R&D Laboratory Support
Advancing safety and efficiency through high fidelity R&D laboratories.
The FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey, is the nation's premier federal aviation laboratory for advancing the United States National Airspace System (NAS) and sustaining its continued safe and efficient operations.
The Center's partners and highly diverse, technical workforce use a vast array of state-of-the-art laboratories to enable research, engineering, development, test, and evaluation of advanced aviation technologies. These combined assets deliver capabilities that modernize and sustain the nation's airspace system while simultaneously making it the safest, most efficient aviation system in the world.
Organizationally, the Technical Center Directorate (ANG-E) reports to the NextGen (ANG) organization. The director of the Technical Center oversees and leads a campus comprised of approximately 3,000 civil servant and contract scientists, researchers, engineers, and support staff who engage with stakeholders to research, design, develop, test, and implement innovative improvements to the aviation system.
Diakon Solutions assists FAA’s Structures and Propulsion Branch at the William J. Hughes Technical Center providing strategic research enabling new aircraft to be safer, more efficient, and environmentally cleaner; while allowing older aircraft to continue operating safely. Research focus areas include propulsion & fuel systems, advanced materials, structural safety, continued airworthiness/structural integrity, aircraft icing, and electrical systems.
Diakon Solutions assists FAA's Aircraft Fire Safety Branch providing strategic research to protect aircraft occupants from the effects of fire through prevention or mitigation of in-flight fires, and improvement of survivability in the event of a post-crash fire. Research focus areas include cargo, propulsion and fuel systems, cabin interior fire protection, and advanced fire-resistant materials.
Full-Scale Aircraft Structural Test Evaluation and Research (FASTER) Laboratory
Full-Scale Aircraft Structural Test Evaluation and Research (FASTER) Laboratory
Full-Scale Aircraft Structural Test Evaluation and Research (FASTER) Laboratory
The FASTER Lab is a cutting-edge facility dedicated to testing fuselage panels under realistic flight conditions to ensure safety and structural integrity. It serves as a national hub for researching and developing airframe structures for current and future airplanes. Through collaborations with government agencies, industry, and academia, the lab provides essential data to assess and certify aircraft designs and technologies for both safety and airworthiness. Diakon Solutions plays a crucial role by providing comprehensive test support and using resulting data to refine fatigue and damage tolerance assessment methodologies.
Structures and Materials Laboratory (SML)
Full-Scale Aircraft Structural Test Evaluation and Research (FASTER) Laboratory
Full-Scale Aircraft Structural Test Evaluation and Research (FASTER) Laboratory
The SML is a versatile facility designed for current and future research needs, anchored by a robust strong floor that serves as a flexible test fixture. It enables efficient and cost-effective full-scale aircraft structure testing. The lab features two load frames for material strength, fatigue tests, and small component testing, with plans to expand by adding hydraulic equipment and additional load frames. Key equipment includes a scanning electron microscope for fractographic studies, a hardness tester, and Non-Destructive Test and Inspection (NDI) tools like ultrasound, eddy-current, thermography, and electron microscopy for surface analysis, supported by Diakon Solutions.
Aircraft Beam Structural Test (ABST) Fixture
Full-Scale Aircraft Structural Test Evaluation and Research (FASTER) Laboratory
Aircraft Beam Structural Test (ABST) Fixture
The ABST Fixture, a result of FAA and Boeing collaboration, investigates bonded repair technology's safety and structural integrity through testing. Diakon Solutions integrated the mechanical test fixture, hydraulic system, and control/DAQ system. It supports a multi-phase research program assessing bonded repairs on composite panels resembling transport airplane wings. Initial testing by Diakon Solutions established material responses under various conditions, validating loading and analysis models. This baseline aids Non-Destructive Inspections (NDI) and future phases will explore Bonded Repair Size Limit (BRSL) studies and residual strength prediction methods for composite laminates and honeycomb panels.
Full-Scale Fire Test Facility
Propulsion and Air Power Engineering Research (POWER) Lab
Aircraft Beam Structural Test (ABST) Fixture
Established in 1980, the Full-Scale Fire Test Facility is the largest of its kind in the U.S, operated by the government. Diakon Solutions maintains and supports the facility's computer software and hardware. Testing on a Boeing 707 and McDonnell Douglas DC-10 utilizes a sophisticated Data Acquisition System, customized for various testing scenarios to monitor gas sampling, temperature, smoke levels, and heat flux. Diakon Solutions also supports testing on a Boeing 727 for joint FAA/NASA projects, employing expertise in IOTech DaqBook 2000 Series hardware and DasyLab software.
Aircraft Components Fire Test Facility
Propulsion and Air Power Engineering Research (POWER) Lab
Propulsion and Air Power Engineering Research (POWER) Lab
Diakon Solutions assisted FAA engineers at the Aircraft Components Fire Test Facility in developing improved testing procedures for thermal acoustic insulation. We modified a radiant panel test chamber initially used for aircraft flooring materials to enhance testing for insulation flammability characteristics. Diakon Solutions designed steel frames for sample stability and optimized heat flux settings. We further contributed to building a new chamber using an electric radiant panel for consistent heat emission. Our efforts included designing and fabricating representative insulation samples and establishing industry standards through issued Advisory Circulars (ACs).
Propulsion and Air Power Engineering Research (POWER) Lab
Propulsion and Air Power Engineering Research (POWER) Lab
Propulsion and Air Power Engineering Research (POWER) Lab
The FAA William J. Hughes
Technical Center has three test cells dedicated to full-scale engine research. The POWER laboratory has more than 20 engines in-house ranging from a small experimental Rotax engine to a Pratt & Whitney PT6 turboprop engine. With the Alternative Fuel for General Aviation (GA) program the bulk of the engine inventory consists primarily of Continental Motors Inc. and Textron Lycoming engines that could be impacted by the upcoming and ongoing transition from leaded aviation gasoline to an unleaded alternative. Types of engine testing historically performed at the POWER laboratory include detonation, endurance, power performance, emissions, operability, and starting.
Aviation Fuels Research Lab
Aviation Fuels Research Lab
Aviation Fuels Research Lab
The Aviation Fuels Research Laboratory conducts tests in two main areas: (1) chemical analyses and (2) physical property measurements, following ASTM standards for aviation turbine fuels (ASTM 1655), aviation gasolines (ASTM D910), and alternative biomass-based fuels. Chemical analyses include hydrocarbon identification (GC/MS, GCxGC/MS), quantitative determination (GC/FID), and elemental analysis (C, H, N, S, O, Pb), along with heat of combustion, oxidation stability, and more. Physical property tests assess fuel behavior during transportation and vaporization under varying climate and high-altitude conditions, including measurements of density, viscosity, vapor pressure, distillation behavior, freezing, cloud and flash points, conductivity, and water content.