Test Fixture for Flight Components

This project entails the design of test fixture for supersonic missile radomes. A radome is an aerodynamic dome installed on the tip of an aircraft to protect radar equipment. Radomes need to withstand extremely high stress caused by thermal and pressure loads during supersonic flight. Currently our client, Chuck Vallance, is a retired Raytheon employee. Mr. Vallance is volunteering his time to help our group design a test fixture for missile radomes. Missile radome testing is required to produce safe, effective missiles in addition to reducing the time and cost of generating new missile designs. 

Testing Equipment for radomes is usually fabricated or even manufactured on site for high-speed flight components. Designing and testing missiles is expensive. The team is working with Chuck to create a test fixture, which expedites the flight component testing process. If the team can streamline the process of producing missiles, tax dollars are free to fund other programs. 

It is important for the team to develop a reliable test fixture to test radomes for their ability towithstand these forces and temperatures. The US Military uses missiles to perform tactical strikes to neutralize threats to national security. If a radome cannot operate as intended, it would cause an issue of national security. Faulty radomes could jeopardize the outcome of tactical strikes, leading to unintended casualties or collateral damage, in addition to mission failure.