Unitech Composites and Structures, Inc. (Unitech), an AGC Aerospace & Defense Company, has been awarded a contract to produce lightweight, insulated ducting components for the V-22 Osprey Environmental Control System (ECS). The company recently completed tooling of the production line and will commence full production next quarter.

"Unitech is honored to work with Boeing on this new, thermally insulated ducting system for the V-22 program," stated Alan Haase, President of Unitech and the AGC Composites Group. "This system will provide an improved operating environment for our soldiers. And, providing a high quality product that helps our military is extremely important to us."

Unitech, using advanced composite materials and novel integrated insulation techniques, will deliver a thermally sensitive ducting product that is also lightweight. The new ECS design is backward compatible, so it can be used with older, currently fielded support systems. This technology is also available and being evaluated for other platforms.

The V-22, the first tiltrotor aircraft to be fielded in the military, is a hybrid aircraft, combining selected capabilities of an airplane and a helicopter. The airframe incorporates state-of-the-art materials and structural designs which increase reliability and reduce weight.