A3XX becomes A380
 The official launch of the A3XX, now designated A380, was approved by Airbus partners in December. |
In December, the Airbus partners officially approved the industrial launch of the A3XX, now to be known as the A380. The crucial meeting was highly significant for the European aerospace industry in terms of maintaining and enhancing commercial aircraft design and manufacturing capability as well as sales. The decision came at the end of a year when numerous progress meetings were held with potential operators to review and consider crucial aspects of the aircraft's design, including materials, maintenance, cockpit definition and systems, cabin systems operations, and powerplants. Airbus also discussed airport compatibility with international airport authorities.
"At the beginning of the year, the partners had agreed to increase resources, both financial and human, leading to some 800 people working on the program, while some $800 million has been spent on development work," said Airbus. As a result, the Airbus Industrie partners concluded at their Supervisory Board meeting in December that the technical specifications of the A3XX family had been achieved according to airline requirements and that the economical viability of the program had also been confirmed.
BAE Systems is the Airbus partner responsible for design and manufacture of Airbus wings. Chief Operating Officer, Mike Turner, described the decision as, "The real beginning for the most important civil aircraft project the world has witnessed for several decades." There were 50 firm orders for the aircraft plus more than 40 options at the time of the December launch. BAE Systems leads the work on the aircraft's integrated wing design and manufacture at its Filton, Bristol, and Broughton sites in the UK. Assembly will be at Broughton, where major expansion of the factory will take place. Wing design for the A380 is at Bristol, but some manufacturing will take place there as well, including inboard trailing edge assemblies and "other strategic work packages," said BAE.
The double-deck A380 is expected to establish new levels of passenger comfort and will form a family of aircraft, including freighters. The initial version will carry 555 passengers and have a range of up to 8150 nmi. Potential sales for this aircraft could be at least 1200 units over the next 20 years, estimates Airbus, plus about 300 freighters of more than 80 tons. Airbus hopes to meet about half of these needs. The first A380 delivery - to Singapore Airlines - is slated for the first quarter of 2006. The maiden flight of the A380 will be in 2004.
Airbus has a new mock-up center at its Toulouse headquarters that can accommodate full-size models of its aircraft "families." The first sections of the A340-600 and A380 have been positioned, and mock-ups of the current and future members of the Airbus range will be installed there.
- Stuart Birch
Faraday Partnership
Research into advanced aerospace materials for use in future low energy consumption and pollution-free transport systems has begun at the MIRA automotive research, development, and technology center in the UK. It is one of six organizations in a new Faraday Partnership. The Partnerships (there are seven others) aim to link universities and industry in a way that ensures a continuous, two-way flow of research results and advanced technologies and exchanges of scientists and engineers. The partnerships also enhance universities' awareness of industry's requirements for new technology and build effective networks between academia and industry.
The Faraday Partnership in Automotive and Aerospace Materials is a collaborative venture whose partners include the University of Oxford, Oxford Brokes University, Cranfield University, MIRA, Heart of England Business Link, and The Oxford Trust. Some 50 companies will support the new Faraday Partnership. The University of Oxford is the lead partner responsible for overall direction of the projects. Work will continue for four years. The British government's Department of Trade and Industry will provide financial support together with the UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
- Stuart Birch
Six-stage compressor program
Munich-based MTU Aero Engines is progressing development of its HPC12 experimental compressor. It is a six-stage transonic high-pressure compressor with a pressure rise capability of 11:1 and is designed as a fully functional engine component. The company reports that in a two-week trial simulating harsh conditions in a service environment, the compressor delivered "outstanding results." The two-week test included pressure ratio, airflow efficiency, surge margin, and other performance elements. MTU said that it used 3-D aerodynamic design techniques to achieve optimal compressor efficiency and robustness "even at high stage pressure ratios." It added that 3-D design "appreciably lowers" manufacturing and maintenance costs over comparable current compressors: "These costs are crucial criteria, especially in medium- to long-haul service."
The HPC12 program includes the development of highly heat-resistant materials for the final two compressor stages. On the basic HPC 12 work, MTU is cooperating with the DLR (German Aerospace Center) and with academic institutions.
 The HPC 12 is prepared for a test run at MTU's Munich, Germany facility. |
Next month, MTU is scheduled to ship the first production EJ200 engines to be installed in the special Eurofighter IPA (Instrumented Production Aircraft). By 2005, a total of 363 engines are scheduled for delivery to power Eurofighters. Production engines were tested at Rolls-Royce (UK), FiatAvio (Italy), ITP (Spain), and by MTU itself.
Meanwhile, MTU is continuing its development of a new family of geared turbofan engines in partnership with Pratt and Whitney and FiatAvio via the Advanced Technology Fan Integrator (ATFI) program. The powerplants would be for large business jets and regional jets, and the target is to offer enhanced economics together with lower noise (30db(A) less than Stage 3 requirements) and emissions levels. The program has the additional aim of reducing manufacturing costs by some 30% compared to current ungeared turbofan engines together with lower life-cycle costs. Power output is likely to be at two levels: 10,000 lb for 50-60-seat aircraft and 18,000 lb for 100-seat airplanes.
According to the company publication MTU Report, the partnership is working in anticipation of requirements for an ATFI powerplant. Martin Wiedra, Senior Manager, New Products at MTU stated, "We want to use the demonstrator program to mature the technology to a point where we can promptly convert it into a new product when the time and market have come for it."
MTU sees business jets being introduced that have wider fuselages able to provide added comfort and believes this development will lead to the need for advanced, economical engines using geared-fan technology. Future upgrades of current business jets might also offer opportunities.
The company explains the concept of the geared fan as interposing a reduction gear between the fan and low-pressure turbine, "which in today's engines are on a common shaft and necessarily rotate at the same speed," but can then each run at its own optimum speed, which for the fan is lower than for the turbine. "What the ATFI demonstrator is to prove is that an engine with a high-speed, low-pressure turbine transmitting its power to the fan through a gearbox will distinctly improve consumption, noise levels, and, above all, costs," said MTU.
MTU's particular role in the program is development of the high-speed, low-pressure turbine. The company has noted expertise in this area and is confident that it can reduce the number of turbine stages and therefore cut weight and manufacturing costs. Experience gained within the Engine 3E technology program (previously described by Aerospace Engineering, it is German industry/government-funded) is benefiting from the work.
To cope with the unparalleled high powers and temperatures, MTU is developing new blade materials and airfoils as well as new rotor concepts and brush seals for the high-speed low-pressure turbine. The company said that the low-pressure turbine's development and production content in the overall program is about 25%. According to MTU, that stake might grow appreciably if the company manufactures the high-pressure turbine as well, an option that is currently being discussed.
- Stuart Birch
