With the BBJ Max beginning deliveries this year, Lufthansa Technik (LHT) is showcasing its rapidly expanding portfolio of radome development and manufacturing capabilities this week at EBACE 2018, highlighted by the radome it created for the Boeing bizliner. LHT’s fuel-efficient VIP aircraft radome line is led by its two-in-one-solution (TIOS) fuselage and tail-mounted installations, including the TIOS Ka (TIOS+) version designed for the new BBJ Max.

With its years of experience working with composite structures, LHT developed and set up in-house manufacturing of new Ka-band-suitable versions of its VIP aircraft radome in six months. As an extension of its OEM product line, the German company is establishing a dedicated radome development unit that will produce the TIOS+ radome for the Max, expected to be available by year-end.

The radome unit will incorporate the skills and facilities of LHT’s Airframe Related Components (ARC) business in Hamburg, which specializes in composite materials. ARC has production equipment, such as autoclaves and robotic systems, and cold storage for material. The team can manufacture radomes of almost any type for installation on the vertical stabilizer (tail-mounted) or the fuselage. The facility has completed a first external project, according to LHT.

In addition to integrating third-party connectivity systems into aircraft, the company will also pursue opportunities in the hardware market.