𝐀 𝐇𝐲𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢-𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐢𝐫𝐛𝐮𝐬

 Montana Aerospace continues to invest in research and innovation to expand its capabilities beyond its core wing-structures business. Its Belgian subsidiary, #AscoIndustries, headquartered in Zaventem, has advanced the development of a hybrid metallic-composite Rear Secondary Structure (RSS) fairing for Airbus’s next-generation single-aisle aircraft program, extending Asco’s engineering capabilities beyond wing structures.

Asco presented a full-scale prototype assembly to Airbus stakeholders in Toulouse during a final review meeting at #Airbus, a key development milestone for the new hybrid structure.

A Technology Building Block for Montana Aerospace:

Aviation, space and, increasingly, UAV and drone applications are driving rising demand for lighter, more efficient and more capable structures. For Montana Aerospace, combining different materials, manufacturing processes and technologies is a logical extension of its existing aerospace capabilities.

Research and development in hybrid structures such as the RSS program allows the group to move beyond individual components toward more integrated solutions. Over time, insights from the work in Zaventem could be combined with the material, engineering and manufacturing expertise of other Montana Aerospace sites, turning a local R&D program into a technology building block for the wider group.

The company said the full-scale demonstration is more than a single Asco program: it is a proof point for how investment in research and innovation across the group’s sites can support its position as a partner for legacy and next-generation aircraft.

The project was launched in 2022 under a Collaborative Research Agreement between Airbus #AirframePropulsion in Toulouse and Asco, as part of the ongoing innovation partnership between the companies. The collaboration covers the full development cycle, from concept design and structural sizing to the manufacture of two full-scale prototype assemblies in 2026.

The design combines Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (#CFRP) skins manufactured using Resin Transfer Molding (#RTM) with aluminum and titanium structural interfaces, #thermoplasticframes and injection-molded thermoplastic components, engineered to balance weight, cost and manufacturability at future high-rate production volumes. Compared with legacy solutions, the new RSS concept reduces structural weight through targeted use of #composite materials and lowers overall cost, mainly by cutting installation time during final aircraft assembly. It is designed for high-rate production through an integrated assembly concept with full interchangeability and simplified field maintenance.

source : Mobility Engineering