GKN Aerospace has delivered a pair of thermoplastic composite induction-welded ‘ruddervators’ and two compression-moulded ‘access panels’ — made from re-used thermoplastic waste material — to Bell Helicopter (a Textron Inc company). Ruddervators are the control surfaces for an aircraft with a V-tail configuration.

As a partner on Bell’s Team Valor, GKN Aerospace has designed and manufactured the complete thermoset composite V-tail for the Bell V-280 Valor.

The ruddervators and access panels are ‘technology demonstrators’; they will undergo flight testing on the aircraft this year, making the V-280 one of the first military aircraft flying with thermoplastic components.

GKN Aerospace is a ‘technology leader’ in thermoplastic technology, with thermoplastic rudders, elevators and fuselage panels flying on a wide range of business jets.

The use of this technology on a military platform opens up opportunities for wider application in the defence market, particularly as thermoplastics offer significant advantages in terms of weight, cost, production time and environmental impact.