce study (available in PDF full-text on the Leeham Company archives section of their website) responds to a request by Congress to examine market developments and government policies influencing the competitiveness of the United States jet transport aircraft industry. The report focuses primarily on U.S. and European manufacturers of civil jet transports with 100 seats or more (referred to as large civil aircraft or LCA), as well as of the engines and major subsystems for those aircraft. The report highlights the significant challenges facing the U.S. aerospace industry and the role government policies have on the competitiveness of U.S. industry. U.S. commercial aerospace companies involved in production of LCA have lost significant market share over the last 25 years to their European competitors. For the first time in history, in 2003 the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus delivered more commercial aircraft than Boeing and it did so again in 2004. U.S. manufacturers of aircraft engines have experienced similar losses of global market share to their European competitors. U.S.

The Use of In-Service Inspection Data in the Performance Measurement of Non-Destructive Inspections

This report (RTO-TR-AVT-051) was published by the Research and Technology Organisation (RTO) in March 2005 by Alan Berens et al. Most available non-destructive inspection (NDI) reliability data results from analyses under laboratory or simulated in-service conditions. Adding analyses of in-service NDI findings could improve NDI. There is no organized process whereby in service data are collated for NDI reliability studies. The extent of this data and its usefulness to the NDI reliability program was analysed and processes for collection were defined as well as analytical methods to calculate NDI reliability from in-service data. Findings: One major contribution is a detailed summary of the close relationship between NDI, fracture mechanics and airworthiness including an important review of the statistical basis for many of current approaches to inspection. NDI maintenance records were reviewed for their usability to pooling of data from different sources in order to obtain statistically significant numbers. It was concluded that such records vary considerably in quality and fidelity and specific recommendations for improvement were made. Of the three approaches for using in-service inspection data to characterize the capability of an inspection system two aiming at characterizing NDI capability in terms of the probability of detection were rejected (POD) because in maintenance too many cracks of a detectable size are not detected rendering the basis data unreliable. A third approach summing inspection results in terms of the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of the sizes of the detected cracks does provide information about the capability of the NDI system in the in-service environment. The CDF does not directly yield the reliably detectable crack size (at a given confidence level) but it gives a first estimate of this size. [Taken from abstract]. The full document is available as an FTP file, or each chapter may be viewed individually.

THERMOD Composite Airframe Temperature Prediction Tool Evaluation, Validation, and Enhancement With Initial Steady-State Temperature Data

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report DOT/FAA/AR-04/30 by L. Scott Miller, James Waltner, Tejas Mazmudar, Monal Merchant, and John Tomblin dated September 2004. General aviation aircraft airframe temperatures can reach extreme levels while parked on the ground, depending on ambient conditions (e.g., temperature and solar radiation) and airframe construction (e.g., material types, geometry, and paint color). The implications of this situation are extremely important to understand since composite aircraft structural limits are dependent on the airframe temperatures. The THERMOD computer code predicts both steady-state and transient airframe temperatures based on a comprehensive range of factors, including those mentioned above. Unfortunately, however, the THERMOD program has not been fully validated. Previous experimental investigations, conducted at Wichita State University, suggest that THERMOD code predictions for convective cooling effects are reasonable, typically conservative. However, a few key questions surfaced, specifically (1) What is the impact of input variable uncertainties? (2) What is the accuracy of THERMOD in predicting steady-state or initial temperatures? and (3) Are there ways to improve THERMOD�s utility or ease of use? These issues became the goals for the current work. A sensitivity study, using the THERMOD code itself, showed that the impact of input variable uncertainties is typically small, depending most on the obvious geometry and material properties. Atmospheric testing, using solar radiation to heat test panels, suggests that THERMOD steady-state predictions are reasonable. The temperature data generated will be useful for design and certification. However, the code can underpredict temperatures in some cases, perhaps due to the fact that THERMOD assumes a constant 10-mph wind in it�s analysis. A Windows� style interface, called the THERMOD Analysis Assistant (TAA), was developed and is undergoing initial user evaluations. TAA is composed of two parts, an input file generation interface and an output file viewer. Each element offers a more familiar user environment incorporating graphics and controls to ease THERMOD code use. A brief TAA introduction and overview is included in this report. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the report is available in PDF format from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Thomas Regional Industrial Buying Guide

Thomas Regional is a division of Thomas Publishing, who also provide this buyers guide in print and CD-ROM. It is necessary to register to use the guide, but the service itself is free of charge. The guide allows users to identify companies by either searching a database or browsing by subject category (of which there are over 6,000). It is possible to search for companies who provide a particular product or service, by company name and by brand name. Results include company brochures and also links to their own websites. This service covers the US only. The site also provides links to relevant industry and professional organisations and events and trade shows.

Trends and Challenges in Aerospace Offsets

This contains the proceedings of a "Symposium on trends and challenges in aerospace offsets", organised by the National Academy of Sciences, in January 1998. Contents include: Offsets in commercial and military aerospace, the policy context for military aerospace offsets, the effects of outsourcing and foreign competition on output and employment, the international marketplace, emerging challenges, and the role of the US Government. The symposium was published by National Academy Press in 1999.

Tribology for Aerospace Systems

This is Research and Technology Organization(RTO) AGARD Conference Proceedings, AGARD-CP-589, dated October 1996. At the 82nd Meeting of the AGARD Structures and Materials Panel, a Specialist's Meeting was held on Tribology for Aerospace Systems. It covers on fretting and wear of hinges, tracks, bearings, and gearboxes in airframes and engines which are a constant problem for aircraft or other defense systems, as they induce failures and jamming, necessitating costly in-service inspections and replacement of parts. The meeting was split into three sessions (18 papers): (1) new technologies such as coatings, new materials, lubrication and their behavior; (2) practical applications in airframes and their mechanical systems; and (3) practical applications to engines, both jet engines and reciprocal engines. The meeting was ended by a round table discussion. For individual titles, see N97-13702 through N97-13718. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text of the document (58 Mb) can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

Turbine Rotor Material Design : Final Report

This provides access to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report, DOT/FAA/AR-00/64, by G.R. Leverant and others, dated December 2000. The reports describes the development of a probabilistically based, damage tolerance design code to augment the current safe-life approach for life management of commercial aircraft gas turbine rotors/disks. The design code is intended to provide an additional tool that engine manufacturers can use for reliability assessment. Initial application of the code focused on melt-related anomalies (hard alpha (HA)) in titanium. Supplemental tests were also performed to determine the mechanical properties of hard alpha and titanium disk alloys, and a forging code was developed to predict the shape and orientation of hard alpha anomalies during processing. The full text of the report is available in PDF format, from the online catalogue of the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center Library.

Turbomachinery Design Using CFD

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD-LS-195, dated May 1994. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has become a major design tool for designers of turbomachinery. The progress in this area is fast, and the use of 3-D methods is becoming increasingly applicable to the design process. This Lecture Series will include: (1) Computational methods for preliminary design and geometry definitions; (2) Methods for computing through-flows, blade-to-blade flows and geometry generation; (3) Optimization strategies; (4) Designing in three dimensions; (5) Code validation, mesh influence on solution accuracy; (6) Turbulence and transition modelling; (7) Comparison of time averaged flow solvers and 3-D unsteady CFD codes; (8) Industrial use of CFD and the points of view of the designers. For individual titles, see N95-14128 through N95-14136. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. A table of contents, and the full text (66.39MB) of the document can be accessed online in PDF format. The document is contained in the RTO's Full Text Publication Library.

U.S. Aerospace Industry : Progress in Implementing Aerospace Commission Recommendations, and Remaining Challenges

This provides access to a US Government Accountability Office Report (GAO-06-920) dated September 2006. The U.S. aerospace industry's wide-ranging activities--including commercial aviation, national security, and space exploration--make it critical to the economic health and strategic strength of our nation. However, the industry faces challenges, such as a national air traffic management system that, in its present form, cannot handle expected increases in demand; an aging aerospace workforce; and an increasingly competitive global market. In response to these and other challenges, Congress established the Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry in 2001 to recommend potential actions by the federal government and others to support a robust aerospace industry in the 21st century. In 2002, the Commission made recommendations to address these challenges. This report discusses (1) the extent to which federal agencies have addressed selected Commission recommendations and (2) the challenges that remain in addressing the recommendations. Based on the opinions of former Commissioners and GAO research, GAO selected recommendations dealing with the national airspace system, space policy, government-wide management structure, international issues, the aerospace workforce, and research and development. This report is based on reviews of agency documents, literature, and interviews with aerospace experts and officials from relevant federal agencies. Federal agencies have taken actions that address selected Commission recommendations to varying degrees, from establishing new offices, programs, and policies to changing existing programs or policies; however, the actions the agencies have taken are still in the early stages of implementation. For instance, the creation of the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) addresses the recommendation to establish an interagency office to plan a new, highly automated air traffic management system; however, JPDO faces challenges in leveraging resources and maintaining the commitment of nonfederal stakeholders. Additionally, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) created a directorate to implement the President's new space exploration policy, which addresses the Commission's space exploration recommendation. Aerospace experts told us that they believe this may negatively affect other space exploration programs that have significant benefits. Changes to existing programs include NASA's restructuring of its aeronautics research program and FAA's attempts to increase the U.S. presence in international aviation partnerships. Federal agencies have taken few, if any, actions to address other Commission's recommendations, such as creating a government-wide management structure for aerospace. Challenges remain for federal agencies in further addressing the Commission's recommendations, including dealing with difficult budgetary trade-offs and collaborating on actions involving multiple agencies. For example, federal agencies may have to give priority to some programs that address Commission recommendations at the expense of other programs because of budget limitations. In addition, with multiple agencies involved in the U.S. aerospace industry, a lack of coordination among them, aerospace companies, and universities could result in duplication and inefficient resource leveraging. GAO provided a draft of this report to the relevant federal agencies. The Department of Defense had no comments; the other agencies generally concurred with the report, but provided clarifications and technical comments, which GAO incorporated as appropriate. [Taken from abstract]. The full text is available in PDF format so Adobe Acrobat software will be required in order to read it.

U.S. Department of Commerce : Office of Aerospace and Automotive Industries : Aerospace Team

The Aerospace Team is part of the International Trade Administration, a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce. It's role is to monitor the implementation of trade agreements that are specific to the aerospace industry; identify constraints on the trade performance of the U.S. aerospace industry and recommend ways to neutralise such constraints; monitor and describe the economic and technological health of the aerospace industry in the U.S. as well as worldwide; and provide advice, counsel and support for the international marketing efforts of aerospace firms. The site contains brings together information relating to and provides links to the following: aerospace trade associations, U.S. aerospace industry statistics, aerospace industry publications, and U.S. aerospace company websites. The site also includes news stories, and links to several studies on different aspects of the US aerospace industry. The site also provides access to Aerospace and Defense e-Market Express, an alerting service for market research, trade leads and event information that the U.S. Department of Commerce receives from U.S. Embassies and Consulates around the world. Through the Aerospace and Defense e-Market Express, U.S. firms can electronically submit requests for aerospace and defense market research. There is no fee to receive these reports. The only requirement is that requesters must be providers of products or services that involve at least 51% US originated content.

UK Aerospace Industry : Government Response to the Committee's Fifteenth Report of Session 2004-05

This is a UK House of Commons Trade and Industry Committe, seventh special report of session 2005-06, published 19th July 2005. It follows the publication of the Committee's Fifteenth Report of session 2004-05 on 5 April 2005 and the receipt of the Government's response on 11 July 2005, which is included as an appendix to this special report. The report notes that the Government accepts the Trade and Industry committee report as a fair and balanced assessment of the competitiveness issues facing the UK Aerospace Industry. It also makes some specific points and recommendations under the following headings: technology transfer, study of emerging competitors, repayable launch investments to equipment makers, study of European subsidies, research and development funding, National Aerospace Technology Strategy, and the Aerospace Innovation and Growth Team (AeIGT). The text of the report is available in PDF and HTML formats.

UK Aerospace Industry Survey 1999

This document primarily contains 1998 data derived from the UK aerospace industry survey undertaken by the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) in 1999. Data has been collected not only from SBAC member companies but also other aerospace companies (eg consortia, joint ventures, nonmembers and airline maintenance companies) both in the UK and the rest of the world. The document is available from the SBAC site in PDF format (415.7 Kb). Please note, some content and pages, including this document are for SBAC website members only and require registration and login to access them. An online registration facility is available.

UK Aerospace Industry Survey 2000

This document primarily contains 1999 data derived from the UK aerospace industry survey undertaken by the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) in 2000. Data has been collected not only from SBAC member companies but also other aerospace companies (eg consortia, joint ventures, nonmembers and airline maintenance companies) both in the UK and the rest of the world. The document is available from the SBAC site in PDF format (2 Mb). Please note, some content and pages, including this document are for SBAC website members only and require registration and login to access them. An online registration facility is available

UK Aerospace Industry Survey 2001

This document primarily contains 2000 data derived from the UK aerospace industry survey undertaken by the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) in 2001. Data has been collected not only from SBAC member companies but also other aerospace companies (eg consortia, joint ventures, nonmembers and airline maintenance companies) both in the UK and the rest of the world. The document is available from the SBAC site in PDF format (753.1 Kb). Please note, some content and pages within, including this document are for SBAC website members only and require registration and login to access them. An online registration facility is available.

UK Aerospace Industry Survey 2002

This document primarily contains 2001 data derived from the UK aerospace industry survey undertaken by the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) in 2002. Data has been collected not only from SBAC member companies but also other aerospace companies (eg consortia, joint ventures, nonmembers and airline maintenance companies) both in the UK and the rest of the world. The document is available from the SBAC site in PDF format (2 Mb). Please note, some content and pages within, including this document are for SBAC website members only and require registration and login to access them. An online registration facility is available

UK Aerospace Industry Survey 2005

This document primarily contains 2004 data derived from the UK aerospace industry survey undertaken by the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) in 2005. Data has been collected not only from SBAC member companies but also other aerospace companies (eg consortia, joint ventures, nonmembers and airline maintenance companies) both in the UK and the rest of the world. The survey shows growth in the UK industry with orders increasing by 28 per cent to ?22.6 billion and industry productivity rising by 7.8 per cent. The full text of the document is available in PDF format from the SBAC's web site.

UK Lean Aerospace Initiative

The UK Lean Aerospace Initiative (UKLAI) is a collaborative programme between the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC), representing the UK aerospace industry, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and a consortium of four universities. It was established in April 1998 to support member companies in meeting their improvement objectives and to establish an expertise and resource for the UK Aerospace industry. This site is part of the SBAC's Best Practice Centre. It contains background information on the UK-LAI programme, descriptions of products and services, member listsings, details of publications and a link to the UK-LAI Newsletter. Please note in order to access these resources you will need to search via the Best Practice Centre web page. Please note, access to some content and pages is limited to SBAC website members only.

Use of Critical Chain Scheduling to Increase Aircraft Availability

This is the full text of a thesis by Daniel D. Mattioda which was presented to the Air Force Insitute of Technology (AFIT) in 2002. United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has a minimal number of aircraft at its disposal. As a result, the aircraft are considered high demand, low-density (small number in Air Force inventory) weapon systems. Any chance to increase aircraft availability would greatly enhance the capability of AFSOC. Isochronal maintenance (ISO) conducted once every 365 days (per AFI for C- 130 aircraft) provides the best opportunity to increase aircraft availability by improving the scheduling of tasks and accurately estimating the inspection duration. Scheduled maintenance portrays the characteristics of projects, therefore, this thesis proposed that Critical Chain (CC) scheduling, a project management technique, could provide an improved ISO schedule reducing aircraft downtime. The ISO inspection process was modeled three ways (1) existing process, (2) task constraints removed, and (3) task and resource constraints removed. 100 simulated aircraft inspections took place in each model. The simulated duration times were compared to estimates provided by the use of Critical Path and Critical Chain scheduling techniques. [Taken from abstract]. The full text of the thesis is available in pDF format and is provided by the Air University ResearchWeb site.

Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) : Model Development and Verification

This is a Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics PhD dissertation, by Xiaolan Song, dated April 14, 2003. It describes the development and verification of a comprehensive Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) process simulation model. The model incorporates resin flow through the preform, compaction and relaxation of the preform, and viscosity and cure kinetics of the resin. The computer model can be used to analyze the resin flow details, track the thickness change of the preform, predict the total infiltration time and final fiber volume fraction of the parts, and determine whether the resin could completely infiltrate and uniformly wet out the preform. VARTM of two flat composite panels was conducted to verify the simulation model. The composite panels were fabricated using the SAERTEX multi-axial warp knit carbon fiber fabric and SI-ZG-5A epoxy resin. The simulation code was also used to investigate the VARTM of a new form of sandwich structure with through-the-thickness reinforcements, which is being considered for use in primary aircraft structure. The infiltration of three foam core sandwich preforms with different stitch densities was studied. The objective of the study was to determine whether the preforms could be completely infiltrated and how the stitch density affects the infiltration process. The visualization experiments were conducted to verify the simulation. Bibliographic and abstract details are available in HTML format. The full text of the document is accessible online in PDF format [3.54 Mb]. This title is part of Virginia Tech�s Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Collection (VT ETD)

Virtual Manufacturing

This is Research and Technology Organization (RTO) AGARD Report, AGARD-R-821, dated May 1998. It was sponsored by the Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development. The report explains; Virtual Manufacturing (VM)is an integrated, synthetic manufacturing environment exercised to enhance all levels of decision and control. This process uses product, process and resource models to evaluate the producibility and affordability of new product concepts prior to commitment to the final product design. Design processes are captured in a single geometric database and integrated with the planned manufacturing processes resulting in a simulation of the manufacturing environment. The critical questions of manufacturing cycle time, people resource requirements and physical resource requirements for various scenarios are quantified by simulation. Thus, Virtual Manufacturing is a tool to achieve more affordable aircraft designs, reduced cycle times and improved quality. Bibliographic details and an abstract are available in HTML format and the full text is available in PDF format (60 Mb)from the RTO's web site.

Volvo Aero

This is the web site of Volvo Aero, a company that develops and manufactures high technology components for aircraft, rocket and gas turbines. The site describes its products, and gives some technical data. It also gives information about the services it can provide, provides press releases and an image bank. This is organised into categories including engine components, military, space and industrial gas turbines. The full text of a book entitled 'Aerospace Propulsion : From Insects to Spaceflight is also available, as is the full text of Aero Magazine, the in-house journal.

Westland Helicopters Limited

Westland Helicopters is an AugustaWestland Company, and is the second largest helicopter company in the world. The product range includes EH101 (civil, naval, search and rescue, and utility), Super Lynx and Battlefield Lynx, and WAH-64 Apache. The site has technical specifications, customer support details and pictures, plus details of upgrades and modifications. There is also information about the latest press releases and careers with GKN Westland. There is also a news archive, picture gallery, history of the company and a paper on the principles of Rotary Flight available.

What Works at Work in Aerospace : People Management Practices and Business Performance

This provides access to the text of a report prepared by Marc Thompson, Templeton College, University of Oxford. The report was produced as part of the People Management Practices and Business Performance initiative, and presents further analysis from a survey sponsored by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in association with the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC). The report assesses high-performance work practices across the UK aerospace sector and seeks to determine the extent to which they are associated with more successful business performance. It also examines the organisational factors that are important in explaining variations in the adoption of these high performing practices. The study forms part of the Competitiveness Challenge, and the text of the report is available in PDF format from the Templeton College web site

WTI Fasteners Ltd

This company manufacturers helical wire thread inserts for aerospace and defence applications. The site provides detailed information about the company's products, the range of which include inserting tools, thread repair kits, wire insert taps, extractors, gauges and tang break punches. Background information on the technology in terms of its benefits and applications is provided, as is an order form and a news area.

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