Content Will Cover Maintenance And Repair Of Composite Materials

Wichita State University's National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) and Wichita Area Technical College (WATC) ... through the National Center for Aviation Training (NCAT)... will host an on-line Composites Maintenance Technology course that will focus on critical composite materials maintenance and repair safety issues beginning March 1.
 
This course will provide students with an awareness of composite materials technology principles with a focus on repair and maintenance of composites and associated safety issues. The course can also be used to provide an introduction to other skill-building courses which are beyond the scope of this class. Sponsored by the FAA, the course was created through the collaboration of experts and composite materials organizations, assuring it is relevant to industry needs.

The course is hosted online, and students can participate in case study discussions at their convenience with various experts in the field. The typical student time commitment averages 70 hours over the eight-week period.

Upon completion of the online course, the principles learned can be applied in an optional three-day laboratory course, held at NIAR.

Course topics include:
Overview of the technology of composites used in aerospace
Teamwork and disposition of damaged composites
Damage detection and characterization:
Damage types and sources
Damage and repair inspection procedures
Bolted composite repair
Bonded composites repair

The course is developed and instructed by Charles Seaton, who has more than 30 years of experience in aircraft design, manufacturing, and aircraft modification. Seaton received a Master of Science degree in Materials Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Master of Business Administration from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Ceramic Engineering from the University of Washington. He has taught and developed undergraduate on-line courses with Wichita State University, Edmonds Community College and DeVry University. He has also taught graduate-level management courses at the University of Dallas.
 
Additional aircraft composites maintenance experts will also participate in course discussions.

FMI: www.niar.wichita.edu/webcourse