Navy rotorcraft components sustain damage from flight operations, logistics handling, and removal and replacement during maintenance. Blending away the damages to reduce stress risers may cause fatigue cracking, and blending lowers thickness in the repair location reducing the ability for future repair capability. Damage that exceeds design tolerances generally cause the component to be scrapped. Creare has developed a compact repair system for full dimensional and strength restoration of aircraft components to enhance the logistics and maintenance of Navy aircraft. Our Compact Repair System miniaturizes additive friction stir technology using compact, high speed spindles and additive tools to facilitate repair of such damage and to return the component at or above its original strength.
Vibration induced noise in propeller and rotary aircraft can exceed attenuation capabilities of flight helmet systems. Aircrew exposure to high vibration induced noise compromises safety and increases mission risk. Creare’s Flight Head and Hearing Protection System (FHHPS) is a modular upgrade kit that provides substantial reduction in helmet vibration and noise. The kit consists of passive helmet vibration dampers and replacement ear cups. The vibration damper is tuned to the propeller or rotor blade pass frequency of the target airframe and placed on the outside of the helmet. Prop or rotor vibration is absorbed by the damper and cancelled in the helmet. The dampers and our high volume replacement ear cups add up to >15 dB of attenuation greatly reducing noise exposure, noise-related fatigue, and missed radio calls.
