COMBAT REFUELING & OPERATIONS NETWORKED UNIVERSAL SYSTEMS (CRONUS)_JOINT KC-135 ELECTRIFIED BOOM LAB_(RFI)

COMBAT REFUELING & OPERATIONS NETWORKED UNIVERSAL SYSTEMS (CRONUS) Joint KC-135 Electrified Boom Lab STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES (SOO) 1.0 PURPOSE The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), in concert with an Air Mobility Command (AMC) initiative, requires the installation of a KC-135 Electrified Boom Automation Lab in the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) motion capture lab. This contract bridges a gap by facilitating technology demonstration of promising system and subsystem concepts from the laboratory to prototyping to platform integration. It allows engineers, researchers, and scientists (the developers), along with program managers (the providers) and warfighters (the end users) to identify, integrate, prototype, test, qualify, and demonstrate candidate technologies and assess them in a scalable laboratory environment. 2.0 SCOPE The scope of this project encompasses all design, engineering, fabrication, integration, installation, and testing required to deliver a fully functional KC-135 Electrified Boom Lab. This includes the structural mounting of a government-furnished KC-135 tail section and boom within the designated government laboratory. The contractor shall provide a complete, turnkey solution that includes, but not limited to: • A structural support system for the tail section and boom, engineered to transfer all static and dynamic loads safely to the facility architecture • An overhead suspension and multi axis actuation system capable of moving the boom through its complete refueling envelope, meeting specified performance requirements for speed and precision • A digital control station and software Digital Hardware Interface capable of commanding boom movements and reporting system status back to a government computer system • All necessary facility modifications, including structural reinforcement of the building • Project management, systems engineering, documentation, and logistics • One year pre-priced maintenance and support post-installation -- 1 of 6 -- 3.0 BACKGROUND Air to Air Refueling Boom automation, a long-term priority for the USAF, identifies the command's strategy of proactively managing system capabilities to enhance overall readiness and operational effectiveness. The need for cost-effective modernization in this area, being jointly addressed by AFRL and AFIT, grows this capability at a minimal cost, directly supporting AMC's requirement for innovative and fiscally responsible solutions. This lab project seeks to provide a cost effective means to explore this capability prior to expensive aircraft modifications and fight test programs, reducing risks and increasing confidence as technology advances. The Joint KC-135 Electrified Boom Lab requires a KC-135 tail with a movable boom to be installed and mounted in an aerial refueling test laboratory (see Attachment 1). The tail/boom will be acquired through Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG). This boom provides actual geometry in support of aerial refueling research and development crucial to the USAF. The USG requires that the boom can rotate along its yaw and pitch axes as well as extend/retract its retractable portion. To do this, an overhead actuation system must be installed along the ceiling. This system will enable the boom to move through its typical refueling envelope to simulate a refueling scenario. Paragraph 7.1 shows a 3D digital scan of a KC-135 tail, with its boom, mounted in the AFIT-owned laboratory. Paragraph 7.2 shows the dimensions of the laboratory showcasing the large space to support this installation. Paragraph 7.3 shows the expected range of motion of the boom in the lab space. 4.0 PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES The contractor shall deliver a system that meets the following technical and programmatic objectives. 4.1 Technical Performance Objectives The primary objective is to design, fabricate, and install a system that provides full, unrestricted motion of a government-furnished KC-135 boom within the specified laboratory space. The system shall meet or exceed the following technical capabilities: • Structural Integrity: The support structure shall be engineered to safely handle all static and dynamic loads of the KC-135 tail section and boom assembly throughout the full range of motion • Boom Actuation Performance: • The actuation system shall be capable of moving the boom through its complete refueling envelope, -- 2 of 6 -- • The boom shall travel laterally at adjustable speeds of at least 0.25 – 3.0 degrees per second, vertically at an adjustable speed of at least 0.25 – 3.0 degrees per second, and retract/extent at an adjustable speed of at least 0.25 – 1.0 foot per second as commanded from a contractor provided digital boom control station. The digital readouts from each motor must be accessible to the government’s computer system. The state of the actuation system must also be settable by the government’s computer system. The interface shall be specified and agreed upon. • Control System: The digital control station shall provide an intuitive digital hardware interface for an operator to command all boom movements. It shall be able to receive commands from and report system status back to a government computer system via the specified interface control document (ICD) • Facility Integration: The contractor shall integrate the system within the existing facility without encroaching on the active motion-capture volume floor space. All overhead structures shall minimize obstruction to the line-of-sight of the ceiling-mounted motion- capture camera arrays. The contractor shall integrate all electrical, structural, and civil modifications required to complete the installation. • The contractor shall provide expected electrical power draws (voltage, amperage, phase requirements) and estimated thermal/heat load generation profiles (BTU/hr or kW) for your proposed actuation and control hardware. 4.2 Programmatic Performance Objectives The contractor shall …