Aviation & Aerospace White Papers and Case Studies

1. Validating Thermal Protection Before A Space-Shot Launch 6/5/2020

   Neil Tewksbury and his team at the University of Southern California Rocket Propulsion Lab want to blast a rocket into space. As part of an unofficial space race among international universities, Tewksbury and his team don’t just want to be the first team to successfully launch; they want to reach an altitude of 100 km (330,000 ft) above sea level with a rocket made up completely of components that they manufacture themselves. They only get to build one or two rockets every year, so testing components on the ground is essential to building viable rockets.

2. FLIR Thermal Imaging Cameras Monitor Stress Levels Of Helicopter Pilots 6/5/2020

   Flying a helicopter is a stressful activity. Pilots have a high workload and are constantly under pressure. Italian helicopter manufacturer Leonardo wanted a reliable and objective way to measure the stress that pilots experience, so they would be able to design more functional cockpits and train helicopter pilots more efficiently. The company brought in high-end thermal cameras from FLIR to monitor pilots during flight simulations and to see which procedures and operations cause stress.

3. Optical Components For SWIR Imaging 7/8/2019

   This application note provides information on the benefits of SWIR imaging in harsh or low-light level conditions, and PG&O's capabilities in manufacturing optical components for SWIR imaging.

4. Virtual Engineering Lab Using Photron High-Speed Cameras For Aviation Research 6/12/2018

   Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) is using high-speed digital cameras, manufactured by Photron, in their Virtual Engineering Laboratory in a variety of testing modes such as high-impact dynamic events.

5. Radiometric Temperature Measurements: Surface Characteristics And Atmospheric Compensation 4/26/2018

   Radiometric temperature measurements are made with radiometric thermal cameras. This white paper discusses this non-contact, non-destructive technique (NDT) that offers advantages for many surface temperature measurement applications, as well as unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

6. Development Of A 3D Thermal Image Camera System To Perform Analyses From The Air 4/23/2018

   In response to the need for recording 3D thermal images, a team at a university in Germany developed a thermal imaging/RGB system capable of delivering 3D imagery by overlapping pictures from four digital and four FLIR A65sc cameras with 25° fields of view.

7. Advanced-Absorber Microbolometer Superstructure: Patented Sensor Technology Revealed 3/19/2018

   The most significant development in the production of infrared sensors and their ability to affect improvements to SWaP-C requirements comes from the introduction of uncooled focal plane array (FPA) designs. 

8. Mitigating Aircraft Damage With A New Generation of Fuel Tank Sensors 6/23/2015

   This white paper describes how these sensor technology developments are able to provide pilots with immediate temperature, pressure, and oxygen concentration readings of fuel tanks in the duration of a flight.

9. 3D Printing Technologies For Prototyping And Production 5/8/2015

   Today’s products are designed to be manufactured in thousands or hundreds of thousands, and both parts and assembled products can be built and tested throughout the development process.

10. Cooled vs. Uncooled Thermal Imaging 4/29/2015

    This application note describes the difference between cooled and uncooled thermal imaging cameras, and when to use them in applications such as industrial R&D, academics and research, and defense and aerospace.