Heli-Expo 2014: GKN Aerospace showcases rotary wing developments
Recent key business wins have included gaining a major package of work gained on the Bell 525 Relentless super medium helicopter (above), comprising provision of crashworthy fuel tanks, composite and aluminium fuselage panels as well as key structural elements for the cockpit, cabin and tailboom of the airframe.
With a manufacturing capability in both the US and the UK, GKN Aerospace supplies full turnkey fuel systems packages from fuel storage to engine feed, as well as flexible fuel bladders, crashworthy and self-sealing systems and rotationally moulded tanks, and range extender tanks, incorporating explosive suppressant and anti-slosh technology when required. For the military sector, GKN Aerospace also offers the most rapid self-sealing capability on the market where the company has recently gained a long term agreement to supply the ‘fit and forget’ fuel bladder system for the Predator medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft system (MALE UAS).
The company designs, manufactures and qualifies complete emergency flotation systems which are designed to FAR / JAR 27 and 29, developing new materials and fabrication techniques to meet demand for lighter weight equipment with extended performance and reliability, offering improving safety for crew and passengers. Emergency flotation systems for the Bell 212 and Sikorsky S70 helicopters will be on display at the show.
GKN Aerospace has been delivering industry-leading transparencies to the helicopter market for over 45 years and supports programmes such as AW101 Merlin, the AW159 Wildcat, the Sea King WS-61, the AH-64 Apache and the CH-53K Super Stallion. With a strong technology base and core strengths in glass and plastics manufacture, GKN Aerospace offers high strength, light weight heated cockpit windshields, cockpit canopies and lower vision windows, cabin and specialist observer structures. The company’s transparency designs can incorporate HivizTM heated coatings, electro-magnetic shielding and anti-spall / anti-scratch self-healing surface protection (internal & external).
GKN Aerospace offers complete design and test expertise in the field of ice protection, including comprehensive in-house icing tunnel test facilities and capacity for high volume manufacture of electro-thermal ice protection systems. Using its advanced composites manufacturing experience, the company is exploring potential applications for this hugely versatile electro-thermal technology in applications such as flight control surfaces, engine and equipment inlets and helicopter rotor blades. The company supplies a range of major rotary wing electric ice protection programmes including the V-22 Osprey and the AW101 Merlin, as well as for applications such as the F-135 engine inlet and wing leading edges for the B787 Dreamliner.
GKN Aerospace provides high quality specialised hinges for the CH-47, CH-53, UH-60, AH-64 and AH-1. The company handles all common aerospace materials on its machinery and manufactures hinges of all sizes up to 40 feet long using specialised processes for drilling and slotting. In the military sector GKN Aerospace has manufactured MS20001 hinges for over 65 years having been pivotal in the development of the extrusion. All sizes and widths of this continuous hinge are manufactured, whether as halves or full assemblies, using proprietary machines designed specifically for this product.
