Toray Composite Materials America, Inc. has increased its carbon fibre production capacity twofold to aid in the advancement of Bell Textron Inc.’s development plans for the US Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) programme. Source: Bell

Toray Composite Materials America, Inc. has taken a step in its partnership with the US Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) programme by doubling the production capacity of its TORAYCA T1100 carbon fibre.

The upgrade, completed at Toray’s Decatur, Alabama plant, is poised to contribute to the development of the next-generation military aircraft spearheaded by Bell Textron Inc.

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The TORAYCA T1100/3960 carbon fibre prepreg, central to this partnership, is crucial for the FLRAA programme’s success. This programme is part of the US Army’s future vertical lift initiative.

The enhanced carbon fibre production capacity is essential in meeting the demands of the FLRAA programme.

Bell Textron’s FLRAA programme, featuring the V-280 Valor, reached a key milestone with the US Army’s approval of Milestone B on August 5, 2024. This decision advances the programme into the engineering and manufacturing development phase, where prototypes will be created and tested, paving the way for production.

The Army’s FY2024 budget request includes just over $1bn for FLRAA to begin producing six Engineering and Manufacturing Development prototypes, per GlobalData’s intelligence on the US defence market.

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During a recent dedication ceremony for the upgraded production line, Vince D’Arienzo, Technical Fellow of Technology and Innovation at Bell, emphasised the importance of Toray’s expanded capabilities. “The T1100 carbon fibre will directly support the FLRAA weapon system,” said D’Arienzo.

Bell Textron has formed partnerships to support the US Army’s FFLRAA. CAE USA has joined forces with Bell to provide training solutions, General Electric Aerospace is developing a Common Open Architecture Digital Backbone (COADB) for the V-280 Valor. Rolls-Royce and Astronics Corporation also contribute by delivering propulsion and power distribution systems.

Years of design and manufacturing modifications, alongside flight testing of Bell’s V-280 Air Vehicle Concept Demonstrator, have paved the road to this milestone. Since 2019, Toray has worked closely with Bell to produce allowable design data for the T1100/3960 prepreg system, streamlining the certification process and ensuring compliance with aerospace quality and safety standards.