idea to flight , Aurora ’ s daily operations are the definition of unique .”
In the Mountain State , Aurora manufactures composite structures for MQ-25 , aft fuselage , nacelle and v-tail assemblies for Global Hawk and Triton and nacelles and main rotor pylons for military helicopters . Its manufacturing processes range in scope from laying up carbon fiber composite components by hand to fully automated robotic machining , transport and inspection technology .
According to Thompson , Aurora is proud of its long-term support of defense industry programs . The company first delivered v-tail assemblies for the Global Hawk program in 1995 , and its role in the program has continued to expand ever since .
“ Over the years , we have worked on many programs under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency , from a line of unmanned vertical takeoff and landing vehicles in 2003 to today ’ s earlystage development programs in artificial intelligence ,” he says .
Aurora has experienced growth in West Virginia and nationally since its founding in 1989 , and the company continues to take on new and exciting opportunities .
“ We are particularly excited about beginning work on building two next-generation motherships for Virgin Galactic and continuing to support our troops with growing U . S . Department of Defense ( DOD ) programs and next-generation platforms ,” Thompson says .
Azimuth Incorporated
For more than 30 years , Azimuth Incorporated , a Morgantown-based company , has been supporting the DOD with its specialization in the design and manufacture of military-grade hardware and software for use on land and in maritime environments .
Azimuth specializes in software and electronics engineering , rapid prototyping , manufacturing , geographic information system / infrastructure analysis and biometrics and has developed numerous products for government and commercial customers , including marine integrated bridge systems , rugged digital video recorders ( DVR ), biometric enrollment systems , diver tracking systems and logistical support systems .
“ Many of our systems are unique in nature , and we are known for designing and manufacturing very rugged systems that can withstand high shock , severe temperatures and vibration ,” says President and CEO Craig Hartzell .
Just one example of Azimuth ’ s innovation is its Rugged High Definition-Mission Data Recorder ( HD-MDR ). Rigorously tested against high-speed military combatant craft , this product provides sea , land and air systems with a powerful computing system that can operate as a stand-alone MDR or as a part of a larger system to fill the need for quality , reliable , rugged missions video requirements . The HD-MDR integrates a multichannel DVR with platform meta-data logging capability to implement a highly
Photo by Aurora Flight Sciences .
Aurora delivers high-quality composite , metal and structural components used on military unmanned aerial vehicles and helicopters and innovates new aircraft configurations , propulsion technologies and autonomous systems for use in future aircraft .
“ Aurora designs , builds and flies aircraft and enabling technologies that have never been done before ,” says Vice President of Manufacturing Eric Thompson . “ Whether it is a new robotic manufacturing system to produce quality aircraft parts at lower costs or a cutting-edge X-plane to advance novel concepts from
Photo by Azimuth .
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