Team members from MRAS and ST Engineering gather for a “family photo” in front of the full-sized nacelle display at the Singapore Airshow.

The very special nacelle from Middle River Aerostructure Systems that “touched down” at the Singapore Airshow was a highly visible representation of MRAS’ design and manufacturing excellence – along with innovation and sustainability – on the exhibit of its ST Engineering parent company.

As a full-sized “cutaway” display, this provided air show visitors with the opportunity to see the key components that come together in MRAS’ nacelle systems for jet engines, and was a centrally-located feature on ST Engineering’s 2,000-square-meter pavilion inside the Changi Exhibition Centre. An adjacent nacelle “center of excellence” area underscored MRAS’ range of capabilities, complete with a video spotlighting the multi-million-dollar investments in modern production resources at the Middle River, Maryland industrial facility.

A first step in returning to normalcy for the aerospace industry

“The Singapore Airshow marked a step toward a return to normalcy for the aerospace industry after the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, and it was important for Middle River Aerostructure Systems to be here,” said Frank Dougherty, the General Manager and Senior Vice President, who led MRAS’ team at the event. “While attendance was lower than in previous years, we had quality meetings with partners, airlines and senior government officials – along with the ability to interact with personnel from ST Engineering’s various business units around the world.”

Dougherty said the Singapore Airshow also reinforced how MRAS contributes to ST Engineering’s overall business scope by bringing its OEM (original equipment manufacturer) capabilities and a significant production capacity with composite materials. This complements the parent company’s established position as the world’s largest provider of airframe MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) services, along with the conversion of passenger airliners to freighters. MRAS became a wholly-owned subsidiary of ST Engineering in April 2019.

Additionally, the air show’s major focus on sustainability enabled MRAS to highlight its contributions by delivering nacelle systems that are lower in weight and aerodynamically optimized to lower fuel burn and emissions of the jet engines they equip, as well as reducing noise with the use of advanced acoustic treatment.

MRAS’ presence at the Singapore Airshow featured its full-scale “cutaway” engine nacelle (in the foreground), and a nacelle center of excellence (in the background, upper left).