COE for Airworthiness Assurance (AACE) Competitively Selected: 1997 Single source contract authority: $100M cap Technology Areas: Maintenance, Inspection, and Repair Crashworthiness Propulsion and Fuel Systems Safety Technologies Advanced Materials Sponsor: FAA Airport & Aircraft Safety R&D Division Members: Phase II – 31 Equal University Partners ( see following list) COE for Airworthiness Assurance Phase II - University Members Arizona State University Baylor University Carnegie Mellon University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Florida International University George Washington University Iowa State University Johns Hopkins University Lehigh University Mississippi State University New Jersey Institute of Technology North Carolina A&T State University Northwestern University Ohio State University Ohio University Pennsylvania State University Purdue University Rutgers University Tuskegee University University of Arizona University of California at Berkeley University of California at Los Angeles University of California at Santa Barbara University of Dayton University of Maryland University of Missouri - Columbia University of North Dakota University of Utah University of Washington Wayne State University Wichita State University COE for Airworthiness Assurance Phase II – Industry Affiliates ABX Air, Inc. AirTran Airways Alaska Airlines Aloha Airlines American Airlines American Eagle Atlantic Coast Airways Boeing Bombardier Aerospace-Learjet Cape Air Cessna Continental Delta Federal Express General Electric Honeywell JetBlue Airways Lufthansa Nantucket Airlines Northwest Pratt & Whitney Raytheon United Airlines US Airways Center of Excellence for Airworthiness Assurance AACE Established in September of 1997 by the FAA, The Center of Excellence (COE) for Airworthiness Assurance (AACE) is one of seven currently operating Air Transportation COEs. This Center is a multi-institutional, multidisciplinary team established by the FAA to address research, development, education, and technology transfer in the area of airworthiness assurance. Its mission is to contribute significantly toward aviation accident race reduction, especially in fatalities, thus improving aviation safety. In today's competitive market, the FAA realizes that the best way to investigate and solve aviation safety issues is to build a research team that combines the best talent from government, academia, and private industry. AACE researchers provide technical support and engineering data to many of the key industry committees that deal with industry standards and specifications and define methods and processes used in the manufacture, operation, maintenance, repair, and inspection of aviation products. With the active participation of private industry the partnership has experts from over 50 of the preeminent companies in the aviation industry such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Aircraft, General Electric, Pratt & Whitney, and American Airlines partnering to improve aviation safety. In November 2000, Phase I was successfully completed and a second phase began. The members arc continuing to explore cutting edge technologies and their applications to civil aviation. Research has begun in new areas such as nanotechnology, software and digid systems safety, and damage tolerance for propellers. The FAA provides technical guidance, overall program oversight, and leadership for the Center. Original core members under Phase I included Ohio State University, Iowa State University, Arizona State University, Northwestern University, University of Dayton, University of Maryland, Sandia National Laboratories, Wichita State University, and University of California-Los Angcles. Universities may affiliate with industry partners as needcd. Currently, under Phase II of the program, AACE has h e following members: Arizona State University Baylor University Carnegie Mellon University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Florida International University George Washington University Iowa State University Johns Hopkins University Lehigh University Mississippi State University New Jersey Institute of Technology North Carolina A&T State University Northwestern University Ohio State University Ohio University Pennsylvania State University Purdue University Rutgers University Tuskegee University University of Arizona University of California at Berkeley University of California at Los Angeles University of California at Santa Barbara University of Dayton University of Maryland University of Missouri - Columbia University of North Dakota University of Utah University of Washington Wayne State University Wichita State University FAA COE for Airworthiness Assurance Program Manager Jim White William J. Hughes Technical Center Phone: (609) 485-5 138 Fax: (609) 485-4101 Email: jim.white@faa.gov The FAA has estab1ished the following Centers of Excellence: The Joint Center of Excellence for Computational Modeling of Aircraft Structures 1992- 1996. Designated by Congress in 1990. Airport Technology- 1995 http://www.ce.uiuc.edu/research/ceat Operations Research – 1996 http://www.nextor.org Airworthiness Assurance – 1997 http://www.coe.faa.gov/aace General Aviation – 2001 http://www.cgar.org Aircraft Noise and Aviation Emissions Mitigation – 2003 With NASA and Transport Canada http://www.partner.aero Advanced Materials - 2004 http://www.niar.wisu.edu/coe/cecam.asp http://www.depts.washington.edu/amtas Airliner Cabin Environment Research – 2004 www.acer.eng.auburn.edu Patricia Watts, Ph.D. FAA COE Program Director 609-485-5043 fax: 609-485-9430 patricia.watts@faa.gov www.coe.faa.gov