?On 22nd May, France officially raised the bar in aerospace fire safety with the inauguration of PyCoFiRe (Pyrénées Composite Fire Research), a groundbreaking facility dedicated to the full-scale testing and analysis of fire behavior in composite materials used in aircraft engine compartments. Spearheaded by ONERA, the French aerospace lab, PyCoFiRe is the world's first research platform capable of simulating and studying engine fires under true-to-life conditions on a 1:1 scale. 

World-First Testing Infrastructure for Composite Fire Safety 

As next-generation aircraft increasingly rely on advanced composites to reduce weight and improve fuel efficiency, PyCoFiRe provides a critical tool for understanding how these materials behave under extreme heat and fire exposure. The facility comprises two test cells—FAN and CORE—which replicate the annular compartments found around an aircraft engine, allowing manufacturers to develop and validate more effective and certifiable fire suppression systems. 

With its 2.4-meter external diameter, the FAN unit simulates the zone behind the nacelle, while the CORE assembly (1.4 meters in diameter) models the fire-prone cavity near the engine's combustion chamber. These high-fidelity environments enable researchers to evaluate the real-world performance of both conventional and new environmentally friendly extinguishing technologies. 

A Joint Industry-Research Effort Backed by the EU 

The Occitanie Region initiated the project after receiving €10 million in funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). PyCoFiRe also benefits from strategic collaboration with aerospace industry giants—Airbus, Safran, and ArianeGroup—who not only financially contributed but also helped define the test protocols and are among the facility's first users. 

"This project embodies a national and European scientific ambition, a remarkable collective commitment, and a technological advance in the service of safety, the environment, and aerospace sovereignty," said Bruno Sainjon, Chairman and CEO of ONERA.

Supporting Sustainable Innovation in Aerospace 

PyCoFiRe is not only a safety testing center but also an innovation platform that facilitates the design of lightweight, fire-resistant composite materials, aligning with broader European goals for decarbonizing the aviation sector. 

"The region is fully mobilized, along with all the stakeholders in the ecosystem, to help the sector meet today's challenges—whether in terms of skills, employment, or decarbonization," emphasized Carole Delga, President of the Occitanie Pyrénées / Méditerranée Region. 

"The inauguration of PyCoFiRe marks a strong commitment by the EU to support innovation, environmental sustainability, and industrial sovereignty," stated Rossitza Draganova, Commission representative. 

Source: www.onera.fr