SPECIAL NOTICE
K -- DESIGN MODIFICATIONS FOR HORUS GLIDERS
- Notice Date
- 1/18/2022 7:13:10 AM
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 541330
— Engineering Services
- Contracting Office
- DEPT OF COMMERCE NOAA SEATTLE WA 98115 USA
- ZIP Code
- 98115
- Solicitation Number
- NRMJ1000-22-00123MCW
- Response Due
- 2/3/2022 1:00:00 PM
- Point of Contact
- Michelle C Walton, Phone: 3034976335
- E-Mail Address
-
Michelle.Walton@noaa.gov
(Michelle.Walton@noaa.gov)
- Description
- ***NOAA'S ACQUISITION & GRANTS OFFICE, WESTERN ACQUISITION DIVISION-BOULDER, OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH (OAR) EARTH SYSTEMS RESEARCH LABORATORY (ESRL) GLOBAL MONITORING LAB (GML) INTENDS TO NEGOTIATE, ON A SOLE SOURCE BASIS, UNDER AUTHORITY OF FAR 13.106-1(b)(1), WITH RAPIDFLIGHT HOLDINGS, LLC OUT OF MANASSAS, VA TO PROVIDE DESIGN MODIFICATIONS TO HORUS GLIDERS. ***THE SOLE SOURCE DETERMINATION IS BASED ON THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION'S (NOAA) REQUIREMENT OF HORUS GLIDER DESIGN MODIFICATIONS AND FABRICATION OF ADDITIONAL GLIDERS IMPLEMENTING THOSE MODIFICATIONS FROM DATE OF AWARD THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30, 2023. THE REQUIREMENT IS TO PROVIDE DESIGN WORK, MANUFACTURING CONSULTING AND FLIGHT TEST EVALUATION FOR MODIFICATIONS TO THE NOAA/GML HIGH-ALTITUDE OPERATIONAL RETURN UNMANNED SYSTEM (HORUS) GLIDER AND THE ASSISTANCE WITH THE MANUFACTURING OF TWO (2) ADDITIONAL, MODIFIED HORUS GLIDERS. AERODYNAMIC EVALUATION AND DESIGN WORK ARE REQUIRED TO BE MADE TO THE FOUR EXISTING HORUS AIRFRAMES TO ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO PERFORM A FULL CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS (CONOPS) FLIGHT MISSION THAT INVOLVES THE RETURN NOAA SCIENTIFIC PAYLOADS FROM 95,000 FT MSL TO THE GROUND. TWO AIRCORES AND ASSOCIATED SCIENTIFIC PAYLOAD (RADIOSONDE FOR TEMPERATURE AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY, GPS FOR POSITION, AND DATA ACQUISITION), AS WELL AS A BALLOON CUT-AWAY DEVICE AND DEPLOYABLE PARACHUTE FOR FINAL DESCENT WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO THE GLIDER AIRFRAME; THE TOTAL WEIGHT OF THE GLIDER PLUS SCIENTIFIC PAYLOAD MUST REMAIN BELOW 28 POUNDS.� FIELD ENGINEERS MUST BE ABLE TO QUICKLY ASSEMBLE/DISASSEMBLE THE GLIDER FOR TRANSPORT IN A VAN TO/FROM THE LABORATORY OR IN REMOTE LOCATIONS.� QUICK CONSTRUCTION OF THIS CUSTOM GLIDER WILL ALLOW GML TO ACCOMPLISH ITS MISSION OF IMPROVING RETRIEVALS OF AIRCORE SAMPLERS, WHICH PROVIDE VALUABLE INFORMATION FOR SATELLITE VALIDATION AND SOME OF THE ONLY TRACE GAS MEASUREMENTS AVAILABLE IN THE LOWER TO MID-STRATOSPHERE RAPIDFLIGHT WILL BE DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING MODIFICATIONS TO THE NOAA/GML HORUS GLIDER BASED ON THE EXISTING AIRFRAME AND SCIENTIFIC NEEDS. RAPIDFLIGHT, LLC WAS FOUNDED BY DR. JAY GUNDLACH IN 2021, IS UNIQUE IN THAT IT SPECIALIZES IN THE DESIGN AND RAPID, ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF UAS PLATFORMS FOR QUICK PRODUCTION OF GLIDER COMPONENTS FOR FIELD RESEARCH. GUNDLACH IS A LEADING SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT WITH TWO DECADES OF EXPERIENCE IN UAS PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT WITH DESIGNS THAT HAVE ACCUMULATED OVER A MILLION OPERATIONAL FLIGHT HOURS. RAPIDFLIGHT IS UNIQUELY EQUIPPED FOR DESIGNING CUSTOM GLIDER AIRFRAMES OF THE SIZE OF THE HORUS. BECAUSE THE END GOAL OF NOAA/GML IS TO GAIN FAA APPROVAL FOR HORUS FLIGHTS, THE BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE LEVEL OF THE RAPIDFLIGHT TEAM WITH WORKING WITH THE FAA IS ALSO CRITICAL TO OUR SUCCESS. RAPIDFLIGHT HAS PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE COLLABORATING WITH DELTA ZEE SOLUTIONS FOR THE MANUFACTURING OF THEIR DESIGNS. TEAMING UP WITH OTHER VENDORS WOULD LIKELY CAUSE A SIGNIFICANT DELAY IN THE PROJECT AND WOULD LEAD TO AN UNSUCCESSFUL OUTCOME. RAPIDFLIGHT INCLUDES ALL OF THE EXPERTISE NEEDED FOR SUCCESS: DIRECT EXPERIENCE DESIGNING AND/OR MODIFYING CUSTOM-BUILT GLIDERS, SPECIFICALLY THOSE USE FOR HIGH-ALTITUDE FLIGHT AS IS REQUESTED HERE PROVEN TRACK RECORD FOR RAPID DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIAL PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT COMMONLY AVAILABLE ON THE MARKET POTENTIAL FOR INCORPORATING ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING CAPABILITIES FOR HORUS AIRFRAME COMPONENTS WHILE THERE ARE MANY AERODYNAMICS DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING TEAMS IN THE US FOR GLIDERS IN GENERAL, THE RAPIDFLIGHT TEAM IS THE ONLY VENDOR THAT SPECIALIZES IN THE CUSTOM DESIGN AND ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF LIGHTWEIGHT AND PORTABLE UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS (UAS) FOR A SPECIFIED PAYLOAD. THEY HAVE THE DESIGN EXPERTISE REQUIRED BY THE NOAA/GML AIRCORE PROJECT FOR I.E. A LIGHTWEIGHT, AUTO-PILOTED GLIDER WITH HIGH-ALTITUDE (95,000 FT. MSL) PERFORMANCE, CAN MAKE MODIFICATIONS TO THE CURRENT NOAA/GML HORUS GLIDER FOR A MAXIMUM 28-POUND WEIGHT LIMIT INCLUDING THE SCIENTIFIC PAYLOAD, AND CAN SPECIALIZE IN PORTABILITY FOR DEPLOYMENT TO REMOTE FIELD SITES. THE RAPIDFLIGHT TEAM ALSO OFFERS EXPERTISE IN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING AND IN COORDINATING WITH THE FEDERAL AVIATION AUTHORITY ON UAS FLIGHT PERMISSIONS FOR TESTING AND DEPLOYMENT. ONE OTHER COMPANY, STRATODYNAMICS AVIATION, INC, MANUFACTURES A COMMERCIALLY-AVAILABLE, HIGH-ALTITUDE GLIDER, BUT IT DOES NOT BUILD CUSTOM PRODUCTS THAT WOULD MEET THE NEEDS OF THE AIRCORE PROJECT WITH RESPECT TO THE CAPABILITY TO INTEGRATE A CUSTOM SCIENTIFIC SAMPLING SYSTEM AND PROPERLY MODELED INLET CONFIGURATION AND ORIENTATION, WEIGHT CONSTRAINTS AND PORTABILITY. ***THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS AND NO SOLICITATION PACKAGE IS AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, FIRMS THAT BELIEVE THEY CAN FULLY MEET THE GOVERNMENT'S REQUIREMENTS MAY SUBMIT SUBSTANTIATING DOCUMENTATION IN WRITING TO THE IDENTIFIED POINT OF CONTACT WITHIN 15 DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION OF THIS SYNOPSIS. SUCH DOCUMENTATION WILL BE EVALUATED SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT TO CONDUCT THIS PROCUREMENT ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS. A DETERMINATION BY THE GOVERNMENT NOT TO CONDUCT A COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT, BASED UPON RESPONSES TO THIS NOTICE, IS SOLELY WITHIN THE DISCRETION OF THE GOVERNMENT. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE IN RESPONSE TO THIS NOTICE.
- Web Link
-
SAM.gov Permalink
(https://sam.gov/opp/8fc0b9797f5a42148add23bac776b62e/view)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Manassas, VA, USA
- Country: USA
- Country: USA
- Record
- SN06218802-F 20220120/220118230102 (samdaily.us)
- Source
-
SAM.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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