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World's largest airliner takes shape

Design is almost closed on the latest member of the Airbus family, the A380

By Norman Bartlett, U.K. -- Design News, October 21, 2002

Farnborough, U.K. — The first production drawings have been issued as electronic data. The first metal and carbon cuts have been made. Work has started on the new French factory where the A380 is to be assembled. The order book presently stands at 85 airplanes.

All major systems have now been selected: 80,000-plus lbs thrust engines from Rolls Royce or the Engine Alliance (a joint venture between General Electric and Pratt & Whitney); main landing gear from Goodrich; flight controls from TRW and Liebherr; air conditioning from Hamilton Sundstrand; and 5,000-psi hydraulic power from Eaton.

The A380 model 800 will carry 555 passengers as far as 8,000 nautical miles. Overall dimensions are slightly larger than a Boeing 747, but the fuselage will be more than half a foot and a wider at 23.4 ft. Just like a 747, the aircraft has economy seats in rows of 10 on the main deck and rows of 8 on the upper deck. Airbus claims, however, that each passenger has 1 to 2 inches more room than on a 747.

Airbus expects the A380 to take off and land in shorter distances, to climb faster, and to have 15% cheaper direct-operating costs than the 747. Weight, compared to the 747, is 12 tons lighter, thanks to the use of composite materials, particularly monolithic carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). The A380 will be the first-ever aircraft with a carbon fiber center wing box. This alone will save 1.5 tons in weight compared to aluminum alloys.

CFRP will also be used on the tail fin, un-pressurized fuselage sections, pressure bulkheads, engine cowlings, flaps, spoilers, and ailerons. Fuselage panels will be built up with aluminum stringers to which GLARE^® panels are welded. GLARE is a hybrid material formed from alternate layers of glass fiber and aluminum with reinforced metal adhesive, supplied by Fokker/Stork in The Netherlands.

During the design process, the center of gravity has been moved aft by 6%, and the vertical stabilizer reduced by 40m², with major weight saving.

Much of the airframe is laser welded without rivets or fasteners. Lean manufacturing and automated inspection is the rule. At the BAE Systems' (an Airbus partner) factory at Broughton, where all Airbus wings are made, a single aisle assembly line has been set up. Instead of work teams moving from wing to wing, assemblies mount on a mechanized line. Every 14 hours, the line moves the assembly onto the next work point. Progress is continuously tracked, with the top quality issues repeatedly stated. An electronic display counts down the time remaining for each job to be finished. Airbus estimates that 250 hours are saved on every wing set made.

Despite the aircraft's capacity, Airbus claims airport operation should be straightforward. The airplane will fit into the standard "box'' 80m² square and 25m high used to define ramp-handling characteristics. More than 80 international airports around the world have been surveyed to ensure the A380 will be compatible with their existing gates, runways, and taxiways.

A key factor in the ability of the airplane to operate on existing facilities is the main landing gear. Two 6-wheel main bogies and two 4-wheel wing bogies support the 560 tons of the aircraft at maximum take off weight (MTOW). All bogies retract into wing-root bays that free up cargo space in the lower fuselage.

Thanks to nose wheel steering and closed circuit TV cameras mounted in the belly and tailfin, the A380 is very maneuverable on the ground. It can perform a U-turn in 197 ft–much less than its 239.5-ft length or 262.5-ft wingspan.

Computer simulations have indicated the A380 could deplane its passengers, service, refuel, and board another load in 90 minutes. The technique is to move passengers through main deck doors and catering and supplies through upper deck doors.

All Airbus aircraft preserve common design features and nowhere is this more apparent than on the flight deck. Of course, the A380 features "glass cockpit" instruments and this, combined with similar flying qualities, means pilots trained on other Airbus types need only a week or so training to convert to the A380.

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