Sesame Provides Innovative Cover for Bizjet Engines

Sesame Technologies returned to NBAA-BACE to showcase its unique engine cover technology that can be installed while standing on the ground through a specially designed pole, along with its latest GSE line of products.

The Washington, North Carolina-based company specializes in high-temperature aviation ground support solutions, designing and manufacturing a range of products to protect aircraft surfaces vulnerable to the elements while on ground, such as pitot probes and engines.

“Our engine covers are the first of their kind,” said general manager Ryan Woolard. “They’re the only mechanical jet engine covers that can be installed from the ground.”

Sesame’s collapsible Diamond Engine Shield EX is designed with materials such as carbon fiber, high-temperature silicones, and a synthetic outer layer. Installed via the IP100-EX pole, the shield auto-centers on the leading edge of the engine with silicone cushion pads.

The front bell mouth portion is designed with a white glow-in-the-dark silicone pad to enable the pilot or ground handler to see the engagement point for the pole during nighttime operations.

To install, the person on the ground lifts the cover to the inlet via the pole. A rotation of the pole “auto indexes [the cover] on the leading edge and then arms pressurize against the inside of the nacelle. It’s a pinch force in a way,” explained Sam Jarvis, applications R&D engineer.

“We’re driving two sets of arms at two different rates on one lead screw,” said. One set rotates on the outer leading edge lip, and the others are designed for the inner, clamping securely.

Sesame has developed different-length poles to accommodate varying aircraft heights. The poles attach to and lift the shields to the engine. Shields are customized to the different engine inlet sizes.

The fabric cover is available for aircraft such as those from Gulfstream, Bombardier, and Embraer, and the company is expanding applications, including legacy models. Sesame worked directly with Gulfstream to refine the product during development, according to Jarvis.

Sesame brought the product to market three years ago. “We’re steadily getting more measurements for more aircraft, but now it’s starting to roll very well.”

The product is a key safety tool, he said. “One, we keep pilots off ladders. We eliminate falls. We eliminate workers’ comp claims, and we also make it easy to protect the most valuable component, the engine,” Jarvis said.

The covers have been tested in a wind tunnel at wind speeds up to 80 miles per hour. “We’ve tested them. We’ve torture tested them. We’ve taken them to the local fire station and hit them with a 6-inch column of high-pressure water and tried to break it; we could not break it,” he said. The fabric is water-resistant and can be customized with logos, aircraft registration numbers, or slogans.

Along with the Diamond Engine Shield, Sesame is highlighting its newly launched Gold Armor GSE at the show. “2025 has truly been a year of innovation at Sesame,” Woolard said.

First unveiled at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025, the Gold Armor GSE family of pitot probe covers is manufactured from DuPont Kevlar EXO material to provide a new level of longevity and protection for military, commercial, and business aircraft. The covers offer increased abrasion resistance and high-temperature tolerance.