CREARE LLC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: N132-103

Description

Aircraft carriers are the backbone of the U.S. Navy"s fleet, which operates around the globe, with the sole purpose of launching and recovering aircraft to support U.S. military and peacekeeping interests. The ability to quickly and safely launch aircraft can become a key limitation for an aircraft carrier when trying to deliver the maximum amount of warfighter capability. Currently, the wheel bearings on the launch gear equipment require ongoing maintenance, wear out prematurely, and need to be frequently replaced. Our goal for this project is to develop an advanced wheel bearing for the launch gear equipment on U.S. Navy carriers that does not require maintenance and can withstand up to 25,000 launch cycles between replacement intervals. In Phase I, we will develop a proof-of-concept wheel bearing and evaluate its feasibility for use in the launch gear system. During Phase II, we will expand on the Phase I feasibility results by fabricating a set of prototypical wheel bearings and evaluating them under real-world conditions.