Boeing Phantom Works Technology Projects in Australia
Boeing has established an Australian branch of its Phantom Works advanced research and development unit to better support its businesses in Australia and partner with Australian researchers on the development of mutually beneficial technologies that can be exported around the world.
The Phantom Works branch in Australia provides a centralised advanced R&D organisation for Boeing’s in-country businesses and serves as a focal point for collaboration with Australian R&D organisations, including universities and private sector R&D providers, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO).
Technology research areas will evolve to meet the emerging needs of Australia and Boeing business. Exciting projects under development today include:
Network-centric
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Developing network-centric capabilities that include software tools and “plug-and-play” protocols that will improve the interoperability of civil and military platforms, of great importance to the Australian government and Boeing’s businesses.
Ageing Aircraft
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Phantom Works has a number of projects underway that look at monitoring the health of ageing aircraft – including integrated vehicle health monitoring and BaNDIcoot, a handheld scanner that can be used on any part of a composite aircraft.
Unmanned Air Vehicles – Expanding Applications
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Expanding applications for unmanned air vehicles by demonstrating integrated sensor and communications technologies that will allow UAVs to operate safely in the national airspace and be used for a broader range of missions.
Advanced Composite Research Program
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Researching how to develop lower cost, more environmentally progressive composites for aero-structures including the development of new techniques for joining and repairing composites.
Light Robotics
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Exploring ways to incorporate commercial grade robotics into the manufacturing process of high-volume composite parts, and also into the application and removal of special coatings in aircraft maintenance.
Hypersonic Flight
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Looking even further into the future of aerospace, the HIFiRE hypersonic initiative is developing and demonstrating advanced scramjet and hypersonic vehicle technologies that will eventually lead to aircraft that can cross continents at cruising speeds of up to 10 times the speed of sound.
As Boeing’s advanced R&D organisation, Phantom Works provides innovative technologies that enable the development of future aerospace solutions while improving the cycle time, cost, quality and performance of current aerospace systems. To ensure technologies are ready when needed, Phantom Works not only conducts its own development but also works with top research groups around the world to find the most innovative and affordable solutions possible.