The Ground Support team was asked to make a new design for a safe aircraft interface mechanism for the Shipboard Aircraft Handler (SAH). The SAH is made to grab, lift, and tow Naval and Marine Corps aircraft, like the F-18 or F-35, while on the deck of an aircraft carrier. The current design is being tested by Naval Air Systems Command aboard Patuxent Naval Air Station, Maryland.
Team Members
Christopher Pidala
Philemon Rono
Connor Coleman
Hun Young Ha
Supervisors
Christopher Muir, PhD, Mechanical Engineering, UR
Sponsors
Richard Muir, James Choflet and William Branch of Naval Air Systems Command
Project Description
The Shipboard Aircraft Handler is crucial for moving aircraft aboard a aircraft carrier. It must grab, lift, and tow many different types of military aircraft safely and efficiently. The team at Naval Air Systems Command tasked us with finding a novel idea to change how the SAH operates. The SAH’s current design is asymmetric and experiences deflection at the end of the Gripping Arms. Finding a new solution to these problems will lead to the safer and more efficient operation of the SAH and better landing gear capture techniques.
Project Report
Acknowledgements
The Ground Support team would like to sincerely thank Professor Christopher Muir for his close assistance and guidance through the various stages of this project. A special thank you goes to the project sponsors, Richard Muir, James Choflet and William Branch for working closely with the team to the successful completion of the project.