Section 2 EO C470.02 – DISCUSS AIRCRAFT ASSEMBLY

For an aircraft to fly correctly, the main structural components, such as fuselage, wings, engines and empennage parts must be aligned perfectly. Any deviation or flaw, such as a twist in any component, will impair flight and have a negative effect on flight controls. Cranes hold the heavy parts in place, jigs and templates position them precisely. The development of techniques for measuring and positioning components on the structure to a high degree of accuracy have been developed, as aircraft have become heavier and faster.

Some aircraft are now so large that cranes cannot lift and hold the parts satisfactorily. Special carriers are custom-built to hold the parts, while computer control is used to bring them together. Lasers measure distances and angles with the use of mirrors, and send the data to high-speed computers. By using these methods, the fuselage, wings and empennage components can be assembled precisely, no matter how large they are.

Not all aircraft components are structural. A company such as Bombardier Aerospace has hundreds of suppliers that provide everything from horizontal stabilizers to airspeed indicators. All of these components fit and work together as a result of a process called Systems Integration. The aerospace engineers designing the aircraft must ensure that physical components and associated software programs work together.

Show the cadets the first chapter Toulouse France of The World's Biggest Airliner: The Airbus A380. This section covers the use of mirrors and an infrared laser positioning system and shows the fuselage components being joined.

Small manufacturers can often perform all necessary operations in one location like Viking Air, which manufactures the new 400 series Twin Otter and remanufactures Beaver and Otter aircraft near the Victoria International Airport in Sydney, British Columbia. A small manufacturer's shop is characterized by all the aircraft parts and materials coming together at one manufacturing plant prior to final assembly. All necessary machinery and facilities are provided, sometimes under one roof. Manufacturing encompasses all phases of assembly from sheet metal bending, engine assembly, avionics and final painting and interior finish.

Viking Air is considered a small manufacturer's shop. They manufacture, assemble, modify, and repair aircraft.

All manufacturers need machines to move large, heavy components such as wings and to control their motion with precision. In the assembly areas of large aircraft, these machines are also large.

Show the cadets the series of assembly area photographs located at Attachment A.

Larger manufacturers generally have more career specialization than smaller ones, such as engine, airframe or avionics specialization. Small manufacturers have fewer employees, so they need their employees to be able to handle more related fields.

Large manufacturers such as Bombardier Aerospace have facilities around the world. The materials and components for the basic aircraft structure are gathered at one assembly plant, such as Downsview in Toronto, Ontario. This plant is responsible for the final assembly of structural components for the Learjet 45 aircraft, the Q-Series turboprops and the Global family of business aircraft. The facility occupies 324 acres of land and has almost two million square feet of building floor space. At Dorval, Quebec, Bombardier has a completion facility with 31 345 square metres (337 400 square feet), housing up to 14 Global Express aircraft and a delivery centre in which customers can choose design options in a virtual reality environment. The finishing touches, such as cabin furnishings, are installed here. A separate 7 246 square metre (78 000 square foot) paint and strip shop is located next to the completion centre, capable of housing up to four aircraft at a time.

Another 38 591 square metre (415 400 square foot) facility is located in Dorval, near the Bombardier Aerospace administrative centre and the Canadair aircraft assembly plant.

Airbus has an even larger operation. The A380 is assembled and delivered in Europe and has major structural components made in Australia, Canada, England, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Russia, Spain, Turkey and the USA.

Suppliers, for both structural and minor components, are located around the world:

Show the cadets Figures B-1 to B-6 located at Attachment B. These pictures indicate the significance of the pylon fixed structures and pylon brackets that mount the four engines to the A380 wing. Each engine develops 31 750 kg (70 000 lbs) of thrust against the titanium pylons which transfer the thrust to the aircraft's wing.

Show the cadets Figure B-7 located at Attachment B, which lists Airbus A380 suppliers in North America.

For more information about how an A380 is made, the cadets can visit the Airbus Navigator at web page http://events.airbus.com/A380/Default2.aspx?ArtId=644 or visit the Airbus website at www.airbus.com.