Shape memory wire improves sealing of aircraft doors

Abstract In aviation safety, providing maximum security for door seals is a crucial part of the specification. Other factors include ease of passenger entry and egress. Such doors require opening and closing only whilst on the ground. Other types of doors are required which can be opened in flight such as weapons bay doors on military aircraft not to mention doors for the undercarriage. But present generation aircraft seals have many deficiencies. To try to overcome these shortcomings Northrop Grumman has patented a new seal based on the special characteristics of a material new to the sealing industry, that of ‘shape memory alloys’.