Our Services

CONCEPT AND DETAILED DESIGN

We offer the facility of developing new structural designs and concepts in either a 2D or 3D environment. Various concepts can be worked up, working with or without client constraints, before presenting to the client. Then after consultation a more detailed design can be created, including manufacturing drawings, to meet the clients’ specification and timescales. LEADA’s staff are equally at home designing a small mounting bracket for an aircraft radio or a complete hovercraft.

LEADA have experience in complying with clients existing design systems, and have extensive experience in the use of CATIA V5 CAD software to deliver your designs in a format suitable for immediate manufacture and to satisfy any certification requirements.

THREE DIMENSIONAL MODELLING

Using CATIA V5 Computer Aided Design and NASTRAN Finite Element Modelling, LEADA are able to create and analyse 3D designs of various levels of complexity. This offers clients the option of virtual testing a design concept to verify it’s ‘fit for purpose’, before any expensive manufacturing costs are incurred. The use of 3D computer modelling has been utilised to develop both new structure, and modification of existing structure, within existing airframe constraints.

MATERIAL COMPETENCY

Our design and analysis experience of over 30 years has covered a wide and challenging range of structural materials. From pre-war alloys on historic warbirds, to the latest state of the art composites for the next generation of unmanned air vehicles. Our knowledge of materials allows us to select the right material for our client’s needs, whether it is working to a strength or weight saving constraint or other manufacturing or environmental considerations, LEADA staff can advise.

MANUFACTURING

LEADA are able to help clients achieve their end result, by having a close liaison with the end manufacturer. Our involvement in design projects has not only seen us design specific components but we have also designed tooling and assembly jigs for various manufacturers to help them bring the components to market. Over the years our involvement with many differing projects has introduced us to various manufacturers that are specialists in their own right. If the project requires the latest composite moulding or a 5 axis machining centre, LEADA has the contacts that will enable your project to come to fruition.

STRUCTURAL TESTING

From the initial design concept stage, through to final design, the structural integrity of the project is constantly reviewed. Material selection is critical and physical structural tests are undertaken where ever necessary. From pull tests on individual composite test samples to full wiffle tree design and commissioning on full aircraft. Static load tests on a carbon fibre aircraft baggage bay, fire resistance testing on a new engine bay, or crash tests on gyroplanes, LEADA can, and have, delivered.

CERTIFICATION

Many years of close co-operation with the various regulatory authorities have enabled LEADA to have a good understanding of what is required to present the best case for certification for our clients’ needs. With this experience we can remove unnecessary time delays when early delivery times are paramount for our clients. All types of certification are undertaken at LEADA, from aircraft to be used in military arenas, to autogyros and civilian aircraft.

We have the knowledge of how best to present drawings packages, stress analyses, test reports and compliance check lists to the certification authorities to ease the passage through the certification process.

STRESS ANALYSIS

LEADA can offer you the facility of a quick check, via traditional hand calculation, to give confidence in your design. Alternatively, if you require a deeper investigation into your designs, we can develop full FEM models of your structure to provide you with accurate and reliable results, along with full documentation to present to any certifying authorities to prove the structural integrity of your design under all load cases.

LEADA can provide design and drawing review, to be able to focus on any critical areas of the structure. This review will result in verification of ‘Means of Compliance’, appropriate material selection and manufacturability. We will also assess whether the structure represents an optimum strength-to-weight solution for our client.