Military aircraft and equipment

As the fleet of military aircraft and support equipment ages, the damage caused by corrosion becomes an increasing concern. The aircraft spend a longer time in depots for maintenance and repair, which leads to a decrease in readiness and an increase in cost to maintain the aircraft. Moreover, a possible loss of integrity of the structure is possible if the corrosion goes undetected and becomes severe. 

Carbon fibers continue to be the main reinforcement materials in advanced composites (qv). The ability to manipulate their physical, chemical, electrical, and thermal properties makes carbon fibers suitable across a wide range of commercial applications, including military [aircraft and missiles (1)], structural [concrete reinforcement (2,3) and automobile body panels], sports equipment (golf... 

Initially, little or no attention was paid to corrosion and corrosion control of commercial and military airplanes. As the age of an aircraft exceeds 20 years of service life, corrosion becomes a major concern, thus bringing corrosion prevention and control issues to the forefront of design and manufacturing. For several years now, corrosion of military aircraft and other equipment has been an ongoing problem. Data provided by the US military indicate that corrosion is potentially the number one cost, which totals approximately 20 billion aimually." ... 

Initially, DADC polymers were used in military aircraft for windows of fuel and deicer-fluid gauges and in glass-fiber laminates for wing reinforcements of B-17 bombers. Usage in impact-resistant, lightweight eyewear lenses has grown rapidly and is now the principal appHcation. Other uses include safety shields, filters for photographic and electronic equipment, transparent enclosures, equipment for office, laboratory, and hospital use, and for detection of nuclear radiation. 

It is stated that modem passenger and military aircraft each use about 1000 lb of silicone rubber. This is to be found in gaskets and sealing rings for jet engines, ducting, sealing strips, vibration dampers and insulation equipment. 

The 1957 Defence White Paper made clear that there would be fewer research and development projects and production orders for military aircraft in future. In July 1957 a backgroimd paper was circulated to the Cabinet listing a number of well-known aircraft firms where workers were likely to be made redundant as a result. It was expected that over the next four or five years the numbers employed in the manufacture of airframes, aero-engines and related equipment, excluding electrical equipment, would fall by about 100,000 to about 150,000, or what had been the level before the Korean War. ° The programmes for guided... 

Crystalline boron is a strong, hard, high-melting substance (mp 2075°C) that is chemically inert at room temperature, except for reaction with fluorine. These properties make boron fibers a desirable component in high-strength composite materials used in making sports equipment and military aircraft (see Section 21.8). Unlike Al, Ga, In, and Tl, which are metallic conductors, boron is a semiconductor. 

The history of the modern adhesives and sealants industry is closely tied to the development of the aircraft and aerospace industries. From the earliest flights to the most modem aerospace equipment, light weight has been one of the most vital considerations. Adhesive bonding was an ideal joining method for the early wood and textile aircraft, and today is the most important joining method for aluminium, titanium, and other metals in advanced military air- and spacecraft and some advanced commercial airplanes. 

C/C composite brake discs are used in some military aircrafts like F-15, F-16, YF-16 and also in the commercial supersonic airplane, the Concorde. Some European racing cars are also equipped with carbon brakes. 

Industry and Business. Although the civilian population is a significant consumer of microwave equipment, commercial and military applications represent a large market share. In the commercial sector, the civilian aircraft and shipping industries are major purchasers of microwave equipment. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) requires extremely precise, complex, and expensive navigational and communications equipment for its... 

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