Fibers in Thermoset Matrices

To reduce the cost of fabricating exit guide vanes on turbojet engines. Allied Signal has used braided carbon fiber impregnated with epoxy resin using a multicavity RTM tool instead of a compression molded prepreg tape. 

Woven carbon fiber reinforced phenolic skins bonded to an aramid honeycomb are made by Hexcel for the flooring in the cabin and flight areas of Airbus aircraft (Aerospatiale has a 37.9% stake in the Airbus consortium). 

A one-piece aircraft horizontal stabilizer has been demonstrated by Raytheon Aircraft Company using RTM and was 2.32 m long with a tapered wing structure with internal spars to prevent buckling. The spars were built on mandrels, producing five cells to give the spars, which were covered with dry carbon fiber reinforcement, placed in the mold and 

Lockheed Martin used a carbon fiber braid preform and RTM processing to produce a 90 kg demonstrator carbon composite tail, reducing the number of parts from 13 to 1 and eliminating over a 1000 fasteners with a 60% reduced production cost. 

Scaled Composites designed and fabricated the record breaking Voyager aircraft that flew around the world non-stop and non-refueled with a crew of two. To achieve these aims in a time of nine days, the structural weight had to be as low as possible, and the structure as well as the spars, were graphite tape skins on a Nomex honeycomb core. 

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MANUFACTURING PROCESSES FOR CARBON FIBERS IN THERMOSET MATRICES [61]... 

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