In the beginning there was an altimeter - Meggitt PLC

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IT’S AN AIRCRAFT JIM, BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT What we have over the Ma and Pa shops is the full arsenal of engineering support > background in specialised fields such as stress analysis to create increasingly complex components. The composites sector has attracted a large number of small producers—‘Ma and Pa shops’ as they are known. “It has grown out of being something of a cottage industry,” confirms Jim Johnstone, Sales & Marketing Director. This is where Meggitt’s breadth of experience brings advantage. Being able to bundle together several technologies such as composites and seals from across the division gives aircraft manufacturers the ‘one stop shop’ for multiple requirements. There is a significant gap in the market. Traditionally, small producers do not have a design capability, they merely ‘build to print’ simple, low-value components. High-end composite manufacturers, on the other hand, do not want to design small, complex structures— precisely the capability that resides within MPC. “What we have over the Ma and Pa shops is the full arsenal of engineering support from throughout the division,” says Johnstone. “We have experience in addressing complexity and the ability Thoughts of flying in a giant Airfix kit can be dispelled at this point 00 42 REVIEW | WINTER 2010 Above: MPC is highly skilled in complex secondary composite structures like the fire-proof, lightning resistant composite duct and seal for Rolls-Royce’s Trent 900 turbofan. Left: Jim Johnstone, Sales & Marketing Director: “The consolidation of our expertise on one site has paid a big dividend in contract wins.” Below: Lowering weight and saving fuel, 50% of the Boeing 787 is composite.
to draw on other Meggitt capabilities, or just understand where a part fits within a system. We can see the bigger picture.” This capability recently came to the fore in the recent design and construction of a duct for one of the world’s most powerful turbofans, which powers several major airliners. “Historically, this type of duct has always been a very heavy casting or fabricated,” explains Hancock, Engineering Director, Ice Protection & Systems who admits that the engine manufacturer was initially wary of having a composite component in what is a fairly extreme environment. Extreme environments, of course, are what Meggitt specialises in. “The duct takes up the space between the engine and the cowling,” says Hancock. “There’s a heat exchanger that takes oil and feeds it through an oil cooler, like a car radiator, and there’s also a complex seal allied with it. “The duct has a number of requirements. It protrudes very slightly from the cowling, so it has to have a direct lightning strike requirement, so that lightning goes through our seal and into the cowling, rather than into the core of the engine. “The duct also forms part of the fire protection for the engine, so both the duct and seal have to meet fireproofing requirements. The engine manufacturers were nervous about this. They wanted the duct to be able to pass a fire test even if it was damaged. So they deliberately degraded it by drilling a small hole in it.” MPC designed the entire duct, heat exchanger and seal. Its design and production staff had the great satisfaction of seeing the assembly pass the fire test with flying colours—even with the damage deliberately inflicted on it for the event. In another example of its expertise in the field, MPC produces the new engine cowlings for a widely-used European military helicopter. Replacing the original metal components, these carbon honeycomb structures not only form an aerodynamic surface over the helicopter’s engines during flight, but fold down during maintenance periods to create a platform strong enough to take the weight of two Carbon honeycomb structures not only form an aerodynamic surface over the Lynx helicopter’s engines during flight, but fold down during maintenance periods to create a platform strong enough to take the weight of two mechanics and a large toolbox mechanics and a large toolbox working on the powerplants. In designing these new composite versions, MPC had to overcome several hurdles, including the constraint The engine manufacturer was initially wary of having a composite component in what is a fairly extreme environment of accommodating latching positions held over from the original design, which in turn led to many additional complications in meeting the structural, fireproofing and other requirements. What’s next for MPC’s composites experts? Another project for which the division hopes to provide substantial composite input is a proposed new military tactical transport aircraft currently under design. Discussions on Meggitt’s role are underway. Composites have come a long way since their appearance on aircraft as minor, non-loadbearing components and Meggitt aims to continue to be in the vanguard of manufacturers on that journey. ● REVIEW | WINTER 2010 00 43
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In the beginning there was an altimeter - Meggitt PLC

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