Full scale innovative pressure bulkheads for Regional Aircraft Fuselage barrel on-ground demonstrators:

The scope of this project is to develop and validate two advanced manufacturing processes to reach a significant reduction in the overall production costs and flows to obtain composite pressure bulkheads for regional aircraft light-weight fuselage manufacturing. A final trade- off analysis will be drawn as well, including costs, advantages, implementation advances, comparison with former costs and frame.

In order to achieve the general scope, the consortium members will divide the project in 4 work packages:

1. Production of 2 bulkheads using the 2 different manufacturing techniques (one bulkhead in prepreg and a second one in dry fibre material) and laboratory – NDT testing
2. Production of 4 bulkheads as final demonstrators for fuselage testing, using both manufacturing techniques
3. Trade-off analysis
4. Management of the project

The innovative and lighter fuselage concept must be implemented in future aircraft models (among others, Innovative Turboprop, 130 pax, and Advanced Turboprop, 90 pax, are being developed at the moment). The EU policies are clear about the need to reduce 75% the CO2 emissions per passenger-kilometre and 90% of NOX as well. In addition to that, by 2050, aircraft movements must be emission-free when taxiing and air vehicles must be designed and manufactured to be recyclable.

Innovative low cost and low weight technologies shall be integrated into the fuselage structural demonstrator to get weight reduction, less manufacturing recurring costs, maintenance improvement and implementation of new eco-compatible materials and processes. And the final step to enter them into use is validation through a test that needs 2 bulkheads as vital elements to close the fuselage cylinder.