The doors and glazing on the HX50 represent a significant portion of the helicopter's structural weight. Our primary goal has been to reduce this weight to an absolute minimum without compromising strength or integrity.

To achieve this, we've developed an efficient structural recipe. The key is using the glazing panels themselves as structural elements. By integrating the windows into the core structure of the doors, we give the entire assembly the stiffness it needs. This design eliminates the need for heavy internal structural cores, dramatically reducing weight.

Beyond the core structure, we've fully integrated the internal strip lights, the latest door handle designs, central locking, and all associated electrical components. This approach ensures every part serves a purpose, resulting in a lightweight, robust, and highly functional door system ready for a flawless paint finish.

Fusing Industries for Aerospace Perfection

We've combined techniques from large-scale composite manufacturing, like high-end boat building, with the stringent quality and precision required for aerospace applications. The result is a groundbreaking tooling process:

1. Production-Intent Patterns: We start with a master pattern for each part, like the forward passenger door. These patterns are mounted on rigid, stackable bases for easy storage and longevity.
2. Advanced Tooling Construction: The pattern is built with a low-cost polystyrene core, sealed with fibreglass layers, and features a vacuum base seal to ensure complete integrity throughout the moulding process.
3. New Epoxy Paste & Precision Milling: We apply a new, advanced epoxy-based tooling paste using an upgraded application machine. The pasted tool is then machined on our new gantry mill, which operates 24/7 with incredibly tight tolerances.

This entire process means that a tool comes off the mill almost ready for immediate use. It requires minimal hand-finishing before it’s ready to produce high-quality carbon moulds. Ultimately, we can now make better composite parts at a lower cost, faster and more reliably than ever before.

Laminate Recipes

We have finalised the "laminate recipe" for both structural and non-structural panels. For large surface area parts that don't carry major loads, the goal is minimum weight with maximum surface quality. For structural parts, the material properties are paramount. This work also includes integrating elements like lightning strike protection while ensuring the composite is durable and easy to paint. The formal qualification of these materials is already well underway.

The Science of Paint

Paint adds a surprising amount of weight to an aircraft. We are working closely with our production paint suppliers to optimize every aspect of the painting process. Our goals are twofold:

• Reduce the weight of the final paint layer.
• Achieve the highest possible surface finish straight out of the gun, minimising the need for time-consuming polishing.

We've been testing our standard colours, like Graphite Grey, and even some fun custom shades. Now that the process is refined, we are producing numerous trial panels that will undergo rigorous environmental testing. By exposing them to extreme climates, we'll ensure our paint finish resists cracking, peeling, and degradation, guaranteeing your HX50 looks stunning for years to come.