PRODUCTS & PROJECTS

Mace Aviation is pleased to offer the M5 Helicopter. The M5 is an experimental kit helicopter that is based on the venerable MD500 series of helicopters. The core of the M5 helicopter is an all new carbon fiber fuselage that is designed and built by Mace Aviation. The new fuselage is designed to accept the stock MD500D/MD500E/MD530F drivetrain, flight controls, landing gear, tailboom and empennage. These FAA certified components are all commercially available from various companies such as Rolls Royce (engine), Helicopter Technology Company (HTC) (main and tail rotor blades), Aerometals (various parts), Donaldson (inlet barrier filter), and others. The new carbon fiber fuselage coupled with the commercially available FAA STC/PMA parts allows for a new experimental rotorcraft to be assembled that has a long legacy of safety and performance.  Contact Mace Aviation for details.

Mace Aviation manufactures lightweight, single-station, two-station and four-station Hellfire launchers that install on 14″ NATO standard suspension racks. The Lightweight Hellfire Launchers are designed to react the Hellfire hangfire condition and can be utilized on a wide variety of fixed and rotary wing aircraft. The two-station Lightweight Hellfire Launcher is less than half the weight of the Lockheed Martin M310 Hellfire Launcher and utilizes standard Marvin Engineering Hellfire rails and a carbon fiber strongback that weighs nine pounds. The Lightweight Hellfire Launcher is designed to increase the carrying aircraft’s performance by minimizing the weight of the launcher, which can have significant benefits when utilized on light attack aircraft such as the AH-6, OH-58D or AH-64.  Contact Mace Aviation for details.

The Extended Range Weapons Wing is designed for all MD500 Series aircraft. The ER2W is an integrated weapons platform for light helicopters that offers four weapons stations and an internal fuel tank that significantly increases the carrying aircraft’s range and endurance. The weapons platform is designed to be easily installed when compared to other weapons platforms on the market and can be removed from the aircraft in less than ten minutes. Contact Mace Aviation for details.

Mace Aviation excels at designing and building custom composite fairings and cowlings of any shape, size and quantity (especially in a rapid prototyping environment). Typically projects begin with obtaining measurements from the customers aircraft and importing the geometry into CATIA V5. The base geometry is used to layout conceptual designs for the fairings. Typically the layout/lofting process is iterative in nature and evolves until all customer requirements are satisfied and a refined surface loft is achieved. The final geometry is used to design tools that are CNC machined from high density urethane foam. A wide variety of materials (fiberglass, Kevlar and carbon) and resin systems are used to fabricate parts. Contact Mace Aviation to discuss your project.

Mace Aviation has developed and manufactured a number of missile launchers, gun pods, sensor pods and cargo pods.

Mace Aviation designs and manufactures lightweight rear door fairings for the MD500E/F/G helicopters. The door fairings seal the aft compartment of the aircraft from the environment when the aircraft is fitted with a weapons platform. The rear door fairings are constructed from AGATE approved prepreg carbon fiber and have received a US Army Airworthiness Release.

The MD500 Series Nose Mount is designed to accept the L3 Wescam MX-10 EO/IR Sensor but can be adapted to accept various other sensors. The nose mount is a light weight solution that provides a sensor quick disconnect feature that allows for the sensor to be removed from the aircraft in less than one minute. The MD500 Series Nose Mount is currently in low rate production. Contact Mace Aviation for details.

The Black Hawk Nose Mount is designed to accept the L3 Wescam MX-10 EO/IR Sensor but can be adapted to accept various other sensors. The nose mount is a light weight solution that installs on the aircraft in less than one hour and provides a sensor quick disconnect feature that allows for the sensor to be removed from the aircraft in less than one minute. The Black Hawk Nose Mount is currently in low rate production. Contact Mace Aviation for details.

Mace Aviation recently completed the design, fabrication and assembly of a long-range targeting pod for the L3 Communications Wescam MX-25D. Mace Aviation was responsible for all design and analysis for the MX-25D Targeting Pod. A complete analysis report was generated to support the issuance of a US Army Airworthiness Release (AWR) for the AH-64 Apache as well as the UH-60 Blackhawk. The pod has completed an initial flight test program on-board an instrumented US Army AH-64E Apache Helicopter. All objectives of the flight test program were achieved and highlighted the exceptional performance of the MX-25D. The primary structural elements of the targeting pod are composed of machined 7050 aluminum. The pods exterior is composed from a mixture of stiffened and un-stiffened carbon fiber and epoxy fairings. Contact Mace Aviation for more information.

The AH-1 Nose mount is designed to accept the L3 Wescam MX-10 or MX-15 EO/IR sensor but can be adapted to accept various other sensors. The nose mount is a lightweight solution that installs on the aircraft in less than one hour. The AH-1 nose mount is currently in low rate production. Contact Mace Aviation for details.

Mace Aviation worked with L3 Communications Wescam to demonstrate a nose mounted MX-15D for the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior. Using a Bell 206 Jet Ranger as a surrogate aircraft, a completely new forward keel box structure was designed, fabricated and installed in the aircraft. Mace Aviation was responsible for obtaining all necessary engineering approvals and the aircraft was flight tested on the Yuma Proving Ground. An entire flight test program was executed to demonstrate the benefits of the nose mounted sensor as well as the increased performance capabilites of the Wescam MX-15D turret.

Mace Aviation designed, fabricated and proof tested a replacement Mast Mount for the OH-58D that accepts the L3 Wescam MX-15Di. The replacement Mast Mount was designed to be a direct replacement for the Kiowa Warrior Mast Mounted Sensor (MMS) and requires no modifications to the aircraft. Contact Mace Aviation for more details.

The Aircraft Crew Station is sized to fit in most aircraft and provides a user friendly workstation for surveillance purposes. The station is outfitted with two large high-definition LCD screens and provides the user with several sensor control options. The Crew Station is constructed from aircraft grade aluminum and clips into most aircraft seat rails. The Crew Station can be modified to suite any customers specifications/requirements. Contact Mace Aviation for details.

The Laser Arming Panel is an off-the-shelf solution for controlling and firing the laser designator for the L3 Wescam series of EO/IR turrets. The Laser Arming Panel is constructed from aerospace quality materials and fits in standard avionics trays. Contact Mace Aviation for details.