Momentum - March 2018 - 17

TODAY'S
ENGINEERING

OA-X CONTENDER MOONLIGHTS AS
AFRL TESTBED
Months have passed since the United
States Air Force (USAF) finished the
first phase of its light attack aircraft
experiment. The OA-X assessment,
which took place at Holloman Air Force
Base (AFB) in New Mexico, evaluated
how quickly and cost effectively four
commercial, off-the-shelf aircraft could be
used to fly military air support missions in
"current, permissive environments."
The four aircraft-Textron AirLand's
Scorpion light attack jet, Textron's
turboprop AT-6, Sierra Nevada Corp.
(SNC) and Embraer Defense & Security's
turboprop A-29 Super Tucano, and L3
Technologies and Air Tractor's turboprop
AT-802L Longsword-all spent weeks
conducting flight operations and weapon
simulations; however, there is still no
information as to whether the USAF will
purchase, lease, or even implement a light
attack aircraft option.
While the current plan mentions
OA-X combat demonstrations in 2018,
USAF officials are currently using OA-X
competitors as testbeds for other
technologies-such as the Air Force
Research Laboratory (AFRL) AgilePod,
the USAF-developed intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR)
platform.
Toward the end of 2017, AFRL officials
met with Textron engineers and discussed
the idea of installing AgilePod onto the
company's Scorpion light attack jet, which
can host a broad suite of sensors.
The "multi-intelligence, open
architecture, reconfigurable" AgilePod
is seen as a "game-changer" for the
ISR and USAF Special Operations
communities. Initially, the pod prototype
interior comprised a series of modular
compartments that could accommodate
any sensors that flight-line operators
might require for a specific mission.
The open architecture sensor software,
which is a set of common messages and
interfaces, allows proprietary sensors and
systems to integrate from a mechanical
and electrical perspective.

MOMENTUM

Photo credit: USAF

The Air Force Research Laboratory's AgilePod is shown mounted on the wing of the Textron Aviation
Defense's Scorpion jet. The Scorpion, intended for light attack and ISR roles, recently completed
demonstrations for the USAF OA-X assessment.
The design allows, for example, highdefinition video, electro-optical and
IR sensors, and radar to be deployed
in a single pylon-mounted unit. When
compared to the time and weight spent
installing each separate sensor on an
aircraft, the benefit of the AgilePod is
considerable.
However, modular sensor arrangements
are not the AgilePod's only merit.
When the Manufacturing and Industrial
Technologies Division at AFRL's Materials
and Manufacturing Directorate took
delivery of the pod prototype from
contractor KEYW Corp. on December 14,
2016, it not only became the owner of the
prototype, but it also took control of the
unlimited rights to the technical data for
its design.
As the pod was designed,
manufactured, and tested, technical data
was digitally captured along every step of
the process to create a traceable digital
record of design decisions.
As the design of the platform
progressed, the AFRL team was able to
leverage this digital thread and identify
specific design decisions to rapidly create
a family of various-sized AgilePods. The
development also demonstrated the
benefits of agile manufacturing processes
in design. Additive manufacturing was
used to manufacture several non-critical
flight parts on the pods, ultimately
lightening the load. Flexible tooling and

the integration of multiple composite
components also demonstrated flexibility
and speed in manufacturing design.
Everything concerning the AgilePod
platform is captured into a single data
package that can be disseminated to
sensor manufacturers to reduce redesign
and fit issues. Fastener modification
and relocation and mounting hardware
orientations are tracked. The final
platform now utilizes an open floor plan,
as it was found that the compartments
limited air flow and added weight.
Removable nose cones and various
advanced materials are being considered
for the exterior of the AgilePod.
"There is a lot of interest from other Air
Force communities in this platform, not
only for its logistical benefits but because
of the potential for the system's technical
data to be modified for other weapon
system designs," according to Mark
DiPadua, the Mission Systems team lead in
the division's Electronic Sensors Branch.
"Agile manufacturing can help us make
things more affordable and producible.
We captured this in the data throughout
the program, in a much more detailed
format than ever before."
AgilePod can act as a platform for
integration and transition of lab technology, accelerating the pace by which
AFRL can augment the ISR mission.

By Will Kacinsky, Content Editor,
SAE Aerospace Product Group

March 2018 17

Momentum - March 2018

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