One of the first military aircraft utilizing thermoplastic technology on board is the Bell V-280 Valor tiltrotor, which has thermoplastic ruddervators and recycled thermoplastic access panels that have successfully undergone flight testing.
In June 2019, GKN Aerospace delivered to Bell two compression-molded Access Panels made from recycled thermoplastic waste as well as two thermoplastic composite Ruddervators that were induction-welded. The freshly added parts have now completed more than 12 hours of flight time on V-280 test flights, including the just finished autonomous flight testing.
The Bell test pilots were pleased with the new components' smooth integration and noted that the V-280 maintained its remarkable responsiveness throughout test maneuvers. As a result, the V-280, which just reached the end of its second full year of flight tests, is now one of the first military aircraft with thermoplastic components to fly successfully.
#aircrafts #V-280 #newstatus
