Manufacturing and Handling Techniques Used in the Assembly of Polished Commercial Aircraft

Document Number: 890925

Date Published: April 1989

Author(s):
Dell F. Skluzak - Aluminum Co. of America
Jerry T. Whicker - Aluminum Co. of America

Abstract:
The use of polished aluminum fuselage skins has been a standard on U.S. commercial jet transport aircraft for decades. Increasingly stringent environmental regulations for paint stripping combined with fuel and maintenance savings allows consideration of flying polished non-painted aircraft.

Boeing, McDonnell Douglas and Embraer currently manufacture commercial aircraft with polished alclad aluminum fuselages. Commercial airlines such as American Airlines, USAir, Eastern, Northwest and ASA fly non-painted fleets. These customers require the aircraft to be delivered with a polished appearance incorporating minimum fleet graphics.

The manufacturing of polished aircraft requires unique production and handling procedures to fabricate all exterior panels with identical color match and reflectivity. This paper compliments previous papers on the economic advantages of non-painted planes and transition procedures from painted to non-painted aircraft. The various procedures used to produce and protect the valuable skin material from the plant to delivery of the fully assembled aircraft will be fully explored.

File Size: 549K
Product Status: In Stock

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