Lockheed Martin Corporation

Goodyear Aerospace Corporation

Paul E Liggett

James I Mascolino

Dennis L Carter

Anthony L Dunne

David L Braun

Daniel A Chung

Steven L Sinsabaugh

Aaron Christopher Graham

Ernest Knaus

Raymond J Namsick

Dhiraj H Darjee

Nicholas L Barnes

Paul A Leitch

Thomas M Whiteleather

Margaret Rose Manning

Robert A Shutler

Lowell J McEowen

Gerald W Placko

Lowell J Mceowen

A laminate material for lighter-than-air vehicles includes at least one monofilament yarn layer, a polymeric film layer adjacent to the at least one monofilament layer, and a metallized coating adjacent to said polymeric film layer. A clear film cover layer may be adhered to the metallized coating, and one or more fluorescent dyes may be incorporated into the clear film layer.

Metallized flexible laminate material for lighter-than-air vehicles

A method for producing a missile nose cone is disclosed. The method consists of manufacturing a first missile nose cone from a first lot of polymeric material and determining a first rupture value. The method further consists of manufacturing a second missile nose cone from a second lot of polymeric material and determining a second rupture value of the second missile nose cone. Both first and second lots of material are mixed into a test batch with one another based on their associated rupture values. An evaluation missile nose cone is then manufactured from the test batch and a determination is made as to whether the evaluation missile nose cone has a desired rupture value. If a desired rupture value is not obtained, then the mixing and evaluation steps are repeated.

Method of producing missile nose cones

The present invention is generally directed to tapes or laminates designed for use in conjunction with lighter-than-air vehicles, platforms or other inflated structures. In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to tapes or laminates designed for use in logos and/or identification numbers that can be, for example, used on a lighter-than-air vehicle, platform or other inflated structure. In another embodiment, the present invention is directed to tapes or laminates that include, among other layers, at least one dichroic layer designed to produce a logo, letter and/or number that can be, for example, used on a lighter-than-air vehicle, platform or other inflated.

Highly reflective materials for use as logos and/or identification

The present invention is generally directed to tapes designed for use in conjunction with lighter-than-air vehicles, platforms or other inflated structures. In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to conductive seam cover tape that can be, for example, used to protect and/or cover one or more seams in a lighter-than-air vehicle, platform or other inflated structure. In another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a conductive seam cover tape that can be, for example, used to protect and/or cover fabric panels or sections that are used to form lighter-than-air vehicles, platforms or other inflated structures that are in, one instance, designed for deployment at high altitudes.

Conductive seam cover tape

Various laminate structures and methods of making laminate structures are provided. In one embodiment, a laminate structure includes a base layer, a metallized layer comprising an electronic/embedded device which is adhered to the base layer. A coating layer which is adhered to the conductive layer, and a non-metallic dichroic layer adhered to the coating layer. In another embodiment, the non-metallic dichroic layer directly contacts the electronic/embedded devices of the conductive layer. The laminate structures herein can be used in the hull of the air vehicles to communicate with satellites and ground based receiving stations, for example. The electronic/embedded devices of the laminate structures provide a low weight solution to transmitting and receiving data within an air vehicle.

Laminate structure with electronic devices and method

The subject invention relates to an apparatus and process for testing various parameters and properties of high strength flexible, fabric laminates. In particular, the apparatus comprises a machine using individually controlled loads to test various material parameters.

Biaxial stress, sheer, permeability, and peel test method and machine to conduct the same

A splice seam for joining various sections of fabric together is disclosed, wherein the fabric sections are initially delaminated into their constituent plies. The plies associated with each fabric section are then fully interleaved with each other, and bonded together. The amount of surface area between each interleaved plies can be adjusted as so as to achieve a desired level of load carrying strength between the fabric sections.

Splice seam

A power-generating laminate for an airship comprises a base fabric layer, a barrier layer disposed upon the fabric layer, an inner metal film layer disposed upon the barrier layer, a piezoelectric/pyroelectric layer disposed upon the inner metal layer, an outer metal layer disposed upon the piezoelectric/pyroelectric layer, and a cover layer disposed upon the outer metal layer. The power-generating laminate forms a gas-impervious envelope to maintain lifting gas and air therein, and is configured such that when the envelope is subjected to structural strain or experiences changes in temperature, power is generated, which is used to supply power to the various electrical systems aboard the airship.

Piezoelectric and pyroelectric power-generating laminate for an airship envelope

An energy generating device for lighter-than-air vehicles having a gas impervious outer flexible fabric including a flexible photovoltaic array located on the outer layer of the gas impervious fabric; a thermocouple array located between the photovoltaic cells and the gas impervious fabric; a thermally conductive layer or heat spreader between the thermocouple array and the photovoltaic array and between the thermocouple array and the gas impervious flexible fabric; an electrically conductive means connected to said thermocouple array for drawing electrical power away from said thermocouple array; and an electrical load, such as an electrical storage device or a device that consumes electricity, for drawing electricity from the thermocouple array.

Thermocouple array for generating electrical power for lighter than air vehicles

A splice seam for joining various sections of fabric together is disclosed, wherein the fabric sections are initially delaminated into their constituent plies. The plies associated with each fabric section are then interleaved with each other, and bonded together. The amount of surface area between each interleaved plies can be adjusted as so as to achieve a desired level of load carrying strength between the fabric sections. Additionally, the splice seam may utilize an external and/or internal seam tape to increase the strength of the resultant seam.

A plurality of polyurethane layers, some of which have a contrasting color with respect to an adjacent layer is formed into a laminate. During preparation, each layer is separately formed, as by spraying, and the contrasting color ensures that the preceding layer can be fully covered. The laminate can be utilized to cover areas or objects which are otherwise difficult to ensure that it has a continuous or complete coating. The invention is suitable for use as a coating and for the preparation of various in situ articles or enclosures, for example a fuel tank, such as commercial and military aircraft.

Process for preparing a fuel tank of polyurethane laminate having

A spray nozzle extension is affixed to the output of a conventional spray gun apparatus to allow an operator to spray a polymeric elastomer into enclosed spaces of an integral fuel tank cavity such as to form an in situ tank within the cavity. The nozzle tip is extended from the spray gun by a flexible hose and the complete unit includes variously arranged in-line filter and swivel connectors to achieve dispersion of lumps in the spray material and axial, yaw, and pitch rotation of the nozzle tip respectively.

Spraying apparatus for in situ formation of vehicle fuel tanks

Polyurethane laminate of contrasting layers and process therefor

A method for preparing a polyurethane suitable for lining fuel tanks, said polyurethane having good, fuel resistance and improved hydrolysis resistance by using a ketimine of an aliphatic diamine as a curing agent in a three-component system composed of a prepolymer solution, a cement solution and a curing agent solution.

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Wooster, OH, United States of America

Paul E Liggett