Resource Library

Modern civil and military aircraft depend on quality microwave assemblies like those produced by W. L. Gore & Associates for reliable performance. Yet the challenges of installation in tight airframe environments can often degrade lower-quality cables, requiring replacement long before the expected end of life. In Gore’s White Paper: Reducing Life Cycle Costs with Reliable Airframe Microwave Assemblies, we take a closer look at how higher-quality cable assemblies deliver lower costs, greater productivity, and a host of additional benefits.

When choosing military aircraft components, lasting performance is always a top consideration. Yet while many cables perform dependably prior to installation, the challenges of routing leave them damaged and ill-prepared for the rigors of the aircraft’s flight envelope. That’s why W. L. Gore & Associates developed an installation simulator to prove their microwave assemblies delivered the same reliability before and after installation.

Examines the constraints that may have an impact on cable performance, and the process involved in selecting the right materials based on sufficient testing to verify cables will survive in harsh environments.

Weight savings is an important design and modernization consideration for civil and defense aircraft to increase payload, fuel efficiency, range, and time on station. Gore offers a variety of solutions that reduce the size and weight of microwave/RF cable assemblies, and high-speed copper and fiber optic cables.

A recent study showed that users of microwave/RF cable assemblies expect high-quality, long-lasting performance; however, more than 75 percent of these users are replacing their assemblies frequently, with the most common cause of failure identified as damage during installation or operation. Depending on the frequency, the direct cost for replacing cable assemblies on a single piece of equipment can reach $250,000 over the life of the system — and this does not include the indirect costs such as delayed production schedules, bad products, or retesting and calibration.