Fuselage, Cabin & ECS Thermal Insulation: Die-Cut Blanket Cores, Barrier Films & Duct Insulation
H-O Products die-cuts and converts high-temperature insulation materials into insulation cores, blanket plies, moisture-barrier layers, thermal spacers, and ECS duct insulation for commercial and military aircraft — built to your drawing. H-O is a materials converter: insulation system design and certification compliance remain with the airframer.
Built for: Fuselage sidewall and crown blanket cores, underfloor and bilge insulation, thermal spacer blocks, ECS duct insulation and flange gaskets, environmental-pack bay components, acoustic mass-barrier plies, and facing and encapsulation layers.
To insulate a fuselage or ECS system, build the stack by job. For sidewall and crown blanket cores, specify SOLIMIDE polyimide foam, with flame-propagation data on the maker’s TDS per the FAR 25.856(a) framing. Add ManniGlas glass-fiber paper as the inorganic margin ply and a polyimide film encapsulation layer for moisture control (vapor behavior per ASTM E96). The remaining zones and duties are mapped in the When-to-spec list on this page. Values are per the TDS on file; see the material reference below for ordering details.
FAR 25.853 (compartment interior flammability, cited qualitatively) · FAR 25.856(a) / (b) (thermal-acoustic insulation flame propagation and burnthrough, cited qualitatively) · FAA AC 25.856-1 / 25.856-2A (insulation test guidance, by designation) · ASTM C177 / C518 (thermal transmission) · ASTM E96 (water vapor transmission) · ASTM D1056 (flexible cellular materials) · UL 94 (flammability listings per TDS) · ASTM E162 / E662 (flame spread and smoke density on silicone TDS) · vendor TDS for per-grade values.
- Sidewall / crown blanket core: SOLIMIDE polyimide foam
- Shallow-bay / high-performance core: ArmaGel HT / HTL
- Inorganic margin ply: ManniGlas paper
- Moisture barrier / encapsulation: Kapton / Apical film
- Cabin acoustic mass ply: BISCO A2 sound barrier
- ECS duct flange gasket: kSil V-0 sponge
- Pack-bay access & cover seals: BISCO FR sponge (7xxx)
- Thermal spacers at frames: BISCO HT / BF silicone foam
- Wear / handling protection: PTFE-coated fiberglass
- Thin-film standoffs & facings: AeroZero thin polymer film
Where are you in the spec process?
This page serves airframe and interiors engineers who already hold a material call-out and engineers still mapping thermal, acoustic, moisture, and burnthrough constraints. Pick the path that matches where you are; you don’t have to read the rest.
Send a drawing, get a quote
SOLIMIDE polyimide foam, ManniGlas paper, ArmaGel blanket, Kapton or Apical film, BISCO FR sponge, kSil V-0, sound-barrier sheet, or PTFE-coated fiberglass on your drawing.
Skip to the quote form →Walk through the selection factors
Six selection factors (thermal target, acoustic mass, moisture control, burnthrough framing, bay geometry, serviceability), an ECS duct insulation picker, and ten material families with TDS-cited test methods.
Start with selection factors →
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1Send drawingUpload a DXF, STEP, or PDF, or describe the assembly. A sample part works too.
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2Material reviewEngineering reviews the part against the vendor TDS: bay depth and frame geometry, thermal and acoustic targets, moisture-control strategy, flammability framing, and how the blanket installs and gets serviced.
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3PrototypeSamples typically ship in 3–5 business days for common die-cut configurations on materials we keep on hand. Made-to-order; MOQ varies by material and part.
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4ProductionStandard production runs ship about 2 weeks after drawing approval, including kiss-cut-on-liner and laminated configurations. Expedited service available. Ongoing parts run with material traceability and lot-code TDS records.
What are you insulating?
Application Zones
Five distinct material problems hide inside an airframe insulation package: the sidewall and crown bays, where blanket cores carry thermal and acoustic duty between frames; the underfloor and bilge, where moisture and mechanical abuse dominate; the ECS duct network, where insulation meets condensation control and flange sealing; the environmental-pack bay, where heat, vibration, and access compress into one volume; and the moisture-control layer itself, the films, seams, and drain paths that keep the whole package from gaining weight in service.
Click a tab to see the joint, the exposure, and the material families H-O converts for that zone.
Sidewall & crown blanket bays
The sidewall blanket is the classic aircraft insulation part: a core sized to the frame bay, an encapsulation film, and a fit that decides everything. Thermal performance is bought at the core, SOLIMIDE polyimide foam where mass and documented FST behavior drive the pick, with conductivity per ASTM C177 / C518 on the TDS, and lost at the edges: gaps at frames, compressed corners, and missing coverage behind brackets undo the calculated value.
The flame-propagation framing for thermal-acoustic insulation is FAR 25.856(a), cited here qualitatively; materials carry their test data on the maker’s documentation and the installation finding belongs to the airframer. H-O die-cuts cores to the real bay geometry, laminates the specified plies, and kits ship sets in installation order so coverage is repeatable across the line. [2] [5]
Underfloor, bilge & thermal spacers
Below the floor the insulation problem changes character: condensation drains downward, maintenance traffic is real, and every frame, beam, and fitting is a conductive short-circuit through the package. The converted parts answer in kind.
Cores and plies get specified for moisture tolerance and drainage discipline rather than minimum mass alone; die-cut thermal spacer blocks, closed-cell BISCO HT / BF silicone foam, break the conductive paths at frame contact points and equipment feet; and PTFE-coated fiberglass wear plies take the mechanical abuse where panels, fasteners, and boots meet the package.
The bilge is also where a wet blanket hides: vapor behavior of the encapsulation system is characterized per ASTM E96, and the drain-path geometry, holes, scallops, standoffs, is part of the converted part, not an installation improvisation. [6] [7]
ECS duct insulation & flange sealing
ECS ducting moves conditioned air through bays that are warmer, colder, and wetter than the cabin it serves, and its insulation does two jobs at once: it protects system efficiency, and on cold supply runs it keeps the duct skin above the local dew point so the airframe does not rain on its own equipment. The core is typically SOLIMIDE polyimide foam, die-cut and profiled to wrap distribution ducts and shaped fittings; where the routing is too tight for conventional thickness, ArmaGel HT / HTL delivers the thermal target in millimeters.
The sealing layer is the quiet half of the system: kSil KSV001–KSV006 V-0 sponge (UL 94 V-0, FAR 25 Appendix F, Airbus ABD0031, smoke-density and toxicity data, 1% compression set per TDS) and BISCO 7xxx-series FR sponge (flame-retardant; UL 94 HBF on 7130, 35% compression set per TDS) gaskets at duct flanges, access covers, and pack interfaces, accommodating vibration and assembly tolerance. [13] [4]
Environmental-pack bay components
The environmental pack compresses an entire HVAC plant into an unpressurized bay: hot bleed-side hardware, cold expansion-side hardware, condensate, and vibration, all within reach of the same access panel.
The converted set follows the equipment: insulation segments on plenums and ducting where heat must stay in or out of the airstream; gaskets at pack housings, doors, and service covers, silicone-class sponge for the cycling interfaces; spacer and isolation pads where the pack structure meets airframe; and wear plies where service traffic is guaranteed.
Material economics matter here because the part count is high: the FR sponge ladder covers most gasket duty, with V-0 grades where the call-out demands them, and foam spacers cut from the same families used in the cabin. Per-grade flame and smoke data stay on the TDS, where the pack supplier’s qualification file expects them. [8]
Moisture barriers, facings & encapsulation
Ask an operator what kills fuselage insulation and the answer is water: condensation forms on the cold skin, finds the package, and a blanket that left the factory light comes back from service heavy, acoustically dead, and corrosion-adjacent.
Moisture control is therefore its own layer of the spec.
Encapsulation films, thin polyimide (Kapton / Apical) and specified barrier films, enclose the core, with vapor behavior characterized per ASTM E96; seam discipline (taped, welded, or folded per the drawing) decides whether the film layer is a barrier or a bag with holes; drain geometry, holes, scallops, and standoffs die-cut into cores and films, gives water that does arrive a way out; and thin AeroZero polyimide-film standoffs separate package from skin where the design calls for a defined gap.
H-O converts films, laminates film-to-core, and cuts the drainage features as part of the part. [6] [11]
Six decisions that drive your fuselage and ECS insulation spec
Airframe insulation is a system spec wearing a material name. The right package satisfies six constraints at once, and missing one produces blankets that pass receiving inspection and fail the airplane: a bay that sweats, a cabin that drones, a package that gains a kilogram of water a month.
Specify the stack, not just the core. A fuselage insulation part is core + margin ply + encapsulation + seams + drainage + attachment. Most field failures trace to a layer that never made it onto the drawing, usually the moisture layer.
Show all 6 selection factors tap to expand
Blanket cores handle the broad-area path; thermal spacers and fit discipline handle the short-circuits at frames, brackets, and fittings. A perfect core with bridged frames delivers a fraction of its calculated value, which is why spacer blocks and bay-accurate die-cutting are part of the insulation spec.
Read the six factors below in order. The thermal target sizes the core, the acoustic target adds mass plies, the moisture strategy wraps the package, the burnthrough framing constrains the materials, the bay geometry sets the converted shapes, and serviceability decides how it all attaches.
Thermal target and bay depth
Start from the heat-transfer target and the depth actually available between frame flange and interior panel. Where the bay is generous, SOLIMIDE foam cores deliver the target at minimum mass, with conductivity per ASTM C177 / C518 on the TDS. Where the bay is shallow, window belts, door surrounds, equipment-crowded runs, ArmaGel HT / HTL buys the missing thickness: a given thermal resistance in a fraction of conventional depth. Put the real bay depth on the drawing, not the nominal frame pitch; the difference is where coverage gaps come from. [5]
Acoustic duty: absorption vs mass
Cabin noise control asks two different things of the package: absorption, which the porous core provides, and transmission loss, which wants mass exactly where the airframe wants none. The converted answer is a limp mass-barrier ply, BISCO A2 fiberglass-reinforced sound barrier, laminated into the stack at the locations the acoustic model calls for, rather than thickening the whole package. State which bays carry an acoustic ply and which are thermal-only; mixed ship sets are normal and kitting keeps them straight. [8]
Moisture strategy before material selection
Condensation on the cold skin is a certainty, so the package is designed to shed it: encapsulation films with vapor behavior per ASTM E96, seam closure per the drawing, drain holes and scallops die-cut into cores and films, and standoffs that keep the package off the skin where the design demands a gap. A core choice cannot rescue a missing moisture layer. Specify the encapsulation film, the seam method, and the drain geometry explicitly; H-O converts them as part of the part. [6]
Flammability framing: 25.853 vs 25.856
Two regulatory framings govern this page’s materials, and they are not interchangeable. FAR 25.853 frames compartment-interior flammability; FAR 25.856 frames thermal-acoustic insulation specifically, paragraph (a) flame propagation and paragraph (b) burnthrough, with the FAA’s AC 25.856-1 / -2A guidance describing the test campaigns.
Materials carry their test data on the maker’s TDS; the installation-level finding belongs to the airframer. Name the applicable framing on the drawing so the material data package can be assembled correctly the first time. [2] [3]
Bay geometry and the conductive short-circuit
Frames, stringers, brackets, and fasteners cut through the insulation plane, and each is a thermal short-circuit and a future chafe point. The countermeasures are converted parts: thermal spacer blocks (closed-cell silicone foam per ASTM D1056) at contact points, bay-accurate die-cut cores that wrap rather than bridge, and PTFE-coated fiberglass wear plies where structure and package meet. Send the structure map with the drawing, frame pitch, bracket locations, penetrations, because the part that fits the structure is the part that performs. [7]
Serviceability, attachment, and kitting
Fuselage packages live behind panels that open for inspections, repairs, and modifications, so the parts must survive removal and reinstallation: facings that tolerate handling, films that do not tear at fasteners, gaskets that recover, and labels that keep ship-set order intact.
Attachment method, hook-and-loop, studs, adhesive, mechanical retention, decides edge reinforcement and converting format. Kitting in installation order with lot-coded traceability is what makes a 200-part package installable twice. Specify attachment and service expectations on the drawing; format follows.
Specification Tools
Two tools to take you from “I have an airframe or ECS insulation problem” to here’s what to put on the drawing: an ECS duct insulation picker that returns a core, facing, and flange-gasket set for your duct service, and a side-by-side comparison matrix of every material family on this page.
1. ECS duct insulation picker
Pick the duct service and the constraint that dominates your routing; the picker returns a core material, a facing approach, and a flange-gasket family with the reasoning. Qualitative, per the H-O application research and the material TDS; thermal design values come from the TDS per ASTM C177 / C518.
Pick a service, a constraint, and a gasket call-out
The result returns a three-part recommendation: insulation core, facing / encapsulation approach, and flange-gasket family, each linked to its entry in the material reference below.
2. Side-by-side: airframe insulation material matrix
Every material family called out on this page, with its construction, FST-data framing as reported on its TDS, and the zone it fits. Click a column header to sort. Click any material name to jump to its accordion entry and full TDS reference.
| Material | Construction | Flame / FST data (TDS) | Key test methods | Form factor | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insulation cores | ||||||
| SOLIMIDE Polyimide FoamAC-530, AC-550, AC-550H, HT-340 (25.856(a) pass per TDS) | Open-cell polyimide foam | FST data per Boyd TDS | ASTM C177/C518 | Sidewall / crown / ECS cores | ||
| ArmaGel HT / HTLThin flexible aerogel blanket | Aerogel blanket | ASTM E84 data (TDS) | ASTM C177, C1728 | Shallow bays, tight ducts | ||
| Plies, films & facings | ||||||
| ManniGlas Glass-Fiber Paper1200, 1900, 1902, 2000 | Inorganic glass paper | Inorganic; per TDS | Per maker TDS | Margin plies | ||
| Kapton / Apical Polyimide FilmHN general purpose; FN heat-sealable | Polyimide film | Per DuPont TDS | ASTM E96 (system) | Encapsulation / barriers | ||
| AeroZero Thin Polymer FilmPolyimide-aerogel film | Aerogel film | Per maker TDS | Per maker TDS | Standoffs, thin breaks | ||
| PTFE-Coated Fiberglass6085 series | Coated glass cloth | Per TDS | Per maker TDS | Wear facings | ||
| Gaskets, spacers & acoustic | ||||||
| kSil V-0 Silicone SpongeSuper-soft to firm ladder | Closed-cell sponge | UL 94 V-0 (TDS) | ASTM D1056, UL 94 | V-0 flange gaskets | ||
| BISCO FR Sponge (7xxx)7130 soft, 7330 / 7430 firm | Closed-cell FR sponge | FST data per TDS | ASTM D1056 | Duct / pack gaskets | ||
| BISCO HT / BF Silicone FoamBF-1000 / BF-2000; HT-800 series | Closed-cell silicone foam | UL 94 / E162 / E662 (TDS) | ASTM D1056 | Thermal spacers, pads | ||
| BISCO A2 Sound BarrierStandard & fiberglass-reinforced | Silicone mass barrier | Per Rogers TDS | Per Rogers TDS | Cabin acoustic mass plies | ||
Skip ahead and request your engineering review now
If your drawing already calls out a SOLIMIDE, ArmaGel, ManniGlas, Kapton, BISCO, or kSil grade, send it over for engineering review.
Airframe insulation failures you can prevent at spec
Fuselage and ECS insulation failures rarely show at delivery. The blankets fit, the ducts read cool, the cabin is quiet at rollout. Then a heavy check finds waterlogged bays, a duct run sweating onto a wire bundle, or gaskets that quit sealing the pack bay. Five patterns cover most of what fails in this zone, and each one is a specification decision made before the airplane flies.
Airframe insulation fails by water before it fails by heat. The thermal math is easy to get right; the moisture layer, seams, drains, standoffs, encapsulation, is where packages quietly die. Specify it like the structural layer it is.
Show all 5 failure modes tap to expand
1. The package gains water weight in service
A blanket package that left the factory light comes back from a check heavy and acoustically dead: condensation found a torn film, an untaped seam, or a bay with no drain path, and the core has been holding water since. The fix: specify the moisture layer explicitly, encapsulation film with vapor behavior per ASTM E96, seam closure method, die-cut drain holes and scallops, and standoffs that keep the package off the skin. The drainage geometry is a converted feature of the part, not an installer’s improvisation. [6]
2. A cold supply duct sweats onto equipment below
An ECS cold-supply run gets the same wrap as every other duct, then summer humidity arrives and the duct skin drops below the local dew point: condensate films, drips, and finds the avionics shelf below. The fix: treat below-dew-point runs as condensation-control parts: enough core to keep the outer surface above dew point, encapsulation with sealed seams so vapor cannot reach the cold skin from inside the wrap, and fitted segments at joints where bare metal would otherwise show.
Put the duct service temperature and the bay’s humidity condition on the drawing. [5]
3. Frames bridge the insulation and stripe the cabin
The package was calculated as a continuous layer, but at every frame the blanket compresses to nothing and the structure runs cold: condensation stripes form along the frame stations, and the thermal model quietly fails an airplane that matched its drawing. The fix: design the package around the structure: bay-accurate die-cut cores that wrap frames rather than bridge them, die-cut silicone-foam thermal spacer blocks at contact points (ASTM D1056 per TDS), and coverage continuity checked at the part level, not the roll level. [7]
4. An interiors-framed material lands in an insulation role
A film or foam with solid FAR 25.853 interiors credentials gets specified into the thermal-acoustic insulation package on the assumption the framings are equivalent. They are not: insulation carries its own rule, FAR 25.856, with flame-propagation (a) and burnthrough (b) paragraphs and dedicated test methods described in the FAA’s AC 25.856 guidance. The fix: name the applicable framing on the drawing and assemble the material data package against it; the maker’s TDS and test reports either speak to the right test or they do not. [2] [3]
5. Pack-bay gaskets take a set and the bay gets loud
Pack-bay access panels cycle on every service visit, and an economy gasket that compressed beautifully at build takes a permanent set: panels rattle, seals leak conditioned air, and the fix becomes a fleet campaign. The fix: for cycling interfaces specify silicone-class sponge with compression-set data per ASTM D1056 on the TDS, the kSil KSV ladder (1% compression set per TDS) where the interface cycles or the call-out demands the FAR / V-0 listing, or the BISCO 7xxx FR ladder (35% set per TDS) for static general duty, with firmness matched to the real closure force. Set behavior, not initial softness, is the property that decides year five. [8]
Material reference
Detailed reference for the ten material families on this page: the cores (SOLIMIDE polyimide foam, ArmaGel aerogel blanket), the plies and films (ManniGlas glass-fiber paper, Kapton / Apical polyimide film, AeroZero thin polymer film, PTFE-coated fiberglass), the gaskets and spacers (kSil KSV V-0 sponge, BISCO 7xxx FR sponge, BISCO HT / BF silicone foam), and the acoustic mass ply (BISCO A2 sound barrier).
Thermal transmission is tested per ASTM C177 / C518, vapor behavior per ASTM E96, compression-deflection per ASTM D1056, and flammability per UL 94 as listed on each TDS. H-O die-cuts and converts all of them to drawing; per-grade values are per the TDS on file, not headline numbers.
SOLIMIDE Polyimide Foam (AC-530, AC-550, AC-550H, HT-340)Sidewall, crown & ECS cores · ultra-light · FST data per Boyd TDS
Specify SOLIMIDE where mass and documented FST behavior drive the pick, and let the converted geometry do the performing: bay-accurate cores, wrapped frames, and drainage features cut into the part. Per-grade values are per the Boyd TDS on file.
ArmaGel HT / HTL Aerogel BlanketShallow bays & tight ducts · thermal target in millimeters · ASTM C177 per TDS
ArmaGel buys millimeters: a given thermal resistance in a fraction of conventional depth, per the TDS conductivity values. Use it where the bay is the constraint and keep the broad areas on polyimide-foam economics.
ManniGlas Glass-Fiber Paper (1200, 1900, 1902, 2000)Inorganic margin plies · wet-dry tolerant · per maker TDS
ManniGlas adds margin without elastomer or foam thickness. Ply position in the stack is part of the design; convert to the drawing exactly and keep grade selection per the TDS basis weights.
Kapton / Apical Polyimide Film (HN, FN)Encapsulation & barrier plies · thin, thermally stable · per DuPont TDS
Film choice and seam method travel together: an encapsulation layer is only as good as its closures. Specify film grade, seam approach, and drain geometry as one system; H-O converts and laminates accordingly.
AeroZero Thin Polymer FilmThin standoffs & low-conductance breaks · polyimide-aerogel film
- TripleZero TPS 300 three-layer aerogel laminate, 570 µm, UL 94 V-0 — passes the FAR 25 Appendix F 12-second vertical burn per manufacturer data
- AZ-TPS 100 · AZ-TPS 101 single- and double-sided silicone-PSA aerogel film, 190–216 µm, UL 94 VTM-0
- AZ-TPS PI 100 polyimide-faced aerogel film, 240 µm, UL 94 VTM-0 — durable outer skin for handling and wear
AeroZero covers the jobs too thin for blanket and too thermal for plain film. Treat it as a precision die-cut component: geometry and placement carry the value.
PTFE-Coated Fiberglass (6085 Series)Wear facings & fluid-shedding surfaces · per maker TDS
The facing is what lets a light package survive a heavy airline. Specify facing extent and edge closure on the drawing and match the 6085 thickness to the abuse level per the TDS.
kSil V-0 Flame-Resistant Silicone SpongeUL 94 V-0 per TDS · ECS flange & access gaskets · super-soft to firm
When V-0 is called out, the listing gates the candidate list. Verify the rating at your specified thickness during drawing review and match firmness to the real closure force.
BISCO 7xxx-Series FR Silicone Sponge (7130 / 7330 / 7430)Duct & pack gaskets · flame-retardant sponge ladder · ASTM D1056 per TDS
The 7xxx ladder covers static general-duty ECS gaskets (UL 94 HBF on 7130; 35% compression set per TDS); move to kSil KSV where the call-out names a V-0 or FAR 25 listing or the panel cycles on every service visit. Pick firmness so panels still latch and the gasket works at mid-deflection per ASTM D1056.
BISCO HT / BF Silicone Foam (BF-1000 / BF-2000, HT-800 Series)Thermal spacers & isolation pads · ultra-soft to medium · ASTM D1056 per TDS
The spacer is the package’s answer to the conductive short-circuit: specify the block, its grade, and its location rather than leaving frame contact to chance. Per-grade values per the Rogers TDS on file.
BISCO A2 Sound Barrier (Standard & Fiberglass-Reinforced)Cabin acoustic mass plies · limp silicone barrier · per Rogers TDS
Mass goes only where the model says: an A2 ply placed by analysis beats a heavier package everywhere. H-O laminates the ply into the blanket so the acoustic part installs as one piece.
Fuselage & ECS insulation: engineer-grade FAQ
Twelve of the questions we hear most from airframe, interiors, and ECS engineers and from aerospace purchasing teams. If your question isn’t here, send a drawing or call, engineering picks up.
What insulation is used in aircraft fuselage walls?
Encapsulated blanket assemblies fitted between frames: a lightweight core, most commonly fiberglass batting or, where mass and FST data drive the pick, SOLIMIDE polyimide foam, wrapped in a film encapsulation layer with taped or sealed seams. The core carries thermal and acoustic duty (conductivity per ASTM C177 / C518 on the TDS); the film layer owns moisture control; and die-cut spacers handle the frame contact points. Flame-propagation behavior follows the FAR 25.856(a) framing on the maker’s data. [9]
What does FAR 25.856 require for fuselage insulation?
FAR 25.856 is the thermal-acoustic insulation rule for transport-category airplanes: paragraph (a) addresses flame propagation and paragraph (b) addresses burnthrough resistance for lower-fuselage installations, with test methods in the Part 25 appendices and campaign guidance in FAA AC 25.856-1 / -2A. This page cites the rule qualitatively: the materials carry their test data on the maker’s documentation, and the installation-level compliance finding belongs to the airframer, never to a converter. [2]
Why does aircraft insulation get wet, and how is that prevented?
The fuselage skin runs cold at altitude, cabin air carries moisture, and condensation forms exactly where the insulation lives. Packages stay dry by design, not luck: encapsulation films with vapor behavior characterized per ASTM E96, sealed seams, die-cut drain holes and scallops that give water a path out, and standoffs that keep the package from wicking against the skin. Those features are converted into the parts; a core material choice cannot rescue a missing moisture layer. [6]
When is aerogel blanket worth it in a fuselage package?
When the bay is the constraint. ArmaGel HT / HTL delivers a given thermal resistance in a fraction of conventional thickness, per the ASTM C177 conductivity values on its TDS, which pays for itself at window belts, door surrounds, and equipment-crowded bays where conventional cores cannot reach the target. Broad sidewall and crown areas usually stay on polyimide-foam economics; the aerogel grade is the precision instrument, not the default. [13]
What insulates ECS ducts, and why does the cold side matter most?
SOLIMIDE polyimide foam is the primary ECS duct and pack insulation, die-cut into wraps and fitted segments, with ArmaGel taking the tight-clearance runs. The cold side matters most because a supply duct below the local dew point becomes a condensation generator: the insulation must keep the outer surface above dew point and the encapsulation must keep vapor away from the cold skin. Warm trim-air runs are a simpler efficiency problem. Put the duct service temperature on the drawing and the design follows. [9]
Which gasket seals an ECS duct flange?
A silicone-class flame-retardant sponge: kSil KSV001–KSV006 where the specification names a UL 94 V-0 listed material or FAR 25 Appendix F data (both on the KSV TDS, with ABD0031, smoke and toxicity entries and 1% compression set), or the BISCO 7xxx FR ladder (7130 soft through 7430 firm; UL 94 HBF on 7130) for static general duty. Both carry their data per grade on the TDS, recover through vibration and thermal cycling, and die-cut cleanly into flange geometries. Verify the flammability listing at your specified thickness, and match firmness to the closure force the joint actually develops. [4]
How does the package handle cabin noise?
Two mechanisms, two materials. The porous core absorbs; a limp mass ply blocks. Where the acoustic model calls for transmission loss, a BISCO A2 sound-barrier ply is laminated into the stack at those bays, adding mass-law performance exactly where it pays instead of thickening the whole package. H-O laminates core, barrier ply, and facing into one installable part so the acoustic treatment cannot be left out on the line. [8]
What is a thermal spacer and where does it go?
A die-cut block of closed-cell silicone foam (BISCO HT / BF families) placed where structure would otherwise touch the cold skin or bridge the insulation plane: frame flanges, bracket feet, equipment standoffs. Each contact point is a conductive short-circuit that stripes the cabin with cold lines and condensation; the spacer breaks the path while taking up assembly tolerance. Compression-deflection per ASTM D1056 on the TDS sizes the grade. [7]
Can H-O supply complete fuselage insulation kits?
Yes. The deliverable that makes a 200-part package installable is the kit: every core, ply, film, spacer, and gasket die-cut to drawing, laminated where specified, labeled, and packed in installation order with lot-coded material traceability. H-O die-cuts, kiss-cuts on liner, slits, laminates film-to-core, and kits across all ten families on this page as an ISO 9001:2015 certified organization in Winsted, Connecticut.
Does H-O certify insulation installations or hold airworthiness approvals?
No. Insulation compliance findings under FAR 25.853 / 25.856, burnthrough campaigns per the AC 25.856 guidance, and airworthiness sign-off belong to the airframer and its designees. H-O’s role is bounded and valuable precisely because it is bounded: convert the documented materials to the qualified drawing, repeatably, with the traceability records your certification file expects. [3]
Why does this page frame values as “per the TDS on file”?
Because the honest number depends on grade, thickness, density, and the construction it sits in. A single headline figure flatters one condition and misleads the rest. This page names the governing test methods, ASTM C177 / C518 thermal transmission, ASTM E96 vapor behavior, ASTM D1056 compression-deflection, UL 94 flammability, and keeps per-grade values on the manufacturer TDS, which H-O reviews against your drawing during quoting. [5]
How do orders run for made-to-order insulation components?
Send a drawing, BOM, or sample part. Engineering reviews the stack against the TDS layer and your bay conditions, then quotes prototype and production. Everything is made-to-order against the drawing; MOQ varies by material and part. Samples typically ship in 3–5 business days for common die-cut configurations on materials we keep on hand, and standard production runs ship about 2 weeks after drawing approval, with expedited service available. Lead-time details live in the process strip above and the quote form below.
Glossary: terms used on this page
Quick reference for the airframe insulation, moisture-control, and ECS terminology used throughout. Each entry links to the relevant test method or section where applicable.
Insulation blanket (fuselage)
The encapsulated assembly fitted between fuselage frames: core, margin plies, and film encapsulation with sealed seams. Specified, converted, and installed as a part, not as roll goods.
FAR 25.856(a) / (b)
The transport-category rule for thermal-acoustic insulation: paragraph (a) frames flame propagation, paragraph (b) frames burnthrough resistance, with methods in the Part 25 appendices and campaign guidance in AC 25.856-1 / -2A. Cited qualitatively on this page. [2]
Burnthrough resistance
The ability of a lower-fuselage insulation installation to delay an external fuel-fire flame front from penetrating the cabin, framed by FAR 25.856(b). A property of the installed system, demonstrated by the airframer’s test campaign, not a converter claim.
ECS (environmental control system)
The aircraft system that conditions, pressurizes, and distributes cabin air: packs, mix bays, and the duct network. Its converted materials are duct insulation cores, fitted segments, and flame-retardant flange and access gaskets.
Dew point (in the airframe)
The temperature at which local air sheds moisture as condensate. Skin and cold-duct surfaces routinely run below it, which is why moisture control, encapsulation per ASTM E96 [6] behavior, sealed seams, drains, is a structural part of every package on this page.
Encapsulation / cover film
The film layer enclosing a blanket core, polyimide film on this page, whose seam closure and drain geometry decide whether the package sheds water or collects it. Converted with the core as one part.
Polyimide foam
An ultra-light open-cell foam chemistry (SOLIMIDE on this page) used as airframe and ECS insulation cores: minimum mass, documented FST behavior, and converting-friendly structure that takes die-cut drainage and profile features.
Aerogel blanket
Flexible insulation made by reinforcing silica aerogel with a fiber batt: a given thermal resistance in a fraction of conventional thickness, per ASTM C177 [5] values on the TDS. This page’s grade family is ArmaGel HT / HTL.
Mass barrier (acoustic)
A limp, dense ply (BISCO A2 here) laminated into a stack to add transmission loss where the acoustic model demands it. Works by mass law; placed by analysis, not spread everywhere.
Thermal spacer
A die-cut closed-cell foam block that breaks the conductive path where structure meets skin or package: frames, brackets, equipment feet. Sized by compression-deflection per ASTM D1056 [7] on the TDS.
Compression set
The permanent deflection a sponge retains after sustained compression, the property that quietly kills cycling gaskets at pack bays and access covers. Silicone-class materials hold low set across temperature; data per ASTM D1056 on each TDS.
Last updated · Reviewed by H-O Products engineering (ISO 9001:2015 certified converter, Winsted, CT).
Standards, test methods & technical references
The standards, test methods, and vendor technical data sheets cited throughout this page. Standards editions current as of June 2026; verify against the publishing body before final spec. H-O converts materials that are tested to these methods on the source manufacturer’s TDS; H-O does not independently certify materials, and flight qualification remains with the airframer or system integrator.
FAR 25.853 (14 CFR 25.853)
Compartment interiors flammability requirements for transport-category airplanes, with test methods in Part 25 Appendix F. Cited qualitatively as the interiors framing adjacent to this page’s insulation rule. ecfr.gov (25.853)
FAR 25.856 (14 CFR 25.856)
Thermal / acoustic insulation requirements: paragraph (a) flame propagation and paragraph (b) burnthrough resistance, with methods in Part 25 Appendix F Parts VI / VII. Cited qualitatively; installation compliance belongs to the airframer. ecfr.gov (25.856)
FAA AC 25.856-1 / AC 25.856-2A
FAA advisory circulars describing the flame-propagation and burnthrough test campaigns for thermal-acoustic insulation. Cited by designation; the campaigns belong to the certificate applicant. faa.gov (advisory circulars)
UL 94
Standard for Tests for Flammability of Plastic Materials for Parts in Devices and Appliances. The V-0 listings cited on the kSil TDS; listings are per grade and thickness. shopulstandards.com (UL 94)
ASTM C177 / ASTM C518
Guarded-hot-plate (C177) and heat-flow-meter (C518) methods for steady-state thermal transmission: the conductivity methods behind the foam and aerogel thermal values on the TDS. astm.org/c0177 · astm.org/c0518
ASTM E96
Standard Test Methods for Water Vapor Transmission of Materials: the characterization behind encapsulation-film and construction-level moisture behavior cited on this page. astm.org/e0096
ASTM D1056
Standard Specification for Flexible Cellular Materials, Sponge or Expanded Rubber: the compression-deflection and compression-set framework behind the sponge and foam grades on this page. astm.org/d1056
Rogers BISCO technical data sheets
Manufacturer TDS for the BISCO HT / BF silicone foams, 7xxx-series FR sponge, and A2 sound-barrier materials: compression-deflection per ASTM D1056, UL 94 listings, and flame / smoke data per grade. rogerscorp.com
Boyd SOLIMIDE polyimide foam technical data
Manufacturer data for the SOLIMIDE aerospace grades (AC-530, AC-550, AC-550H, TA-301, CC-306): density, thermal conductivity, acoustic data, and flame / smoke / toxicity test data per grade. boydcorp.com
Lydall (Alkegen) ManniGlas technical data
Manufacturer data for ManniGlas glass-fiber papers (1200 / 1900 / 1902 / 2000): basis weight, thickness, and high-temperature stability per grade. alkegen.com
DuPont Kapton / Kaneka Apical polyimide film technical data
Manufacturer data for Kapton HN / FN and Apical polyimide films: thickness ladder, thermal capability, and heat-sealable FN constructions used in encapsulation and barrier plies. dupont.com
PTFE-coated fiberglass technical data (6085 series), TDS on file
Per-grade data for the PTFE-coated fiberglass facing series converted by H-O: thickness ladder, tensile and temperature capability, and surface properties, per the TDS on file with H-O.
Armacell ArmaGel technical data sheets
Manufacturer TDS for ArmaGel HT / HTL aerogel blanket: thermal conductivity per ASTM C177, surface burning per ASTM E84, and the C-series insulation methods listed per grade. armacell.com
Updated . Standards editions and links current at publication; verify against the publishing body before final spec. H-O converts materials tested to the methods cited; lot-specific documentation available on request.
Get a fuselage & ECS insulation engineering quote
Send a drawing, BOM, or spec sheet. We typically respond within one business day with a material-family recommendation, prototype lead time, and TDS verification against your bay geometry, thermal and acoustic targets, moisture strategy, and flammability framing.
Prefer to talk it through first? Contact the engineering team or call (860) 469-1144.
See also: related H-O application pages
Engineering content for the adjacent aerospace application categories, all under the aerospace, defense & space industry hub and the thermal management & insulation overview.
Application page
Engine bay & nacelle thermal insulation
The propulsion side of aircraft insulation: nacelle blanket cores, firewall barriers, and bleed-air duct lagging aft of the firewall.
Read the page
Application page
FST-compliant materials for aircraft
The fire, smoke, and toxicity layer in depth: insulation flame propagation, fire-rated gaskets, and inorganic barrier materials.
Read the page
Application page
Door & airframe sealing
Cabin door gaskets, window seals, and airframe sealing: the elastomer side of the same fuselage.
Read the page
Application page
Aircraft vibration, NVH & shock isolation
Isolation mounts, damping pads, and the vibration-control materials that share the cabin with the insulation package.
Read the page
Application page
Cryogenic & space systems insulation
The extreme-cold end of aerospace insulation: launch-vehicle feedlines, spacecraft blankets, and low-outgassing materials.
Read the page
Industry hub
Aerospace, defense & space materials
The full industry directory: every aerospace sub-application H-O converts for, from thermal insulation to EMI shielding.
Open the hub
Material data & standards. All material properties and ratings referenced on this page are taken from the source manufacturer’s technical data sheets and the cited standards: thermal transmission per ASTM C177 / C518, water vapor transmission per ASTM E96, compression-deflection per ASTM D1056, flammability listings per UL 94 and ASTM E162 / E662 as listed per grade and thickness, and FAR 25.853 / 25.856 with the AC 25.856 guidance cited qualitatively as regulatory framing.
This page frames performance qualitatively and keeps per-grade values on the TDS, where they belong. H-O converts materials tested to these methods; H-O does not independently certify materials, does not perform insulation compliance campaigns, and makes no airworthiness or flight-certification claims. Verify against the vendor TDS and your program’s certification basis for your specific application.
Conversion scope. H-O die-cuts and converts sheet, roll, film, and blanket stock to drawing in Winsted, Connecticut: die-cut blanket cores and plies, film encapsulation layers, laminated multi-layer constructions, thermal spacer blocks, flame-retardant gaskets, and installation-ordered kits, with material traceability and lot-code TDS records, as an ISO 9001:2015 certified organization.
H-O does not manufacture raw material in-house; extruded or molded profiles are coordinated through a partner network. Lead-time and MOQ details are on the process strip and in the quote form above.