MTM45-1 epoxy resin based carbon fibre prepregs manufactured by Advanced Composites Group (ACG) have been used in a number of formats by QinetiQ to manufacture the wing and fuselage frames for its record-breaking Zephyr solar-powered UAV.
QinetiQ's hand-launched Zephyr UAV took to the skies above the US Army's Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona and remained aloft for 14 days and 21 minutes, having completed all aspects of its planned trial.
Following the recent record-breaking flight, QinetiQ's chief designer Chris Kelleher said: “We have designed, built and delivered what will be remembered as a milestone in aviation history. Zephyr will transform the delivery of current services such as communications, and lead to many new applications which are not possible or affordable by other means, and now await the FAI (World Air Sports Federation) official confirmation of the world records.”
ACG's MTM45-1 is a variable cure temperature, high performance, toughened epoxy matrix system optimised for low pressure vacuum bag processing in both prepreg and film infusion formats. MTM45-1 can also be autoclave cured. It may be cured at temperatures as low as 80°C, allowing the use of low cost tooling for prototypes and short production runs.
A number of MTM45-1 prepreg materials already have FAA approved design databases, allowing them to be used for out of autoclave processed certified aircraft structures without extensive qualification testing. This offers considerable up-front cost savings, as well as lower manufacturing costs when compared to autoclave processes.
www.acg.co.uk
