Advanced composites take to the air
Two weeks ago Lockheed Martin flew its Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft (ACCA) testbed from Palmdale, California.

Two weeks ago Lockheed Martin flew its Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft (ACCA) testbed from Palmdale, California. Test pilots Rob Rowe and Joe Biviano took the ACCA through a series of airspeed, stability and control tests to bring Phase II of the program to a successful conclusion. ACCA is one of the programs that will feed technology into the Air Force’s next- generation airlifter, but also has much wider implications for the whole aviation industry.

ACCA is led by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, and has its roots in the Composites Affordability Initiative (CAI) begun more than a decade ago. Under CAI, government and industry laboratories studied materials and manufacturing techniques with the aim of greatly reducing the design and manufacturing costs associated with traditional (metal) aircraft construction.