Brookhouse builds engine diaphragm for T45 Goshawk

Citation

(2000), "Brookhouse builds engine diaphragm for T45 Goshawk", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 72 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2000.12772eab.006

Brookhouse builds engine diaphragm for T45 Goshawk

Brookhouse builds engine diaphragm for T45 Goshawk

Keywords Brookhouse Aerospace, Aero engines

Brookhouse Aerospace Ltd, of Stalybridge, Tameside, reports that it is currently building a series of interchangeable engine diaphragms for the T45 Goshawk aircraft, which is manufactured by BAe Systems and supplied to the US Navy, via Boeing, for aircraft carrier pilot training (Plate 4).

Plate 4 Part of the engine diaphragm for the T45 Goshawk manufactured by Brookhouse Aerospace

The T45 is an adaptation of the successful Hawk trainer and has been re-engineered to withstand the rigours of service at sea. The re-engineering of the engine diaphragm was an important part of this process as, apart from the corrosive, salty environment, the aircraft must also be extremely robust to withstand the repetitive shocks of carrier landings by student pilots.

BAe Systems decided to allow Brookhouse to manufacture the complete engine diaphragm assembly because of the experience the company had gained in manufacturing a large part of a similar assembly for the Hawk trainer. Essentially, the engine diaphragm is a structural component of the aircraft, which is used to secure the engine to the fuselage. It is an interchangeable component, in that it is bolted to the aircraft structure, before the engine itself is bolted on to it.

Brookhouse were supplied with Catia information of the required finished diaphragm and these data were then used to design and manufacture the tooling necessary to produce both sheet metal and solid components. The sheet metal components of the diaphragm were produced either on Brookhouse's 2,500-ton rubber press or by means of purpose-designed forming tools and the solid components were produced in-house on precision NC machine tools. The front and aft sections of the diaphragm were then painted and treated, before being assembled on specially built jigs. Individual components were fixed together by means of titanium bolts rather than rivets to meet the rigorous requirements expected in service. Brookhouse also produced exact representations of the engine holding spigots to ensure total interchangeability of the diaphragms.

All aspects of the diaphragm build project, from tooling design to assembly, have been carried out in-house within Brookhouse Holdings plc, a group of companies which offers expertise and capability in the design and manufacture of tools and components, both in metals and in composite materials. Particular experience has been gained in the aerospace sector and group skills have been employed in aircraft ranging from the Canberra to the Typhoon and from the Raytheon executive jet to the Airbus.

Details available from Brookhouse. Tel: +44 (0) 1254 706000.