Developing High Performance Inflatable Solutions for Commercial and Military Use
Today’s Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBs) must perform in some pretty rough environments. When considering warfighters’ missions, those requirements run the gamut from daily patrols to special operations in austere conditions. WING Inflatables specializes in designing and manufacturing 4 types of RHIB tubes / sponsons which can be made to fit virtually any design of RHIB. Drawing on 30 years experience the presentation considers the different material types and seam methods along with the merits of Air, Air / Foam, Hybrid and Foam sponsons. The company partners with some of the finest OEM RHIB builders in the world and currently provides sponsons for approximately 90 percent of the US military’s Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIB).
The US Department of Defense (DOD) approached WING about producing Combat Rubber Raiding Craft (CRRC) using the same materials as WING sponsons. Utilizing innovative hull design and materials WING has developed a range of durable, high performance CRRC inflatable boats from 4.2 metre to 5.8 metre for military and rescue use. The WING hull design creates hydrodynamic lift and compartmentalizes the running surface to reduce vacuum. This affords higher speeds with heavier loads, is quicker to plane and improves fuel efficiency. After supporting a full conversion by the US Air Force, Wing is currently in full production to supply up to 1500 5.8 and 4.7 metre inflatable boats to the US Army and 2100 4.7 metre boats to the US Navy .
David Kelly - WING Inflatables
David Kelly is educated in industrial and mechanical engineering, but has mostly practiced as a business development professional. He joined Wing in 2013, for the third phase of his professional career, and is the Vice President of Sales & Marketing. With Wing, David’s core focus has been to leverage existing capabilities into new product lines.
For the first part of his professional life, David worked in the advanced composites product development world, helping take customer concepts to end products. These were as diverse as sound deadening artificial heart pump cases, low power consumption computer devices, stealth fighter wings, lightweight wheel chairs, racing bicycles, and satellite structures. In the second phase of his professional life, he served a key role in growing a home medical services business that became the largest private business of its type in the U.S. He’s served crucial roles in half a dozen athletic world records related to water and adventure sports.
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