Airborne Engineering Ltd (AEL) was established in 2001 to design, test, and produce airborne instrumentation. Through our work on developing a low thrust-misalignment solid propellant rocket nozzle for the QinetiQ-1 balloon, we became increasingly involved with rocket engine test and evaluation programmes. In 2009 we moved to our current location at Westcott Venture Park near Aylesbury, the site of the former Rocket Propulsion Establishment.
At Westcott we modernised and upgraded the existing infrastructure to create a state of the art propulsion test facility. In recent years our customer base has grown, and we have provided test services for rocket engines using a variety of solid, liquid, and gaseous propellants. We have designed bespoke test rigs and control systems, tested injector and nozzle geometries, and evaluated the performance of new propellants and materials.
Our customers rely on us to deliver successful cutting-edge test programmes on time and on budget. Alongside commercial test work, we have also undertaken a variety of in-house research programmes, including developing a vertical takeoff vertical landing rocket platform, designing and testing additively manufactured combustion chambers and injectors, and testing novel materials and coatings for propulsion applications.
At Westcott we modernised and upgraded the existing infrastructure to create a state of the art propulsion test facility. In recent years our customer base has grown, and we have provided test services for rocket engines using a variety of solid, liquid, and gaseous propellants. We have designed bespoke test rigs and control systems, tested injector and nozzle geometries, and evaluated the performance of new propellants and materials.
Our customers rely on us to deliver successful cutting-edge test programmes on time and on budget. Alongside commercial test work, we have also undertaken a variety of in-house research programmes, including developing a vertical takeoff vertical landing rocket platform, designing and testing additively manufactured combustion chambers and injectors, and testing novel materials and coatings for propulsion applications.
Services
Our staff have a wide range of engineering, scientific and business experience, having previously worked on projects including stratospheric balloon records, aerodynamic decelerator testing, radio frequency propagation studies, meteorological radar, general aviation and various rocket engine programmes.
Our staff have over 70 years combined experience in rocket systems design and testing.
Our staff have over 70 years combined experience in rocket systems design and testing.
This test campaign studied the performance of a heat exchanger with a letterbox-shaped cross section for a single module of the HX3 subsystem of Reaction Engines' SABRE engine.
This required AEL to design a custom hot gas heat source, which was capable of providing partially combusted air with variable massflow.
This programme evaluated the suitability of using CuCrZr for additively manufacturing rocket engine combustion chambers, under a UKSA Pathfinder grant with maunfacturing partner 3T AM.
Small test pieces were printed in CuCrZr to analyse the flow properties of various printed geometries.
This required AEL to design a custom hot gas heat source, which was capable of providing partially combusted air with variable massflow.
This programme evaluated the suitability of using CuCrZr for additively manufacturing rocket engine combustion chambers, under a UKSA Pathfinder grant with maunfacturing partner 3T AM.
Small test pieces were printed in CuCrZr to analyse the flow properties of various printed geometries.
At our Westcott facility, we have a well-equipped on-site mechanical workshop and instrumentation lab and two rocket engine test bays covering a variety of propellants and thrust ratings up to 40kN.
We are able to test at higher thrust levels elsewhere on the Westcott site if required.
Each test bay has extensive data acquisition and control support, which can be extended for specific experimental requirements as necessary.
Raw data and automated reports are available immediately after a firing is complete, allowing rapid turnaround and efficient test schedules.
We are able to test at higher thrust levels elsewhere on the Westcott site if required.
Each test bay has extensive data acquisition and control support, which can be extended for specific experimental requirements as necessary.
Raw data and automated reports are available immediately after a firing is complete, allowing rapid turnaround and efficient test schedules.
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