Over a six-month period, I designed and manufactured a 38-inch composite nosecone engineered to withstand the aerodynamic heating and pressure loads encountered during hypersonic flight. This required in-depth study of composite material properties, including fiber grain orientation, weave patterns, and fiber-to-resin ratio optimization to achieve the necessary strength and thermal resilience.

The initial prototype was built using a fiberglass sleeve over a mandrel to validate shape and fit. Testing revealed that the continuous helical weave of the sleeve was suboptimal for the required loads. I subsequently revised the layup method, incorporating a multi-layered configuration of fiberglass sleeves combined with laser-cut gore panels. This approach allowed for a controlled 0°/90° fiber orientation, producing a quasi-isotropic laminate with improved stiffness, dimensional stability, and resistance to deformation under high aerodynamic loads.

The final nosecone met design requirements for geometry, structural integrity, and heat tolerance, providing a robust solution for high-speed aerospace applications while demonstrating the value of iterative design and material engineering in performance-critical components.

Since composites consist of both a reinforcement and a matrix, I first familiarized myself with various epoxy systems—their chemical properties, curing characteristics, and handling procedures—to evaluate their ability to withstand the required temperatures and mechanical loads. The selected epoxy featured a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 500°F, ensuring structural integrity under high thermal stress.

A tip-to-tip layup involves applying carbon fiber over two sections of fins, creating a permanent, high-strength bond between the fins and the casing. While the process may appear straightforward, it can be complex—particularly when optimizing the fiber-to-resin ratio.

To achieve this, I utilized vacuum bagging, in which the fins are wrapped in a plastic film and all air is evacuated to create a tight seal, forcing out excess epoxy and ensuring a consistent laminate. However, vacuum bagging has limitations: creases in the bagging film can be difficult to eliminate, especially around sharp corners. 

To address this, I switched to a stretchable, moldable plastic film that could conform smoothly to complex shapes. In addition, I designed and 3D-printed custom jigs to control the bag’s shape, ensuring all four sides remained perfectly uniform during curing.

To produce perfectly concentric, tolerance-controlled body tubes from composites, the industry standard method is roll wrapping. In this process, layers of fiberglass or carbon fiber cloth are cut to specific patterns and rolled tightly around a precision mandrel or body tube. Controlled tension and alignment during wrapping ensure uniform fiber orientation and consistent wall thickness throughout the length of the tube.

Once wrapped, it is usually covered in pel ply to increase fiber-to-resin ratio, resulting in superior strength-to-weight performance and excellent dimensional accuracy.

Roll wrapping is favored over other fabrication techniques, such as filament winding or hand layup, when tight tolerances, smooth surface finishes, and structural repeatability are required. This makes it ideal for aerospace components, precision rocketry, and other high-performance applications.

The parts on the left are all hand made and were calculated to have precise wall thicknesses (=/- 0.002")