Robert Yancey, PhD

Composite Materials for Air Mobility and Unmanned Systems

The Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) market is emerging quickly as the next generation of efficiently transporting people and cargo in urban environments and underserved regions. The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) market is growing rapidly for both defense and commercial applications. Both markets require advanced carbon-fiber reinforced plastic composite materials for lightweight and efficient operations. They also are challenging current material and manufacturing systems as they will require material and manufacturing systems that result in high-volume, low-cost, but reliable composite structures. This presentation will cover the structural material challenges, opportunities, and solutions for the UAV and AAM industries. It will include an in-depth discussion on the material selection criteria including cost, rate, quality, manufacturing process, supply chain, automation, and certification. Presentation content is applicable to companies in all stages of development and production for UAV/AAM vehicles.

About the Speaker

Dr. Robert Yancey has filled numerous roles in his career including research, technology development, sales, management, business development, and executive roles. He currently leads business development for Hexcel in the Americas which includes advanced materials, manufacturing, and engineered products. He has a technical background in composite materials, composite mechanics and micromechanics, design optimization, additive manufacturing, finite element modeling, and nondestructive evaluation. He holds a B.S. degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT, an M.S. degree in Engineering Mechanics from Virginia Tech, and a Ph.D. in Materials Engineering from the University of Dayton. He is an AIAA Associate Technical Fellow and Composites 4.0 Emerging Technologies Lead for SAMPE.