SOURCES SOUGHT
16 -- Sources Sought for 480 gallon F/A-18 External Fuel Tank
- Notice Date
- 4/24/2012
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 336413
— Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Navy, Naval Air Systems Command, NAVAIR HQ, Building 2272, 47123 Buse Road Unit IPT, Patuxent River, Maryland, 20670, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20670
- Solicitation Number
- SourcesSought480GalEFT_24April2012
- Point of Contact
- Susan E. Hollins, Phone: 301-757-9744, Alfred W. Hensler, III, Phone: (301) 757-5934
- E-Mail Address
-
susan.hollins@navy.mil, alfred.hensler@navy.mil
(susan.hollins@navy.mil, alfred.hensler@navy.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- SOURCES SOUGHT FOR F/A-18 480 GALLON EXTERNAL FUEL TANK INTRODUCTION The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office (PMA-265), Patuxent River, MD is seeking information for potential sources regarding industry technologies available to produce a 480 gallon external fuel tank (EFT) suited for carriage on the centerline and wet wing stations of the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft. The results of this Sources Sought will be utilized to determine the availability and adequacy of potential business sources prior to determining the method of acquisition and issuance of a Request for Proposal including the use of any appropriate small business programs. All Small Business Set-Aside categories will be considered. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: TBD Percentage of Effort : Government (On-Site) 0% Contractor (Off Site) 100% DISCLAIMER THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT. RESPONSES IN ANY FORM ARE NOT OFFERS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR PREPARATION OF RESPONSES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ANY INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS TO THIS TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY. PROGRAM OBJECTIVE The primary objective of the 480 gallon EFT program is to acquire a product with fit, form, and function equivalent to the existing 480 gallon EFT under a build-to-print program. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS / CAPABILITIES Configuration Requirements. The tank shall utilize an aluminum liner and an overwound composite shell. The tank shall be capable of refuel and transfer. The components used to accomplish ground and in-flight refuel and transfer shall function as a system utilizing fuel and air pressure. Defueling of the tank shall be accomplished via a three-inch diameter gravity filler adapter that contains a removable cap. The tank to aircraft suspension lugs shall be removable and adjustable without open access to the interior of the tank. The tank will incorporate a fuel quantity gauging system that is compatible with the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft fuel system, an overboard vent, and self-closing drains that are located at the EFT's geometric low points. Operational Requirements. The tank structure shall be capable of withstanding predefined flight, catapult, and arrestment loads in unpressurized and pressurized conditions. All internal structure shall be restrained to preclude misalignment or shifting during static and dynamic loading. The tank structure shall be capable of reacting forces resultant from an ejection of the tank in any fuel state from empty to full without tank rupture or failure of the suspension system. The tank structure shall be capable of containing predetermined internal pressures and contain the pressures generated from ignition of a fuel vapor mixture without structural damage or leakage. The tank when filled to capacity with fuel shall be capable of being suspended over a 1800° F fuel fire for 15 minutes without rupture or leakage. The tank shall be capable of meeting all predefined performance requirements during and after exposure to pressures encountered from sea level to 0.65 psia, rates of descent up to 1600 feet per second, and flight maneuvers which result in negative "g"/low "g" conditions including inverted flight. The tank shall incorporate bond paths throughout the tank and tank suspension system to dissipate energies associated with a lightning strike. The tank shall not rupture or leak after exposure to all potential aircraft lightning strike environments. The tank shall meet the Electromagnetic Interference and Compatibility (EMI & EMC) design requirements of MIL-STD-461F. The tank shall have an operational service life of not less than 6000 flight hours under any natural combination of environmental and operational conditions as specified by the performance specification. Operational service life is measured as the cumulative operating time after first installation. Functional Requirements. The tank and fuel transfer system shall be compatible with MIL-PRF-5624. The actual useable fuel capacity of the tank shall not be less than 472 gallons when the tank is mounted on the aircraft centerline station, and not less than 480 gallons when the tank is mounted on the wing station. The tanks maximum undrainable fuel shall not exceed 0.7 gallons. The fuel system shall be fully compatible with the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G fuel system. The tank shall be capable of refuel, pre-check, stop-refuel (electrical), and high level shutoff at any supply pressure from 5 to 60 psig and at flow rates up to 160 gallons per minute (gpm). Fuel shall be transferred from the tank by the application of pressurization air and the tank shall be capable of fuel transfer at any pressurization air supply pressure from 5 to 34 psig. During refueling, the refuel shut off function of the refuel/transfer system shall be capable of verification (pre-check) by both a mechanical (manual) and on aircraft electrical means. The tank shall incorporate means to prevent migration of fuel from the tank into the aircraft as a result of thermal expansion. Electrical equipment installation shall be in accordance with aircraft industry specifications and standard aircraft practice and shall be compatible with a 28 voltage direct current (VDC) electrical system. The tank shall incorporate conventional wiring in accordance with standard aircraft practices. The surfaces of the tank shell and its integral parts shall have adequate conductivity to prevent the build-up of a static charge from particle impingement or fuel flow and to enable the rapid bleed off of static charge into the aircraft during refueling as well as flight operations. Composite Construction. Composite materials shall have a wet glass transition temperature (Tg), as measured by dynamic mechanical analysis, that is a minimum of 50° F above the maximum operational temperature which the material is exposed to, not including flame engulfment. Finish. Finishes shall be uniformly applied and corrosion protection of the tank and its components shall be in accordance with MIL-STD-7179. The exterior finish of the tank shall consist of only one coat of a low IR primer that is compatible with Navy paint. The external surface of the tank shall be aerodynamically smooth and free of projections. Maximum local surface waviness shall not exceed ±0.020 inches when measured from peak to valley in a six inch span. There shall be no forward facing surface discontinuities greater than 0.020 inches. PERFORMANCE VERIFICATION Performance Verification (PV) testing, and associated test equipment, will be required as part of this contract. PV verifies that the tank design complies with the technical requirements. Functional performance testing shall be conducted to verify the functional performance of the fuel tank and its components. The equipment shall be installed in a setup that simulates the tank to aircraft pylon interface. Load tests shall be performed to demonstrate that the tank can withstand predefined critical performance conditions. Slosh and Vibration Test shall be required. The tank shall be filled to two-thirds its capacity with water and simultaneously sloshed and vibrated for 25 hours. The 25 hours shall consist of 12.5 hours in the pitch condition and 12.5 hours in the roll condition. The vibration element of the slosh and vibration table shall be adjusted to produce a minimum double amplitude of 0.020 inch measured at the suspension lugs of the tank. Following the completion of the slosh and vibration test, the tank shall be completely filled with water and vibrated at a frequency of 2000 +0, -60 cycles per minute for 10 minutes. The tank shall be sufficiently dissected to evaluate (1) representative sections of all bond lines, (2) manufacturing processes, and (3) other areas of material/structural concern (e.g., low margin areas). REFERENCE DRAWINGS Basic external fuel tank drawings may be obtained upon written request and approval by AIR-7.4 delegated disclosure authority where applicable. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS Any resulting contract is anticipated to have a security classification level of Secret. Any resultant contract shall be compliant with the specialty metals restriction of the Berry Amendment (10 U.S.C. 2533a and 2533b) in accordance with DFARS clauses 225.7002 and 252.225-7014 Alt. 1, inclusive of Class Deviations 2008-O0002 (which supersedes 2006-O0004 and 2007-O011), unless an exception applies. ELIGIBILITY The application NAICS code for this requirement is 336413. The Product Service Code (PSC) is 1680. SUBMISSION DETAILS Interested businesses should submit a brief capabilities statement package (no more than ten 8.5 X 11 inch pages, font no smaller than 10 point) demonstrating ability to perform the services listed in this Technical Description. All responses shall include a Company Profile to include the following: Company Name Company Address Company Business Size under NAICS 336413 Number of Employees Cage Code DUNS Number List any socio-economc classifications within the small business category Points-of-Contact (POC) including name, phone number, fax number, and email address. Whether your company is considered a "Manufacturer" or "Non-Manufacturer" for this requirement as defined by FAR 19.102(f) Interested businesses shall submit responses by mail no later than 5:00 PM Eastern Time on 24 May 2012 to DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY, NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, AIRCRAFT SUPPORT CONTRACTS DEPARTMENT (AIR 2.2.3.3), Bldg. 2272, Suite 453, ATTN: Alfred W. Hensler, III, Procuring Contracting Officer, 47123 Buse Road, Patuxent River, MD 20670-1127. Please submit all questions to Susan Hollins, Contract Specialist, at susan.hollins@navy.mil.
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