The increasing use of composites in airframe manufacture is clearly demonstrated on the Hexcel booth where a Eurocopter EC120 vertical trailing edge section manufactured in
HexPly is widely used to manufacture helicopter structures due to its outstanding high temperature performance in wet conditions and low moisture absorption properties.
Also on display is a Boeing 737 D-Nose manufactured by BHA Aero Composite Parts Co. Ltd, a partnership between Hexcel, Boeing and AVIC I that is located in Tianjin, China. The D-Nose is manufactured with Hexcel’s HexPly F161 carbon fibre prepreg, a structural, heat resistant epoxy resin that cures at 180°C (350°F).
Hexcel is promoting its new award-winning honeycomb solution for reducing noise in aircraft engines, particularly during take-off and landing. HexWeb Acousti-Cap consists of a non-metallic permeable cap material that is embedded into honeycomb cells to create an acoustic septum core.
Hexcel’s customers specify the sound dampening characteristics required, as well as overall core thickness, numbers of caps in a cell, and insertion depth. The resultant product is an assembly that is tuned to the acoustic requirements thereby reducing some forms of engine noise.
This noise reduction can result in many benefits, including recurring cost savings due to reduced airport landing fees; increased fleet flexibility; improved cabin comfort; and fewer additional sound-dampening treatments in the fuselage that affect weight and cost.
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Source: Flight Daily News
