SBIR-STTR Award

Next generation aircraft such as the F-35 are built with significantly higher carbon fiber composite material content than any previous aircraft. Even at a fully equipped depot, composite damage is difficult to assess and costly to repair. Overabundance of caution from line maintainers may result in more aircraft being returned to depot or specialized crews being deployed to conduct premature repairs. Over-maintenance could also take usable aircraft out of the fight at a critical time of need. Enhanced field inspections would alleviate both issues. Wilder Systems has developed a mobile inspection system for the aircraft manufacturing industry as part of its commercial drilling offering. The dual use technology will be evaluated by inspecting carbon fiber aircraft parts. Customer Discovery will be performed and a Mission Model Canvas developed to document the DoD need and procurement ecosystem. Customers will be engaged and brought to the Wilder Systems facility to witness a full scale technical demonstration and move forward with a prototype development as part of a Phase II.