Under a three-year memorandum of agreement signed in July, Goodrich Corp. (Charlotte, N.C.) will design, develop and qualify prototype polymer matrix composite (PMC) landing gear drag braces for F-35 Lightning II fighter jet prime contractor Lockheed Martin Aeronautics (Ft. Worth, Texas). Goodrich will work with Fokker Landing Gear (Helmond, The Netherlands). The braces could be incorporated into the main F-35 landing gear for conventional takeoff/landing (CTOL) and short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) variants. Fokker will do detailed component design and qualification. Goodrich will perform system-level design and integration. The goal is a single, lighter, low-maintenanace brace common to the CTOL and STOVL variants.

At the Farnborough Airshow, Goodrich revealed that it will work with the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI, Dayton, Ohio) to produce a nanomaterial with metal-like conductive properties. Under an award from the State of Ohio’s Third Frontier initiative, UDRI, Goodrich and two other firms will build and equip a facility capable of producing the “fuzzy fiber” nanomaterial known as NAHF-X (see HPC July 2010, p. 17, or visit short.compositesworld.com/DWqBOgWR). Goodrich has committed $1 million in funding, intending the hybrid composite for jet engine nacelles, and will explore aircraft structural health monitoring, wheel/brake and deicing applications.