Airborne optical or electro-optical systems may be too large for all elements to be mounted on a single integrating structure, other than the aircraft fuselage itself. An active system must then be used to maintain the required alignment between elements. However the various smaller integrating structures (benches) must still be isolated from high- frequency airframe disturbances that could excite resonances outside the bandwidth of the alignment control system. The combined active alignment and vibration isolation functions must be performed by flight-weight components, which may have to operate in vacuum. A testbed system developed for the Air Force Airborne Laser program is described. The payload, a full-scale 1650-lb simulated bench, is mounted in six degrees- of-freedom to a vibrating platform by a set of isolator- actuators. The mounts utilize a combination of pneumatics and magnetics to perform the dual functions of low-frequency alignment and high-frequency isolation. Test results are given and future directions for development are described.

Date Published: 27 April 2000
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 3989, Smart Structures and Materials 2000: Damping and Isolation, (27 April 2000); doi: 10.1117/12.384586

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 3989:
Smart Structures and Materials 2000: Damping and Isolation
T. Tupper Hyde, Editor(s)