Airbus A380 - FACC

F A C C S P E C I A L I S S U E 

A380 

take off 

September 2004 

A High Level of Commitment 

Market Outlook 

On board the A380 

An Investment in the Future 

FACC 

FISCHER ADVANCED COMPOSITE COMPONENTS AG

F A C C S P E C I A L I S S U E A 3 8 0 

A Strong 

Partnership 

“The delivery of the first flap track 

fairings for the new Airbus A380 in 

September 2004 will be seen as a 

milestone in the company history of 

FACC. In the past years we have invested 

enormously in the research and development 

of components and systems for 

the new pioneering super-jumbo. Thus 

we were able to develop innovative 

complete solutions for Airbus with 

technological innovations and efficient 

product features. We were also given 

the opportunity, through our close cooperation 

with the Airbus development 

teams and our partners and suppliers, 

to make use of our full innovation 

potential and further expand our technological 

leadership in the area of 

composites. 

The successful cooperation between 

Airbus and FACC began in the year 

1981. The A380 is not our only project 

which finds us in a risk sharing partnership 

with our customer. It follows other 

programs from Airbus, Boeing and 

Bombardier, such as the A340-500/600, 

the B717 and the Challenger 300, to 

name but a few. But the involvement 

of FACC in the A380 program is by far 

the most intensive. 

The days are gone when FACC was a 

producer of individual small components. 

We have successfully established 

ourselves as a system supplier for 

the aviation industry and offer our 

customers the most sophisticated and 

specialized total solutions, be it planning 

and development, materials, production 

or logistics. That is also the reason why 

know-how and high-technology from 

FACC is on board the A380 program. I 

would like to take this opportunity to 

express my thanks to Airbus for the 

many years of confidence they have 

had in us. Thanks to the commitment 

and unbelievable work that was put 

into this project, especially by our 

employees, customers, suppliers and 

partners, FACC is a recognized 1st tier 

supplier in this demanding program 

and has been able to fulfil all objectives 

and goals. This is without a doubt an 

excellent foundation for the years to 

come. We are looking forward to new 

challenges and are confident that 

composite materials and FACC AG will 

play an important role in the coming 

new developments. 

In less than six months´ time we will be 

proudly looking towards Toulouse 

when the first A380 takes its maiden 

flight and a new chapter in the history 

of civil aviation will be written.” 

Walter Stephan 

Chairman of the Board, FACC AG 

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A High Level 

of Commitment 

“Within a year of FACC delivering its first components 

to Airbus in May 2003, the first A380 completed 

structural assembly. 

Just two months later the electrical generation and 

distribution systems were powered up for the first time 

and assembly is already underway on the eighth 

aircraft. So the A380 is now well into series production, 

with the much-anticipated maiden flight planned for 

early next year. 

This would never have been possible without the 

continuing support of suppliers and industrial partners 

across the A380 program. Many of whom, including 

FACC, demonstrated their confidence in the A380 by 

funding elements of the research and development 

related to their areas of expertise, often creating 

ground breaking solutions and identifying innovative 

applications for new materials and techniques. And this 

level of commitment, right through the supply chain, 

will be just as critical in ensuring the highest possible 

level of maturity when the aircraft enters commercial 

service in 2006. 

But for the moment, with just a few months to go 

before the world gets its first proper look at the A380, 

I would like to offer our thanks to the teams at FACC. 

When the first A380 takes to the sky, I think that the 

people at FACC will feel every bit as proud as the 

people at Airbus – and rightly so.” 

Charles Champion 

Executive Vice President 

A380 Programme, Airbus 

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Market Outlook 

Airbus predicts that passenger traffic 

will increase by more than 5% per year 

over the next 20 years, creating 

demand for around 1,500 very large 

aircraft (including 300 freighters), 

which are expected to make some 

3,400 flights per day out of 209 airports. 

With 70 per cent of flights expected 

to be clustered around 25 key 

airports, more than half of all very large 

aircraft likely to be used on flights from 

just ten airports, eight of which will be 

in Asia Pacific. 

However, given the need to balance 

the growing demand for air travel, with 

limited landing slots at airports, growing 

competition and an increasingly 

sensitive environment, these aircraft 

are likely to be used on a complete 

range of domestic, local, regional and 

intercontinental routes: one third are 

expected to operate on routes of less 

than 2,000 km (such as Hong-Kong to 

Beijing) while another third will be 

used on routes of over 9,000km (such 

as Paris to Los Angeles). 

After working closely with airlines, 

industrial partners and suppliers, and a 

whole host of experts from across the 

industry, Airbus’ answer was the A380: 

combining a wealth of innovative new 

technology with all that is best about 

the existing Airbus Family. 

Entering service in 2006, the A380 will 

generate up to 15 per cent lower seat 

per mile costs, 13 per cent less fuel 

consumption and half the noise of its 

closest competitor, while carrying 35 

per cent more passengers and meeting 

strict local regulations, such as QC2 for 

departure at London airports. Two 

years later, the A380F will offer 30 per 

cent more payload, 54 per cent more 

volume and 2,600km/1,400nm more 

range than competing aircraft. 

In the future, further variants of the 

A380 will be developed in response to 

market demand when and if it evolves. 

With 139 orders and commitments 

from 13 customers before it has made 

its first flight, Airbus remains confident 

that the A380 is the solution that 

the industry, passengers and the 

environment need. 

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On board 

the A380 

The Airbus A380 is the most important civil aircraft program to date – one which 

sets new standards in many respects and will add a new dimension to civil aviation. 

The future super-jumbo is of great significance for FACC as a recognized partner in 

development for the different EADS affiliates. 

Since the mid-1990s, Airbus was 

working on the vision of an airplane that 

could carry over 500 passengers. The 

new aircraft of the 21st century that 

could transport a large number of 

passengers over long distances was 

thought to be an environmentally 

friendly solution to the increase in air 

traffic. With the launch of the program 

in December 2000, the go-ahead was 

given to build the largest airplane ever. 

As far as the development of the new 

passenger plane was concerned, 

Airbus followed new paths from the 

very beginning in the selection of and 

cooperation with suppliers and partners. 

In a global selection process a 

kind of dream team was formed and 

given the job of jointly designing the 

roomiest, most modern and most 

efficient airplane that had ever been 

built. The A380 is a product of worldwide 

cooperation and partnership and 

the result of years of joint efforts of 

thousands of employees of Airbus and 

its partner companies. And a player on 

this team was FACC, a company that 

could use its expertise in composite 

technology to make a small but 

forward-looking contribution, allowing 

the vision of the A380 to become a 

reality. 

A380 and FACC 

The A380 passenger plane is of great 

significance for FACC, Austria’s leading 

aviation supplier. The high-tech company 

has successfully established itself 

as a development partner of EADS and 

has been a part of the A380 program 

since its conceptual phase. FACC 

is responsible for the design and 

production of important components 

and systems for the fuselage, wings, 

and engines as well as different 

components of the passenger cabin of 

the flagship A380. For the development 

department of FACC the A380 is 

the most comprehensive development 

program to date, whether the timing 

and extent of the participation in the 

program is concerned, of the size 

and complexity of the systems and 

components or the new dimensions in 

the area of production. 

In close cooperation with the Airbus 

teams in Germany and France and with 

Rolls-Royce and the Engine Alliance, 

the main suppliers for both engines, 

FACC set up a competence network 

which includes numerous Austrian and 

international suppliers as well as 

partners at universities and research 

centers. 

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A Milestone: 

First Delivery of Flap 

Track Fairings for 

the A380 

In September 2004 FACC delivered the first flap 

track fairings for the Airbus A380 – a milestone 

in the company history of FACC and an example 

of a successful development project that 

emphasizes the leading technological position of 

the company. For FACC the flap track fairing is 

not only the most important structure project for 

the A380, but also the most extensive and 

largest sub-system that is being produced by 

FACC. This aerodynamic fairing contains a 

number of technical systems essential for flight, 

and FACC´s development team is responsible for 

their integration. These systems include a 

cooling system for the hydraulic units, an 

emergency power turbine and a fuel drain line. 

Per wing FACC produces five flap track fairings 

of different dimensions. The largest fairing is 

11 meters long, 0.80 meters wide, 1.40 meters 

in height and, thanks to the use of advanced 

carbon fiber composites, weighs only 1,200 kilos. 

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7 

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An Investment 

in the Future 

The Airbus A380 program poses a 

great challenge for FACC, and at the 

same time contributes to a lasting 

positive development of the company. 

Once series production is in full swing 

in 2005, hundreds of individual components 

will be delivered from Ried. 

Starting in 2005 an average of 200 

employees will be needed for the following 

20 years for the program that will 

be bringing in significant annual 

increase of FACC´s turnover. 

From the very beginning of the design 

to the development of details and up 

to production, a strong partnership was 

forged with Airbus that creates an ideal 

basis for a future long-term relationship. 

The acquired know-how and techno- 

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logical innovations are expanding 

FACC´s technological leadership as a 

systems supplier and the goal is to 

provide the best products and services 

for the Airbus A380 program and other 

customers´ programs. 

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FACC and it’s contribution to the A380 

On the A380 program FACC AG is involved in 10 detail projects for a total of 9 different customers from 

5 different customer consortia, with orders from Germany, England, France, Japan, Canada, and the USA. 

In the years to come these orders will make up a delivery volume of $1 billion and in the long run 

constitute about 15% of the total turnover of FACC. 

Component 

Overhead Stowage Compartments 

Flap Track Fairings 

Flap Rips 

Composite components for Trent 900 

APU Inlet Plenum 

Engine components for GP7200 

Cargo Compartment Door Lining 

Cross Beam Floor Struts 

Inner Outer Barrel 

Bathtube Panels 

Customer 

Aircabin GmbH., Germany 

Airbus Germany 

Airbus Germeny 

Rolls-Royce, UK 

Pratt & Whitney, Canada 

Pratt & Whitney, USA 

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan 

JAMCO, Japan 

Airbus France 

EADS Military, Germany 

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Make your own A380 

Some tips for a better flight 

1. Cut out the plane´s fuselage and 

tail 

carefully following the outer 

black lines. Also cut out the sits 

that are located on the rear 

and on the sides of the fuselage 

(they appear as thick black lines). 

2.Fold the plane´s fuselage 

all along the central dotted line. 

● You may get better results by adjusting slightly the wings and the 

tail. 

● Hold the plane behind the wings and throw it horizontally. 

● The plane will fly further if you place a paper clip on its nose. 

FOLD 

3. First fold down the tail along the central dott ed 

line then fold it up along the dotted lines of the 

sides. 

4.While flattening it with your thumb and forefinger, 

insert the plane’s tail gently at a 45° angle 

in the corresponding slits that you previously cut 

out in the fuselage. 

Then pull it firmly upwards and backwards. 

45° angle 

CUT THE SLITS FOR THE TAIL 

A 

FOLD 

B 

FOLD 

FOLD 

C 

CUT 

THE SLIT 

5. Fold up the A BB and C C parts on themselves. 

Make sure they are in between the forward fuselage 

sides so that the printed areas still show. 

Insert part D in the corresponding slit. 

The plane’s fuselage is now flat. 

FOLD 

Careful 

Do not throw 

the plane in direction 

of people, animals or fragile objects. 

D 

FOLD 

6. Straighten the wings and the tail’s horizontal 

sides. Fold the engines down vertically and fold 

the tips of the wings upwards. 

11 takeoff

Make your FACC A380 

Some tips for a better flight 

1. Cut out the plane´s fuselage and 

tail 

carefully following the outer 

black lines. Also cut out the sits 

that are located on the rear 

and on the sides of the fuselage 

(they appear as thick black lines). 

2.Fold the plane´s fuselage 

all along the central dotted line. 

● You may get better results by adjusting slightly the wings and the 

tail. 

● Hold the plane behind the wings and throw it horizontally. 

● The plane will fly further if you place a paper clip on its nose. 

FOLD 

3. First fold down the tail along the central dott ed 

line then fold it up along the dotted lines of the 

sides. 

4. While flattening it with your thumb and forefinger, 

insert the plane’s tail gently at a 45° angle 

in the corresponding slits that you previously cut 

out in the fuselage. 

Then pull it firmly upwards and backwards. 

45° angle 

CUT THE SLITS FOR THE TAIL 

A 

FOLD 

B 

FOLD 

FOLD 

C 

CUT 

THE SLIT 

5. Fold up the A BB and C C parts on themselves. 

Make sure they are in between the forward fuselage 

sides so that the printed areas still show. 

Insert part D in the corresponding slit. 

The plane’s fuselage is now flat. 

FOLD 

Careful 

Do not throw 

the plane in direction 

of people, animals or fragile objects. 

D 

FOLD 

6. Straighten the wings and the tail’s horizontal 

sides. Fold the engines down vertically and fold 

the tips of the wings upwards. 

FACC 

FISCHER ADVANCED COMPOSITE COMPONENTS AG 

A-4910 Ried/Austria, Fischerstraße 9, P.O.Box 192 

Tel. +43/7752/616-0, Fax +43/7752/616-352 

www.facc.co.at, e-mail: info@facc.co.at 

Photos: Lang & Lang Leonding, Airbus Toulouse, Design and Composition: Oskar Pointecker, 4941 Mehrnbach.

Airbus A380 - FACC

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