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Technology and New Prod u cts R ohr's '!echoology and using advanced titanium- Aerodynamics New Products organiza- aluminide alloys, rapidly solidified Rohr participated in a flight test tion concentrates on titanium alloys and metal-matrix program which demonstrated meeting aerospace market re- composites. These advances that extensive laminar flow can quirements through the 1990s have direct application to high- be achieved on nacelle surfaces, and into the next century. temperature aerostructures now thus reducing nacelle drag and The primary emphasis is to in development for advanced potentially improving fuel develop new products and fighter aircraft and hypersonic economy significantly. Laminar processes for the company's flight vehicles such as the flow is achieved by drawing the core business-military and National Aerospace Plane. disturbed external (boundary commercial nacelles, thrust layer) surface air through a reversers and pylons. Parallel Composite Materials fine-porous nacelle surface to efforts are directed at expand- Rohr continues major and establish smooth air flow over ing two other business areas- expanding efforts to reduce the surface. Rohr is now planning engine components and high- product weight and improve flight programs to demonstrate temperature aerostructures. aero-smoothness through use of this concept, which could have To accomplish this, Rohr is composite materials, particu- wide application, on commercial focusing on incorporating ad- lady those which tolerate higher aircraft. vanced technology in metals, temperatures. This technology To complement customers' composite materials, aero- is currently used in the nacelle efforts, Rohr is using sophisticated dynamics and acoustics into system for the new International computer models to examine its products. Aero Engines V2500 engine. the interaction of airflow over Advancements in composite the nacelle, pylon, wing and Metals material manufacturing include fuselage in order to identify Rohr's technical strength has filament winding both surfaces nacelle and strut designs which traditionally resided in metal of a nacelle component around will minimize drag. forming and joining to achieve its honeycomb core. This structure competitively priced, low-weight is then cured as a unit, saving Acoustics and high-quality structures. The several manufacturing steps. Rohr has expanded the use of company now uses superplastic The company has refined its lightweight composite acoustic forming for titanium compo- filament-winding techniques materials in its products. The nents and has achieved success and has applied them to high- company has developed improved in superplastically forming temperature composite engine methods of measuring the nickel-based alloys for higher- ducts for fighter aircraft engines noise-suppression effectiveness temperature applications. (Super- now being developed. Th reduce of acoustic structures. These plastic forming involves heating costs, Rohr now manufactures techniques will enable Rohr to metal to a pliable state and small nacelle components, such increase further the effectiveness then forming it under pressure.) as access panels, from thermo- of noise-suppression products, Rohr has also manufactured plastic composite materials. developmental components 9