04.14.03

Cantwell Proposes New Research Center at UW to Focus on Advanced Materials in Next-Generation Aircraft Design

Cantwell announces legislation during Senate Commerce Committee field hearing on growth strategies for Northwest economy at Washington Convention & Trade Center

SEATTLE, WA – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) today announced legislation creating a new research center at the University of Washington focused on advanced materials in aircraft design. The announcement came at the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee field hearing on long-term growth strategies for the Northwest economy. The new Federal Aviation Administration Center of Excellence located at the University of Washington would focus on research to encourage the broader use of advanced structural materials, including both composites and new aluminum alloys, in future aircraft such as the Boeing 7E7.

"To build the next generation of Boeing airplanes here in the Northwest, we need to have the next generation of aviation manufacturing technologies," Cantwell said. "My hope is that this research center will strengthen Washington state's standing as the international leader in advanced manufacturing, not just for aviation but for a broad array of industries."

Cantwell worked with the University of Washington and the Boeing Company to draft the legislation. The legislation, which has already been included in the "The Second Century of Flight Act," an aviation research bill authored by Senators Ernest Hollings (D-SC), Cantwell, and Sam Brownback (R-KS). That legislation is expected to be considered along with the FAA reauthorization bill, which is the principal legislation guiding U.S. aviation policy. The University of Washington is currently partnered with Washington State University, Oregon State University and Edmonds Community College in this effort.

Specifically, the bill would direct the FAA Administrator to develop a new regional Center for Excellence to focus on applied research and training on the durability and maintainability of advanced materials in transport airframe structures, including the use of polymeric composites in large transport aircraft.

The research center would focus on these advanced materials with three primary goals. First, it would research the long-term durability and maintainability of aircraft manufacturing structures. Second, it would train new composites engineers and technicians and offer them continuing education. Third, the center would bring companies, researchers and government together to share ideas about new applications of the research.

This would be create the country's fifth FAA Center of Excellence (COE). The COE program administered by the FAA to foster collaboration among industry, academia and the FAA to perform research pertinent to developing and maintaining a safe and efficient national aerospace transportation system. The current four COEs are: (1) Airworthiness Assurance Center (Ohio State, Iowa State); (2) Operations Research (Berkeley, MIT and others); (3) Airport Pavement Research (University of Illinois, Northwestern); and (4) General Aviation (Embry-Riddle Aero Univ., Wichita State, University of North Dakota and others).

Senators Cantwell and Ron Wyden (D-OR) convened today's hearing, held at the Washington Convention and Trade Center to focus on how to revive the ailing northwest economy. Business leaders, academics, and economists from the northwest testified at the hearing.

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