WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – The Air Force Research Laboratory and Lockheed Martin had a demonstration flight of the Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft June 2 at Palmdale, Calif. The ACCA is a modified Dornier 328J with the fuselage aft of the crew station and the vertical tail removed and replaced with new structural designs made of advanced composite materials fabricated using out-of-autoclave curing. The ACCA program manager said the program has the potential of changing aircraft manufacturing. (Source: AFNS, 06/03/09) Gulf Coast note: South Mississippi is known national for its advanced materials research; the National Center for Advanced Manufacturing is located in New Orleans; unmanned aerial systems are built in Moss Point, Miss.; EADS hopes to assemble tankers and cargo planes in Mobile, Ala.
