SAMPE Journal - November/December 2021 - 15

Figure 4. Lockheed Martin's initial (Vision Vehicle) LCAA
configuration.
the development of single-purpose unmanned
platforms that can be designed, built and fielded
over such short timeframes and at such low costs
that they enable bringing " mass " and cost imposing
effects to future engagements13
. As part of a large,
distributed strike package, these platforms will also
compliment manned assets like F-22 and F-35. This
vision calls for affordable and individually unique
unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) to be assembled as
required for the mission, permitting fielding of new
capabilities in months rather than years.
Meeting Air Force requirements for the LCAA
vehicle will require aggressive changes in both
design and manufacturing paradigms. Average
unit flyaway costs for the aircraft, which include
the basic avionics and propulsion systems, are
to be less than $3M. Production runs, which will
vary from 10's to 100's, will necessitate design
and manufacturing approaches that are largely
independent of order quantity and production
rate or span. To aid in this achievement the Air
Force has recognized that several changes in cost
dependent requirements will need to be realized.
For example, LCAA vehicles are expected to achieve
shorter service lives, reduced system airworthiness
and mission reliability, and require no depotlevel
maintenance. The short list of performance
requirements envisioned for the LCAA systems
include:
* 3,000 nm range minimum
* 500lb payload
* Mach 0.9 dash capability
A Lockheed Martin preliminary design concept
for the LCCA demonstration program is shown in
Figure 4. This design features an austere air vehicle
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strategy which eliminates non-essential features,
consolidates functions, simplifies components and
uses low-cost manufacturing technologies. As an
illustration of this strategy, the concept contains
no wing trailing edge devices or rudder function.
Overall, the body substructure has 30 to 50% fewer
parts than alternative arrangements.
A fully automated
composite
design and
build environment, in combination with snap
curing and tool-less fabrication capability,
positions CF3D®
manufacturing. For that reason Lockheed Martin
and Continuous Composites have teamed up to
develop CF3D®
for fabrication of wing spars within
the AFRL sponsored " Wing Structural Design
& Manufacturing Demonstration " (WiSDM)
program10
. For this program Lockheed Martin is
demonstrating and documenting the cost and
cycle time savings achieved for an LCAA wing box
that employs innovative design and manufacturing
techniques. The wing box spars provide an
excellent demonstration case for CF3D®
since the
bending loads in these components require the
use of continuous carbon fibers and its tool-less
attributes help achieve AFRL goals for accelerated
design-to-build cycles. This later feature highlights
CF3D®
over AFP processing.
Automation
As noted prior, AFRL desires LCAA manufacturing
approaches that are largely independent of order
quantity and production rate or span. Lockheed
Martin reasons that cost independence from
production volume and rate can only be achieved
with processes that are highly automated.
Automated processes provide a path for volume cost
independence by permitting much of the learning,
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SAMPE JOURNAL |
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ideally for application to LCAA
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SAMPE Journal - November/December 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SAMPE Journal - November/December 2021
