• Public invited to First Flight ceremony at WPAFB

    The public is invited to a First Flight ceremony at the Wright Memorial Hill here Thursday, Dec. 17 at 10 a.m. The event commemorates the 106th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' first successful powered flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C. on Dec. 17. 1903. Brig. Gen. Paul Sampson, mobilization assistant to

  • NASCAR All Ears on Effort to SPEARhead Hearing Protection

    Listen up, NASCAR. The Air Force and SPEAR Labs, LLC, want technologies originally developed for battlefield hearing protection and communications to benefit motorsports as well. Created under Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between SPEAR Labs and Air Force Reserach Laboratory's 711th

  • SBIR-Produced Patterns Replace Wax With Foam Technology

    Funded in part by Air Force Research Laboratory Manufacturing Technology Small Business Innovation Research contracts, FOPAT Production, Inc., is producing breakthrough foam patterns for casting foundries and other manufacturers of aerospace components. The advanced patterns will improve casting

  • Space Access Capability Boosted by Wind Tunnel Test Success

    With help from Air Force Research Laboratory, the Air Force is pursuing a Reusable Booster System concept as the potential next step towards a low-cost space access capability. Whereas current booster systems are entirely expendable and require long lead times prior to launch, an RBS equipped with

  • Research for Bat-Inspired Micro Air Vehicles Taking Wing

    Air Force Research Laboratory-funded researchers from several universities are studying the flexible, flapping wings of bats (as well as birds and certain insects) in order to mimic desirable biological attributes towards micro air vehicle improvements in agility, speed, and adaptability. If

  • Gotcha Radar Dishing--or "Desching"--Up Meaningful ISR

    The Air Force Gotcha radar program will leverage "Desch"--Air Force Research Laboratory's newest supercomputer and the 308th-fastest device in the world--to translate massive amounts of radar surveillance data into high-resolution, three-dimensional video images for observing activity over an entire

  • Tuning In to Multispectral and Polarimetric Target Detection

    Having completed Phase I of a Small Business Innovation Research effort ultimately pursuing a full-scale sensor capability available for ready integration into small unmanned aerial systems sensor suites, Applied NanoFemto Technologies has begun SBIR Phase II work on the heretofore highly successful

  • X-55A (aka Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft) a Success in the Making

    In June, Air Force Research Laboratory and Lockheed Martin completed the first flight demonstration of the Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft.  The success of this event prompted official Headquarters Air Force designation of the ACCA as the X-55A, effective in October. The initial flight focused on

  • SBIR-Enabled Technology Holds Nothing Back From Aircrew Safety

    Aircrew restraint technology originally developed--and soon to be delivered to the Navy in enhanced form--through Air Force Research Laboratory Small Business Innovation Research funding will reduce personnel injuries and save lives. Based in part on the lab's Universal Mobile Aircrew Restraint

  • Transition Approval Go-Ahead a SMART Program Move

    On 24 September, US Strategic Command formally requested that Air Force Reserach Laboratory provide the software code needed for installing its Subject-Matter Analysis and Research Toolkit application on the Integrated Strategic Planning and Analysis Network Experimental Planning Lab for future