Aviation News Item: 01171

12th Jun 2009

Source: fly-corporate.com

As part of the ongoing development programme of the S.40 Freedom mid-size jet, Spectrum Aeronautical have completed the first of a series of Fuselage Manufacturing Demonstrator (FMD) test articles.

The FMDs will be used to validate the production process for the aircraft's all-composite one-piece co-cured fuselage. Due to the proprietary nature of the manufacturing process the company could not release any technical details, but Spectrum's president, Austin Blue did say however, that this first FMD was in line with engineering projections and clearly shows the effectiveness of the methods.

The key feature of the Freedom's airframe is the use of large, co-cured composite structures. Co-curing the major structural elements joins the components at the molecular level, providing exceptional strength and durability. As a result, the adhesive bonding required by many other types of composite fabrication methods is significantly reduced. Composite co-cured structures also eliminate the need for extensive riveting that is required for conventional aluminum airframes, saving both manufacturing time and reducing overall weight. The light weight also contributes to better fuel efficiency, allowing the S.40 to cut fuel consumption by as much as half that of comparably sized metal aircraft. The reduction in fuel use also makes the aircraft one of the "greenest" jet designs by significantly cutting back the amount of emissions.

The photo depicts the Freedom S.40 Fuselage Manufacturing Demonstrator (FMD) test article just after its initial shape has been defined. The unit is centred around a contoured mold-form (the white material near the left centre of the photo) to become the exterior of the aircraft's fuselage. In the phase shown, the FMD is ready to be sent to the next stage, heading to be cured into its final shape.

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