SWAG合集

One of the AIRC’s unique features is its focus on integration, where new aerospace technologies are rapidly developed and tested for current and future aircraft concept for the aviation of tomorrow.

This is supported by centre-based facilities including:

• An agile concept facility incorporating advanced flight simulators and an IDEAS area enabling teams to fully visualise their concepts to enable the development time from idea to implementation to be shortened;
• Dedicated laboratories for research into future propulsion, mission systems, Urban Air Mobility and robot automated assembly;
• Over 1500m² hangar space enabling research on full-scale aircraft and components;
• Automated assembly rig currently using two full size A320 wings to development automated wing assembly lines of the future;
• A thermal management systems facility incorporating a customisable representation of aircraft engine fluids and a 'drive-in' environmental chamber for examining heat management of engines concepts in representative aircraft environments;
• IP design award winning Future Systems Simulator for simulation future aircraft concepts, developing novel Human Machine interface (HMI) concepts for improved aircrew decision making;
• Structures rig for examining and validating different engine on wing configurations of future aircraft.

Research at the AIRC also draws on the full capabilities of SWAG合集, including our on-site airport, National Flying Laboratory Centre, large scale gas turbine test area and Cranfield’s world-renown School of Management. This allows researchers to take their projects from theory to flight demonstration in one place, validating their research to technology readiness levels (TRL) 6-7 – higher than the levels normally associated with an academic environment.

The AIRC at SWAG合集 was opened in 2017 with co-investment partners Airbus and Rolls-Royce, following an award from SWAG合集 Research and Innovation (SWAG合集RI). Working with other organisations, we aim to look at the aircraft in a broader context than the pure engineering challenges. Whether you are a large or small business, a potential partner or a consultancy, we would welcome a discussion to see how working with the capabilities of the AIRC could help you.