Magazin "take off" - Issue 4 - FACC

F A C C C U S T O M E R M A G A Z I N E
Innovative FACC-Design
For The New A340-500/-600
Peter Diesch of DaimlerChrysler Aerospace Airbus signed a 250 mil ATS contract in
Hamburg with Ried´s high-tech company. FACC will be developing and supplying
structural components for the wings of the new flagships of Airbus´s four-engine
fleet, the A340-500 and the A340-600.
The A340-500 can carry its 313
passengers 15,750 km (8,500 naut. mi.)
– the longest range of any commercial
aircraft. The bigger sister in the A340
family is capable of transporting 380
passengers over 13,900km (7,500
naut. mi.).
This ultra-long-range capability makes
these two new aircraft models cut right
out for new destination-to-destination
trips especially in the Pacific region.
According to Boeing´s forecast for
1998 - 2017 this is a market segment,
which – due to the Asian economic
turmoil – is going to shrink in the next
few years but will be the fastest
growing segment after 2002.
By 2010 Airbus anticipates an overall
market of 1500 long-range 300-400
long-range seaters, which will be
divided up between the A340 and
Boeing 777/747.
In 2002 the first jetliners will be
delivered to the airlines and the first
passengers will have the pleasure of
being whisked away by the new planes.
FACC will develop and produce Spoiler
2 and Spoiler 6 for the wings of both of
takeoff4
these models. These spoilers serve as
lift dumps which reduce the lifting
force caused by the wing. In certain
flight situations they take over the
function of the aileron, regulate the
rate of descent, prevent up float after
landing and act as an additional air
brake, thus helping to decelerate the
plane after landing.
Spoiler 2:
Important for the airworthiness
Spoiler 2 is a particularly important
component for the airworthiness of
a plane. If it fails and damages the
horizontal tail it can render the plane
unmanoeuverable. Such emergency
situations caused by the loss of the
component will be prevented by using
special fail-safe fixtures.
The amount of stress the composite
spoilers and the integrated metal
fixtures for mounting and adjusting
components is enormous: for aerodynamic
reasons the thin trailing edges
of the spoiler need to be firmly integrated
with the surrounding wing elements
during take-off and flight, at all speeds
and during all plane manoeuvres.
Accordingly, the tests are comprehensive
and strict: static tests are performed
with 50% extra stress added to the
maximum in-flight stress. That amounts
to more than two tons per spoiler
(which corresponds to the weight of
two mid-size cars). In addition, we
must prove that damage through rock
impact will not cause the spoiler to fail.
FACC is also required to carry out dynamic
tests simulating the entire life-span of
an aircraft, hence they have also become
part of our testing routine.
The tough criteria: 100,000 flight
hours, 10 years, 20,000 flights. To
demonstrate adequate service
life, fatigue, damage tolerance
and residual strength tests have
do be performed.