For Manufacturers About Subcontractors

Register NOW

GKN Aerospace Services is a major supplier to Airbus for the A380, providing a package of composite parts with a total value well in excess of $1million per aircraft. The package includes four assemblies comprising the fixed trailing edge secondary structure, outer flap top skin, mid flap top skin and flap track beams. The Airbus and GKN Aerospace Services team have redesigned these assemblies in composite materials to achieve significant weight-savings.

The completion of an inner rib, part of the tip falsework, represents the first production standard composite assembly for the aircraft wing. The inner rib, completed this month, is approaching 6ft long, weighs approximately 2kg and is made of woven 'prepreg' materials.

This is the first of a series of components that will be built into an assembly that will be delivered in February 2003.

A mark of the growing partnership between Airbus and GKNAS has been the award of an Engineering Approval by Airbus (also called a 'Part 4 approval'). This allows GKNAS to design and release engineering solutions to Airbus via their own approvals.

Tel. 01983 283690