RWSTD STRUCTURES TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS AND VALIDATION

The Rotary Wing Structures Technology Demonstration (RWSTD) program is a cooperative agreement between Sikorsky Aircraft and the U.S. Army Aviation Applied Technical Directorate (AATD) to demonstrate advances in the design, development, and fabrication of rotorcraft composite airframe structures. The overall objectives of the RWSTD program are to reduce weight, lower recurring and non-recurring costs, and reduce development time for rotorcraft composite airframe structures. The program consists of 3 major elements; Design tools, advanced materials and advanced manufacturing methods. Design tools include structural analysis optimization and knowledge based engineering modules as well as other 3-D CAD tools. Advanced processes include new sandwich cores, e-beam curing, VARTM and fiber placement. Major accomplishments will be presented in this paper.