Next Generation Composite Wing programme

[Invité Rob]

Le gouvernement et industrie britannique ont lances un programme aujourd'hui value a 103 millions livres (environ 134 millions euros) pour la developpement d'un nouveau generation des ailes. Le programme a un duration de trois ans. C'est part d'un grand programme de R&D investement dans le secteur aerospatial par le gouvernement britannique. Rolls-Royce a par exemple deja gagne un contrat value a 95 millions livres (environ 124 millions d'euros) pour un nouveau moteur civil, le EFE (Environmentally Friendly aeroEngine.). Et BAE Systems a gagne le contrat pour le UCAV Taranis value a 124 millions livres (160 millions d'euros.). Il y a autres programmes aussi comme ASTRAEA (UAVs) pour 32 millions livres (environ 40 millions d'euros), le Integrated Wing pour 38 millions livres (environ 53 millions d'euros), etc... .

Links aux programmes.

Rolls-Royce EFE

http://www.rolls-royce.com/suppliers/link/issue11/efe/default.htm

Airbus UK Integrated Wing

https://www.integrated-wing.org.uk/default.htm

BAE Systems ASTRAEA

http://www.sbac.co.uk/pages/87884157.asp

Airbus plant future secured with £103m research project

May 14 2008 By Tom Bodden

Airbus

Airbus

The future of the Airbus plant in Flintshire was further secured by the announcement of a £103m research project into the next generation of aircraft wings.

The investment will help to develop the lightweight composite wings to revolutionise aircraft technology.

The Airbus plant at Broughton emplys more than 7,000 people and is regarded as a centre of execellence for wing production.

But the Next Generation Composite Wing (NGCW) collaborative programme will ensure that the plant will remain a world leader and at the cutting edge of wing design and manufacturing.

The plant has already won the contract to produce composite wings for the new A350 aircraft.

NGCW is one of the most significant joint aircraft research programmes launched in the UK for decades and will transform future wing design processes and help to maximise the eco-efficiency of future aircraft designs.

It brings together 16 leading British organisations, both industrial companies and research bodies, to work on the three year programme.

Of the £103m total, £52m is privately funded by industry, £7.5m from the Welsh Assembly Government, £25m is from the UK’s Technology Strategy Board, and the remainder from Regional Development Agencies across UK.Deputy first minister Ieuan Wyn Jones confirmed the Welsh Assembly Government's largest ever investment in research and development with a £7.5m contribution to a £103m Airbus-led programme.

The Welsh Assembly Government support for the Composite Wing research is approximately 15% of the overall external funding sought by the programme.

Mr Jones said: "This vital research and technology programme will give the world-class Broughton plant the skills and knowledge to remain at the forefront of aircraft wing design and manufacture, and will put it in a strong position to win key contracts in the future.

"As part of our involvement, Airbus will be making a major contribution to the Assembly Government’s strategy for technology learning and training across Wales, and will also support our work to develop Welsh supply chain companies.

First minister Rhodri Morgan said: "Airbus' North Wales operation is one of only two facilities in the world capable of the manufacture of wings for large civil aircraft. Not only does it make a huge contribution to the Welsh economy - but it also serves as a flagship for engineering and manufacturing excellence in Wales."

Tom Williams, Executive Vice President of Airbus said: "This programme, along with continued investment in Research and Technology in composites, is key to the sector’s competitiveness and success in tackling future technology challenges".

Link.

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2008/05/14/airbus-plant-future-secured-with-103m-research-project-55578-20908174/

Les entreprises qui sont part du programme (Airbus UK est le lead partnaire):

Advanced Composite Group, Aircraft Research Association, Atkins Ltd, Bombardier Aerospace, Delmia UK Ltd, Eaton Aerospace Ltd, GE Aviation, GE Digital Systems, GKN Transparency Systems, Goodrich Actuation Systems, Hyde Group Ltd, KuKa Automation, Messier - Dowty, Morgan Professional Services, QinetiQ Ltd, Spirit Aerosystems Ltd.

Link.

http://nds.coi.gov.uk/content/detail.asp?NewsAreaID=2&ReleaseID=367470

[P4]

He said a deal to build the complex composite rear spar for the A350 wing, the spine of the wing, could still be awarded to a supplier outside the UK, if no agreement was reached with GKN.

The investment is key to securing manufacturing expertise in large-scale composite components in the UK, which is in danger of falling behind rival aerospace countries in Europe, as Airbus invests in developing its own expertise in Germany, France and Spain.

But senior Airbus executives in the UK have long been concerned that Britain could lose out on investment in the big composites components for the A350. They fear this in turn could undermine the UK’s ability to retain the wing assembly and components manufacturing for the next big Airbus development programme, the replacement of the current A320 family.

Airbus UK plant sale faces hurdles

[Invité Rob]

Oui, GKN besoin gagner ca, ou Filton va avoir peut-etre la meme mal avenir comme les usines francais et allemands qui Airbus ne pouvent pas vendre a OHB et Lacoere. Mais ils parlent encore et on peut dire aussi que Spirit Aerospace Europe (Prestwick) a gagne deja travailles important sur le A350XWB.

[Invité Rob]

New jobs at Airbus

07:39 - 18-July-2008

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Airbus has revealed it will create 400 new jobs at its new wing plant near Bristol - as it celebrates £20 billion of new orders.

A deal to build the new £250 million Airbus composite plant at Easter Compton, part of a joint venture with partner company GKN, is likely to be signed in the next few weeks.

Details emerged as the planemaker, which currently employs around 6,000 people at Filton, announced new orders worth a total of £20 billion at the Farnborough Air Show - beating arch-rival Boeing, which managed just £8 billion.

GKN, which is partnering Airbus on the next generation of lightweight aircraft parts, wants to set up a wing plant in Easter Compton to produce the composite materials for planes including the A350 XWB, the firm’s new mid-range plane.

GKN and Airbus are looking at housing the wing development team in existing empty warehouses rather than building a new factory, which was originally planned.

Amicus union representatives, who originally feared the move would mark the start of a decline at Filton, have now welcomed GKN’s plans for the new site.

Every Airbus staff member based in Filton has been invited to presentations by GKN about its plans for Filton.

The deal is awaiting the final signing of a contract between Airbus and GKN, which Airbus UK chief Tom Williams told Farnborough “would happen in weeks.”

Airbus union chiefs, including works convenor Mark Thomas, met with GKN Aerospace chief executive officer Marcus Bryson on Wednesday to seek clarification on Filton’s future.

Mr Thomas said yesterday that the meeting reassured the union that there would be “substantial” investment in both the existing Airbus site at Filton and in Easter Compton.

He said: “I can confirm that we are now in a position to support the GKN proposal for the purchase of Filton operations with the A350 facility being located at Easter Compton.

“Our decision to support this process is based around the commitments that we have been given for further investment/work packages that will be placed into both the Filton and Easter Compton facilities.

“We’re much happier with the situation now that we’ve met with GKN.

“We are now awaiting the signing of the deal between GKN and Airbus, which we hope will be done in the next week.

“We’ve been told work on the A350 will definitely be done at Easter Compton, which will mean another 300 to 400 more staff will be taken on, in addition to the 6,000 staff which already work at Airbus in Filton at the moment.”

In a statement, GKN said: “Both parties remain optimistic of an early conclusion. Both Airbus and GKN continue to keep key stakeholders, including all affected employees, the Trade Unions and the UK and regional Government agencies, informed of progress.”

Airbus announced yesterday  it will sell 10 long-haul A350 XWB aircraft to South American consortium Synergy Aerospace in a deal worth £1 billion at catalogue prices.

The deal takes Airbus' total orders so far at the week-long Farnborough Air Show to 251 planes worth £20 billion - more than double the value of the orders taken by Chicago-based Boeing which has booked 152 deals worth £8.4 billion.

Etihad Airways, the state carrier of the United Arab Emirates, which has made the biggest order by an airline so far at Farnborough, splitting an order for 100 aircraft between Airbus and Boeing worth £10 billion at list prices.

Other deals have been signed by Qatar Airways, FlyDubai, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Asiana Airlines and Arik Air since the show began on Monday.

Link.

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/New-jobs-Airbus/article-225965-detail/article.html

[P4]

GKN and Airbus are looking at housing the wing development team in existing empty warehouses rather than building a new factory, which was originally planned.

Les dépenses sont comptées.

[P4]

DATE:11/06/09

SOURCE:Flight International

A30X wing work a must-win, says Society of British Aerospace Companies

By Niall O’Keeffe

Airbus could look outside the UK when it is time to manufacture wings for the next generation of narrowbody aircraft unless the country makes further investment in its composite capabilities. And, warns a trade body, such a move could slash the UK's estimated 17% share of the global civil aerospace industry.

Ian Godden, chief executive of the Society of British Aerospace Companies, is concerned that the UK's global aerospace market sharecould fall to levels held by its pharmaceutical industry (13%) or even automotive industry (4%).

"Unless we invest in the technology and unless we get the industry and political scene to make sure that wings are still part of our future, we're down the slippery slope," Godden warned during the launch of the association's annual survey of the UK aerospace industry and itsUK Civil Aerospace Strategy Report.

Cancellation of the UK's Airbus A400Macquisition contract would also be damaging to composite capabilities, in the SBAC's view. Godden notes the time gap between launch of the A350 programme, now underway, and the launch of the A320 replacement (dubbed the A30X), which is unlikely before the end of the next decade."That gap, in terms of production and engineering, is best filled by the A400M," he says.

Without that workthe UK could be overtaken by Germany or Spain, warns Godden, who is calling for greater government support.

The SBAC's reportasserts that since 2003 "there has been a continuing erosion of the UK's manufacturing role on Airbus wings", citing the allocation of A350 wing covers to Airbus plants in Stade, Germany and Illescas, Spain, and that of A400M covers to Stade.

However, as noted by the SBAC's strategy report, a National Aerospace Technology Strategy (agreed by industry and the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform) is in place. It includes the£100 million ($164 million), Airbus-led Next Generation Composite Wingproject involving 17 UK research organisations and companies, including GKN.

Meanwhile, the SBAC's annual industry survey found that R&D expenditure fell 32.2% in 2008, to £1.83 billion. The extent of this decline "was not fully anticipated", says Godden. Among the survey's other findings were a 0.85% increase in revenue, a 1.3% drop in civil sales, a 3.1% rise in defence sales and an 11.1% reduction in workforce numbers.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/06/11/327718/a30x-wing-work-a-must-win-says-society-of-british-aerospace.html