The Background: Helicopter composite refueling probe redesign. The production design proved unsatisfactory in field. Probe had too much flexibility and possibly could interfere with the main rotor, thus creating a catastrophic event.
The Challenge: RCM’s Aerospace team had to create a new composite probe that retained the light-weight properties of the existing design, but with reduced flexibility with safer margins to avoid a catastrophic event in the field.
The Solution: RCM Aerospace’s composite designers, working with OEM Analysts and Test personnel over a 2 year period, created several iterations of the composite probe resulting in a final design that met all design criteria and performed flawlessly in test and the field.
