QinetiQ, a UK defence and security technology company, has completed a flight test of an aircraft fitted with a structural component 3D printed from recycled titanium. Flight was conducted by QinetiQ’s Flight Test Organisation at MOD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire using a company-owned Agusta A109S helicopter. The firm described the milestone as a world first.
The component flown was a hinge forming part of an Air Data Boom assembly installed on the A109S. Aircraft is being developed in support of the Empire Test Pilots’ School (ETPS), a UK-based flight test training institution. Engineers at the defence technology group designed and integrated the hinge. Manufacturing was carried out by Additive Manufacturing Solutions Ltd (AMS Ltd.), a West Lancashire-based metal additive manufacturing company founded in 2017.
Titanium feedstock used for the build was recovered from a decommissioned aircraft. AMS processed that material using a proprietary recycling method that converts scrap titanium into powder suitable for additive manufacturing. The company states process achieves 97% material efficiency and reduces carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by 93.5% compared with conventional titanium supply chains. Release did not specify additive process type, post-processing steps, or certification pathway.
Titanium is widely used in aerospace and defence platforms because of its strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance. Supply of aerospace-grade titanium is geographically concentrated, with China and Russia identified as the largest global suppliers. The UK aerospace and defence sectors rely heavily on imported material. Recycling titanium from retired aircraft provides a domestic source of aerospace-grade feedstock derived from existing assets.
AMS estimates that systematic extraction and recycling of titanium from scrap aircraft held within the UK could enable national self-sufficiency in aerospace-grade titanium. No figures were provided regarding total scrap volume or projected annual output capacity. Flight of the hinge provides operational validation of recycled titanium powder in an aerospace structural application.
Simon Galt, Managing Director Air at QinetiQ, said: “Our testing and engineering expertise is helping to prove the technology which will reduce the UK’s dependency on other nations for aerospace-grade titanium. Not only are we helping to strengthen UK supply chains, we are also leading the rest of the world in the very latest 3D printing technology.”
Rob Higham, Director & CEO at AMS, commented: “AMS has tirelessly built momentum and expertise within the additive powder market, with a sharp focus on providing recycled feedstocks. This milestone reflects the dedication of our team and QinetiQ’s commitment to a more resilient and sustainable future.”
Aircraft recycling and titanium qualification constraints
Defence programmes in the UK have already tested whether decommissioned aircraft can be converted into certified additive feedstock. Under the Tornado 2 Tempest initiative, Rolls-Royce, a British aero engine manufacturer, worked with the UK Ministry of Defence and AMS to atomise titanium components from decommissioned RAF Tornado jets into additive manufacturing powder. Feedstock derived from compressor blades and other parts was used to 3D print engine components for the Orpheus demonstrator within the Future Combat Air System framework. Printed parts were installed and run under operational engine test conditions. Project participants also implemented a Digital Product Passport to track material origin and lifecycle data, addressing traceability requirements that often limit the reuse of strategic metals in defence applications.
Material efficiency remains a structural constraint in titanium aircraft production. Airbus, the renowned European aerospace manufacturer, has adopted wire Directed Energy Deposition (w-DED) to fabricate structural titanium components near net shape rather than through conventional forging. Traditional forging can result in up to 95% of purchased titanium being removed during machining before recycling, extending lead times and increasing energy input. Wire-based deposition builds parts directly from titanium wire at several kilograms per hour and has been deployed on A350 cargo door surround structures following ultrasonic inspection and machining. Full certification for broader critical airframe applications remains in progress, underscoring that qualification requirements — not process capability alone — determine adoption in flight hardware.
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Featured photo shows Agusta A109. Photo via QinetiQ.
