Thermoplastic Welding Technology Used to Build High-Impact Resistant Ventral Fin for F-16

Collins is investing approximately $100 million dollars over the next five years toward the advancement of its thermoplastic technology and plans to qualify and process thermoplastic materials for both military and commercial use By DA Staff / 14 Oct 2022

Discover Leading Defense Technology Solutions

Discover cutting-edge solutions from leading global suppliers
SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
F-16_in_flight_Advanced_Structures
Follow DA

Collins Aerospace was selected by the US Air Force Research Laboratory to build an advanced high-impact resistant, F-16 ventral fin using Collins’ thermoplastic welding technology, which will significantly reduce weight and cost of the current design.

Collins is investing approximately $100 million dollars over the next five years toward the advancement of its thermoplastic technology and plans to qualify and process thermoplastic materials for both military and commercial use. 

Under the three-year contract, the proposed work includes application of a specialized welding process, component design and prototype fabrication for the F-16 ventral fin. The effort will leverage best practices from similar programs including the composite-based F-16 horizontal stabilator.

“We are seeing an increased demand and opportunity to replace legacy aircraft components with thermoplastics,” said Stan Kottke, vice president and general manager of Aerostructures for Collins Aerospace. “The trend is using advanced thermoplastic materials to lower the cost and weight while reducing our overall environmental footprint, and those benefits are directly passed on to our customer.”

Through automation processes on the manufacturing floor, Collins expects the cost savings to be upward of 30% where the company can use thermoplastic composite materials. According to the company, thermoplastic resin is inherently tougher than thermoset resins typically used in production. Tougher materials reduce the overall weight allowing for thinner design and increased range of the payload. Thermoplastic materials have an indefinite shelf life, can be stored at room temperature, and can be reused or recycled. This eliminates the need for energy intensive cold storage required for thermoset raw materials.

The next step is to advance and mature the unique designs and manufacturing technologies specific to forming and thermally joining thermoplastics to create component assemblies. This work will be accomplished within the Riverside composites center.

Posted by DA Staff Connect & Contact

Latest Articles

Upgraded IR Sensor Boosts Detection Range in Tactical Beacons

Adventure Tactical has enhanced its VIP light™ and Trilobyte® products with an upgraded IR sensor, expanding detection range and early warning capabilities for military users

May 09, 2025
New Wideband Antenna Enhances Detection of Low-Frequency Drone Threats

MyDefence has launched its new Compact Wideband Antenna, enhancing detection of low-frequency drone threats when integrated with Wingman and ATAK

May 09, 2025
Most Read Articles on DA in April 2025

April 2025 saw a number of significant developments published on Defense Advancement, including the latest updates bi-directional amplifiers (BDAs), RF decoy systems, and autonomous naval vessels

May 08, 2025
Gray Eagle ER Demonstrates Advanced Sensing & Resilience at PC-C5

The MQ-1C Gray Eagle® Extended Range UAS by GA-ASI, has supported the U.S. Army during PC-C5 (Project Convergence Capstone 5), demonstrating enhanced long-range sensing capabilities and survivability against electronic threats

May 08, 2025
Multi-Drone Flight Test Integrates UAV Technology & AI Software for Enhanced Situational Awareness

Red Cat Holdings and Palladyne AI have successfully tested three autonomous heterogeneous drones using edge-based Artificial Intelligence

May 08, 2025
U.S. Army Partnership Advances Autonomous Helicopter Logistics Program

The U.S. Army is partnering with Honeywell and Near Earth Autonomy to retrofit Black Hawk helicopters with scalable autonomy kits for uncrewed logistics operations

May 08, 2025

Featured Content

Modular Head-Mounted Digital System for Real-Time Decision Support in Contested Environments

Galvion's new CORTEX™ system integrates compute, power, and data management into a modular helmet-mounted platform designed for modern tactical operations.

May 06, 2025
Partnership to Enhance Networking Capabilities for Defense Platforms

Amphenol Aerospace and BotBlox have partnered to distribute and integrate compact, rugged Ethernet hardware for defense platforms, enhancing networking capabilities and accelerating product development for uncrewed and mobile systems

May 01, 2025
Sky Power to Showcase ISR UAV Propulsion Technology at XPONENTIAL 2025

Sky Power International will present advanced UAV propulsion technologies at XPONENTIAL 2025, highlighting powerful engines, hybrid systems, and customized solutions for ISR and civilian applications

Apr 29, 2025
Advancing Defense Capability Through Strategic Collaboration Defense Advancement works with major OEMs to foster collaboration and increase engagement with SMEs, to accelerate innovation and drive defense capabilities forward.