GARETH MURPHY
Hitco Carbon Composites (Hall 2, A3) is a company used to feeling the heat – it supplies composites to the aerospace industry which can withstand temperatures of over 3,000oC.
Although the California-based supplier of composite structural assemblies and high temperature materials has been around since 1922, this is its first appearance at Farnborough.
Company spokesperson Cecilia Haviland says: "We engineer, fabricate, assemble and inspect aerospace composites – we also provide material to the Formula One racing industry and to the military – our products have even been to the moon – so we really can say ‘we've been there'.
"We've recently supplied 100 tail cones to Boeing which we re-engineered, making them lighter and cheaper than the previous design.
"We're also producing the inlet lip assembly for the Lockheed Martin F-22 fighter aircraft that will replace the USAF's fleet of F15's. There are two assemblies per aircraft – the structures make up the engine's air intake.
"The initial F-22 deliveries begin this year and continue right through until 2004. The F-22 is expected to be in production well into the next decade."
Hitco also provides multi-layered thermal and acoustic panels for use in aircraft cabin comfort systems – providing an innovative acoustic solution towards dampening aircraft cabin noise.
The company is also providing the Atlas V nose fairing to Aerojet that will form part of the Lockheed Martin Atlas V launch vehicle.
Source: Flight Daily News
