Aerospace engineers are building a composite nose wheel for next-generation single-aisle aircraft that will be 25% lighter than current alloy versions, and a rotor blade for air taxis that costs 58% less than existing competitors. Current aerospace composites are expensive to produce, generate significant waste, and rely on labour-intensive processes that cannot scale to high production volumes. This project tackles those bottlenecks by developing new material systems, automated deposition and curing methods, and digital models that predict performance without trial-and-error. The consortium—Carbon ThreeSixty, Syensqo, the National Composites Centre, and the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre—is targeting a 15-minute takt time for the rotor blade and a 100-minute takt time for the nose wheel. If successful, the rotor blade technology could enter the Advanced Air Mobility market by 2030, making electric air taxis more economically viable. The nose wheel, aligned with the Next Generation Single Aisle entry into service in 2035, would reduce aircraft weight and fuel consumption without increasing cost. More broadly, the manufacturing methods developed here could shift aerospace away from the current "black metal" approach—where composites simply replace metal parts—toward designs optimised for low waste, high speed, and net-shape production.
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HiRACOS (High Rate Aerospace Composite Optimised Structures) addresses the challenge of high-rate composite technologies for Aerospace to allow the rate increase in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and Narrowbody markets. These technologies will then be applied in two technology demonstrators, i.e., an AAM composite rotor blade and a composite nose wheel for the Next Generation Single Aisle (NGSA). HiRACOS will addresses four key technologies highlighted by the ATI Destination Zero Roadmap, that is, "High rate composites, adaptable tooling, deposition, cure, and inspection", "Design optimisation for NNS and net shape technologies, optimised material utilisation", "High efficiency, low noise propeller systems" and "Next-gen low weight and cost sustainable landing systems". Carbon ThreeSixty (CTS), Syensqo, the National Composites Centre (NCC) and the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) will develop an overarching high-rate composite technology that includes novel material systems from Syensqo and processes like TFP, braiding, core, preforming and stabilisation methods, Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM), Prepreg Compression Moulding (PCM) and post-moulding methods. These technologies will be supported by reliable digital models and validated through mechanical testing and advanced composite inspection. Additionally, CTS and Syesnqo (with the consortium) will deliver an AAM composite rotor blade where the developed technologies can be applied. HiRACOS will deliver a composite rotor blade with a 15 minute takt time and that is 58% cheaper than established competitors. This technology will be ready to enter the market in 2030\. In addition to the rotor blade developments, CTS (with the consortium) will deliver a composite nose wheel for the NGSA. HiRACOS targets to deliver a composite nose wheel with a 100 minute takt time, 25% lighter and with a similar price point to current alloy ones. This technology will be ready to enter the market in 2035 in line with the NGSA EIS. Current structural aerospace composites are manufactured with technologies and materials that are challenging for scaling-up, still produce considerable waste during manufacturing, are labour intensive and, ultimately, conduct to cost prohibitive components. To fight these challenges, the aerospace industry has the need to evolve from current "blackmetal" approach to optimised designs, invest on lower cost materials and processes and adopt manufacturing processes that are cost-effective, viable at high-volumes and produce near-zero waste. HiRACOS will be a key project to support the aerospace industry in this transition.
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