A380: the countdown is on - Orient Aviation

SUPPLIERS
By Charles Anderson
It’s not only Airbus that <strong>is</strong> laying its
money on <strong>the</strong> line with <strong>the</strong> <strong>A380</strong>
programme. The project’s r<strong>is</strong>ksharing
partners are supplying
US$3 billion out of <strong>the</strong> total
US$10.7 billion investment necessary to
get <strong>the</strong> plane in <strong>the</strong> air – and some US$2.1
billion of that has come from aerostructure
manufacturers.
Look at <strong>the</strong> roll call of structures
suppliers and many of <strong>the</strong> big names are
<strong>the</strong>re: GKN Aerospace Services of <strong>the</strong> UK,
EADS Ausburg from Germany, Goodrich
from <strong>the</strong> U.S. Alenia Aeronautica from
Italy as well as Eurocopter, Fokker/Stork
and Saab, to name just a few.
Not all companies on <strong>the</strong> <strong>A380</strong> l<strong>is</strong>t are
r<strong>is</strong>k-sharing partners by any means. It <strong>is</strong>
only <strong>the</strong> big companies that can afford that.
Participation in some instances also goes
back to framework agreements signed at <strong>the</strong>
time of <strong>the</strong> A3XX programme. Th<strong>is</strong> time,
however, <strong>the</strong>re was a competitive process
based typically on a company’s know-how
and Airbus experience.
The Asia-Pacific <strong>is</strong> also playing a part,
led by Hawker de Havilland, Australia,
which <strong>is</strong> making wing tips and <strong>the</strong> wing-tip
fence, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI),
supplying <strong>the</strong> outboard panel assembly
bottom, and CTRM of Malaysia which has
been sub-contracted by BAE Systems to
make wing components.
Also, <strong>the</strong>re are two of Japan’s “heavies”,
Fuji and Mitsub<strong>is</strong>hi Heavy Industries, as
well as Jamco, Nippi and Shin Maywa –
a qualified breakthrough for Airbus in a
country closely associated with Boeing
and which <strong>is</strong> accounting for 35% of <strong>the</strong>
manufacture of Boeing’s 7E7. There were
hopes that Japan would join <strong>the</strong> r<strong>is</strong>k sharers,
but that was not to be.
“Although our percentage remains low, at
least we have managed to stick <strong>the</strong> Airbus flag
in Japan. It was a significant achievement to
get <strong>the</strong>m on board,” said Charles Champion,
executive vice-president, <strong>A380</strong> programme.
China <strong>is</strong> represented through a subcontracting
deal by Latecoere of France with
China Aviation Industry Corp I (AVIC I) for
<strong>the</strong> upper and lateral panels of <strong>the</strong> nose landing
gear bay.
Primary work was not offered, Champion
said, because <strong>the</strong> Chinese aviation industry
<strong>is</strong> at present oriented towards manufacturing
without having a strong design capability.
On <strong>the</strong> equipment side, leading vendors
R<strong>is</strong>k sharing,
on a global scale
‘ Although our percentage
remains low, at least we have
managed to stick <strong>the</strong> Airbus
[suppliers] flag in Japan. It was
a significant achievement to
get <strong>the</strong>m on board’
Charles Champion,
Executive vice-president,
<strong>A380</strong> programme
include Goodrich, Honeywell, Dunlop,
Hamilton Sundstrand, KID, Messier-
Bugatti, Messier-Dowty, Rockwell Collins,
Smiths Aerospace and Thales Avionics.
The fact Airbus <strong>is</strong> now a single company
helped smooth <strong>the</strong> process. Th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> first
programme to be launched since restructuring
and that meant <strong>the</strong> old way of doing things
could be forgotten. Many American firms
are now on <strong>the</strong> roster as a result.
“For <strong>the</strong> first time [we] were able to
select with a full picture, because in <strong>the</strong> past
selection was made by our former partners.
Then we had customer services and
customer support on <strong>the</strong> Airbus side. It was
difficult to put all <strong>the</strong> elements toge<strong>the</strong>r,”
said Champion.
22 ORIENT AVIATION / <strong>A380</strong> Quarterly Update DECEMBER 2004-FEBRUARY 2005
“Basically we did a full comparative
selection process, looking at all <strong>the</strong> aspects
of <strong>the</strong> business, not only <strong>the</strong> performance,
weight and cost, but also reliability, mean time
between failure and <strong>the</strong> direct maintenance
costs. We completely opened <strong>the</strong> door.
“As a result we selected some vendors
we had never chosen before. One of <strong>the</strong>
first, after <strong>the</strong> programme was launched
in February 2001, was Goodrich for <strong>the</strong>
landing gear. We have never, never installed
landing gear from Goodrich before. It was
ei<strong>the</strong>r Messier or Dowty.
“It was a very strong sign to <strong>the</strong> industry
that <strong>the</strong> game was open. Afterwards we
selected some vendors that we were already
working with on o<strong>the</strong>r programmes. If <strong>the</strong>y
have been sat<strong>is</strong>factory, <strong>the</strong>y are in pole
position. If you have developed solutions
for <strong>the</strong> A320 and A340, you have a better
knowledge and can minim<strong>is</strong>e your r<strong>is</strong>k
factor.
“Never<strong>the</strong>less, we selected Hamilton
Sundstrand for <strong>the</strong> air conditioning for <strong>the</strong>
first time. We just took a very open approach:
<strong>the</strong> best guy wins.
“All in all, we had a good selection process.
It was transparent and, to my knowledge,
although usually <strong>the</strong>re are some shouts
and complaints, we didn’t have any major
challenges.”
Take <strong>the</strong> <strong>A380</strong>’s engines out of <strong>the</strong>
equation and Champion reckons European
and U.S. vendors have won a 50-50 split.
Global<strong>is</strong>ation, however, muddies <strong>the</strong> picture
somewhat.
“We have U.S. vendors with subsidiaries
in Europe and European vendors with
subsidiaries in <strong>the</strong> U.S. It <strong>is</strong> ra<strong>the</strong>r more
difficult to identify <strong>the</strong>m now,” said
Champion.
“We have managed quite well to get
away from <strong>the</strong> image that we are being
self influenced by <strong>the</strong> past. There was good
competition between <strong>the</strong> vendors. In some
cases, we were already working with <strong>the</strong>m;
in o<strong>the</strong>r cases <strong>the</strong>y were from outside <strong>the</strong>
system. I think it brought in some fresh
air.”