Among the most interesting and significant applications in the aerospace sector, developed thanks to the collaboration of our partners, is with no doubt the wind tunnel model of the European Tiltrotor, realized by the Rapid Prototyping Department of CRP Technology during the first months of the 2007.

The wind tunnel model has been designed and projected by our italian customer Sistemi Dinamici Spa for AGUSTA WESTLAND.

This project allowed, once again, to highlight the perfect union between RP technology and WINDFORM materials. Thanks to the WINDFORM® materials, it was possible to complete and test the model in the wind tunnel within a very short time, with excellent results and with really high-performing mechanical and aerodynamic properties.

The project related to the manufacturing of the external fairings of a wind tunnel model 1:8 scale for the prototype of the European TILTROTOR, made by Rapid Prototyping and WINDFORM® GF material. This mock up was designed and projected by Sistemi Dinamici Spa for AGUSTA WESTLAND, for a research program, sponsored by the European Community whose aim is to develop the European TILTROTOR.

Goals

Our Customer’s main goals, and therefore the reasons why they referred to CRP Technology, were essentially the following two aspects:

• The requirement of a very short timetable, but with a very good quality, in order to manufacture the external fairings for the wind tunnel model;
• The research of materials with high mechanical and aerodynamic characteristics for these components that usually would have been made by a classical composite material (pre preg glass and curing in a specific mould).