R&D Contracting Directorate, Bldg 7, 2530 C Street, WPAFB, OH 45433-7607

A -- INNOVATIVE THERMAL PROTECTION MATERIALS (TPM) SOL PRDA NO. 98-40-MLK DUE 033099 POC Contact Pamela J. Covey, Contract Negotiator, (937) 255-5051, or Lynne M. Imhoff, Contracting Officer, (937) 255-5051 WEB: click here to download a copy of the prda announcement, http://www.wrs.afrl.af.mil/contract/opptnty1.htm. Air Force Research Laboratory, AFRL/MLBC, solicits research proposals on Innovative Thermal Protection Materials (TPM). The principal objective of this PRDA is to identify, select, develop, and characterize materials and processing (M&P) technology solutions which provide thermal protection in the extreme thermal and structural environment of atmospheric hypersonic flight, including an extended cruise segment. The program focus is on innovative M&P providing the necessary thermal protection at an affordable cost. Innovative solutions are needed as cost and producibility are key deficiencies for conceptual carbon-based, carbon-carbon, ceramic, refractory or other TPM being considered for large components such as hypersonic aeroshells. Based upon one or more selected reference operational system concepts and components, the contractor shall develop materials property goals for identifying and selecting candidate TPM concepts. The contractor shall conduct a performance driver assessment of cost effectiveness, scale-up technical feasibility, materials property goals and tradeoffs, and component integration issues, such as insulation and attachments, for the selected concepts. The assessment shall be applied to guide research and exploratory development (R&D) and shall be updated during the program. Government-furnished materials thermal and mechanical property testing, including limited ablation -- insulation characterization, will be conducted to provide improvement guidance and validate TPM effectiveness. This program will provide affordable, thermally protective, design-tailorable, and structurally efficient TPM for future USAF systems. While the R&D has general application and is not weapon or hardware systems specific, the resulting affordable M&P technology could be suitable for technical transition for such potential future hypersonic system concepts and technology demonstrators as the Common Aero Vehicle (CAV), Space Operations Vehicle (SOV), HyTech (Hypersonic Technology) Cruise Missile, and Affordable Rapid Response Missile Demonstrator (ARRMD). Interested offerors may view and/or download the full PRDA solicitation by accessing the AFRL Wright Research Site Contracting homepage at http://www.wrs.afrl.af.mil/contract/. Direct Contracting related questions to the Contracting point of contact identified in the announcement, and direct any technical questions to the Technical Point of contact, Rex Farmer, at 937-255-9061, as identified in the annoucement. Potential offerors are notified that effective 01 Jun 1998, in order to be eligible to receive any DoD award, you must be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) Database. On-line registration instructions can be accessed from the Wright Research Site Contracting Office home page at http://www.wrs.afrl.af.mil/contract/ or the DISA CCR home page at http://ccr.edi.disa.mil/. Posted 02/03/99 (W-SN294312). (0034)

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