A PERFECT - Orient Aviation

10.29am, April 27, 2005 …A380 takes off on its maiden flightA PERFECTDAYIt’s like riding a bike,says A380 test pilotAirbus: Showstopping in Parisfor 30 yearsAsia’s airportswell preparedfor A380Supplier profile:Goodrich takingthe strainCustomer spotlight:Korean Air

SHOW STOPPERSFor 30 years the Paris Air Show has mirroredthe Airbus success story as one new modelafter another has made its first publicappearance at Le Bourget. This year theoccasion will be bigger than ever, in moreways than one, as the A380 takes its bowSHOWING OFFBy Charles AndersonWhen the A380 goes ondisplay in Paris in mid-June, it will be followingin the flight pathsof an impressive listof Airbus products that made their publicdebuts at Le Bourget as the company grewfrom an unsung European partnership intoan aircraft manufacturing giant.Airbus is not sure yet whether the superjumbo can fly at the world’s biggest aviationshow, which runs from June 13 to 19. Theyhope it will, but the final decision dependson the progress of the flight test programmes.Even if the A380 does not taketo the skies it will be on static display forthe aviation industry, and the proud Frenchpublic, to look at and admire.In some ways it is a far cry from 1973,when the fledgling Airbus GIE, as it wasthen, put on a flying display with its firstand, at that stage, only product, the A300B,four years after a static prototype was firstseen at Le Bourget.Concorde and Boeing’s new 747 jumbohad overshadowed the mock-up of theunknown widebody in 1969. It was stillthe “ugly ducking”, as one Airbus veterandescribed it, four years later when the supersonicsuperstar again stole the show.In other ways, the A380’s debut echoesthose times. “In the 70s, you had more smallercompanies bringing out different planes.Technological jumps would drive development,rather than competition. Everybodywas showing what they had,” said BarbaraKracht, vice-president, media relations, whohas seen the first flight of every major Airbusmodel starting with the A300B in 1972.That meant there was plenty for France’ssupportive and knowledgeable aviationenthusiasts to enjoy. Rival companies, andpotential customers, were also well served.Barbara Kracht, vice-president, media relations poses with the A380 pilots afterthe memorable first flight: she has seen the first flight of every major Airbusmodel starting with the A300B in 1972‘ Airbus had thevision to saywe are goingto be biggerthan our homecountries’Colin Stuartvice-president,marketingAirbus6 ORIENT AVIATION / A380 Quarterly Update JUNE – AUGUST 2005In recent years, with industry consolidationand standardisation, there is less excitementon offer. The last major new aircraft to go onshow was back in 1995 when Boeing’s longdistanceB777 arrived.Now, the enthusiasm is palpable, especiallyin Toulouse. “You drive around outsidethe plant here and you see peoplestanding, waiting and watching, expectingthe A380 to come,” said Kracht, speakingbefore the test flight brought them out intheir thousands. “When the plane was comingout of the hangar last winter, there werepeople driving by, standing and looking atit. They have never done that before.”Multiply this by the numbers expected atLe Bourget and you get an idea of the impactthe A380 is likely to have there.Colin Stuart, Airbus vice-president,marketing, sees this fitting into a patternthat has brought Airbus, and Le Bourget,onto the international stage over the sameperiod. “Le Bourget has always been veryimportant, because France as a nation hasalways supported its aviation industry verywell. But Le Bourget is bigger than Francenow,” he said. “It was national then, but nowit’s international. Airbus also had the visionto say we are going to be bigger than ourhome countries.“We think of this as a very importantshow for customers, the corporate and politicalside, and for suppliers. It’s important aswell to have the public satisfied with whatthey see from the Airbus product side. They

want to see Airbus fly. Wetake great pride in takingour airplanes to the public.”Stuart is well placed todraw comparisons betweenAirbus’s earlier days andits current position. He was one of only afew people on hand in 1987 to watch thetest flight of the A320, which representedAirbus’s brave, and subsequently successful,move into the single-aisle market. Thisfirst fly-by-wire aircraft was an importantstep towards the development of a full family,now completed by the A380.“We got on to the roof of the old Blagnacairport to watch the airplane go,” saidStuart. “Two hours later it came back andtaxied on to the tarmac. Out came the crewin their orange suits. There were only 100 ofus. We had a champagne party at midday inthe airport. It was low key, but it was fun.“We had made a beautiful plane,although we didn’t know where we weregoing. But we did know that we were goingsomewhere.”Airbus’s presence at Le Bourget overthe last three decades mirrors the growthof the company. This year, it will be housedalongside its giant parent company, EADS(European Aeronautic Defence and SpaceCo). Back in 1973, when the A300B flewthere for the first time, it took its first, oneunitchalet, next to one of its then owningpartners, Aerospatiale.“It was very small. We were largelyunknown. But we were flying this plane andstarting to get attention,” said Kracht, whosefather Felix helped set up the industrialorganisation for the A300’s production.The need to be noticed was a key driverin the way Airbus presented itself in thoseearly years, especially after the publicitymindedBernard Lathiere became chiefexecutive.In 1975, when an important early orderfrom Lufthansa was confirmed at the show,the theme was green, pushing an economical,environmentally-friendly message,complete with parrots and other birds incages in a lushly-outfitted chalet.Later that decade Toulouse’s centralattraction, La Place du Capitole, wasrecreated, with the city’s famous set of buildingson the wall and a dining room full ofumbrellas in front. “Lathiere was adamantthat if we wanted to be different, we had toattract attention,” said Kracht. “You know,we had one product, we had to be creative.”The planes, and the orders for them,‘ The need to be noticedwas a key driverin the way Airbuspresented itselfin those early years’kept ticking along. Butit was not always smoothprogress. In 1977, spiritswere higher thanthe year before at theFarnborough air showin Britain. A 16-month drought had beenbroken when Thai Airways Internationalplaced an order and an important breakthroughwith America’s Eastern Airlineshad also just been made. There was talk atthat time, too, of the A310’s development. Itwas launched the next year.By 1979, the A300 had taken 30% ofmarket share in its niche, Asian sales werebooming and Rolls-Royce had come onboard for the first time, signing up to supplyA300-600 engines. The first A320 commitment,for Air France, was announced at LeBourget in 1981.In 1993, the A340-300 “world-ranger” stole the showBut air shows are not only about salesannouncements. There has to be someentertainment as well. In 1983, an A310arrived at Le Bourget at the end of a nonstopflight from Brazil, a little in the shadowof a B747 carrying atop the space shuttle,Enterprise, perhaps.In 1985, former Indian Airlines’ pilotRajiv Gandhi, then his country’s primeminister, tried out a simulator for theA320’s new cockpit installed in an outdoorstand. The plane itself flew at the next show,in 1987, just after the A330/340 range hadbeen announced.“Over the years, Le Bourget grew froma commercial point of view, and maybe alsothanks to Airbus. Nineteen eighty seven and1989 were very good years for us commercially.Probably because of the importanceof Airbus, other airline manufacturers wereobliged to pay attention to Le Bourget morethan they would otherwise,” said Kracht.In 1993, two A330/340s staged a magnificentdemonstration. It was this year theA340-300 “world-ranger” stole the show. Itflew round the globe with only one stop inAuckland, arriving back where it started –at Le Bourget – 48 hours later. The crewgave satellite interviews from New Zealandwhile refuelling. Interest built in Paris as theplane headed for home.“It was dull in 1993. There were no ordersfor anyone,” said Kracht. “On the Friday, itwas announced the aircraft would arrive.The whole of the chalets rose. Everyone wasstanding and watching and waiting for theworld-ranger to arrive.”Airbus will continue its tradition of flyingits aircraft at Le Bourget this year, if theA380’s test schedule permits. It’s an importantpart of the company’s philosophy, toshow an airplane’s flying characteristics notonly to potential buyers, but to pilots andothers in the industry.The paying customers are part of this,too. “We always fly at air shows becausewe think there is such an empathy for aviation.If you go to an air show you go to dobusiness, but you also have to respect thepublic,” said Kracht.Take it one step further, however, andcall Le Bourget Airbus’s home air show, andshe politely questions the overall assumption,although accepts it in part.“What would you call a home show? Weare at home in Germany. We are at homein the UK. From the other side, we are inFrance. From a public perception point ofview, we are in the country that is mostsupportive of aviation and of Airbus. Theyreally consider it as theirs. There is a specialrelationship with us.”JUNE – AUGUST 2005 ORIENT AVIATION / A380 Quarterly Update 7

CUSTOMER PROFILEKorean Air: Five A380s on order, three optionsand a strong contender for A380 freightersIn September 1974, Korean Air (KAL) became thethird airline in the world, and the first outside Europe,to order Airbus aircraft. In 2003, KAL broke newground again with Airbus when it became one of thefirst airlines to order the A380. Five A380s will arrivein Seoul between 2007 and 2009. The carrier hasoptions on an additional three of the big jets and is astrong contender for A380 freighters.TIES THAT BINDBy Tom BallantyneThe ties between Korean Air(KAL) and Airbus have beenstrong from the day in 1974when the carrier became thefledgling manufacturer’s firstAsia-Pacific customer. That bond becameeven stronger in 2003 when KAL signed forfive A380s together with three options.For KAL chairman and chief executive,Yang-Ho Cho, there was never any doubtthat if the Seoul-based flag carrier was toachieve its ambition of growing from whatis already a major global operator to membershipof the exclusive world airline top 10,the Airbus A380 had to be a key componentof an expanding fleet.He was not only thinking of the airline.Blessed with a new US$5 billion internationalairport at Incheon, near Seoul, as abase – it opened in 2001 – Cho believed thelinkage between the aircraft and the 24-hour hub was critical.“Our decision to purchase the A380 aircraftmeets our strategy to reinforce IncheonInternational Airport as the strongest hub inNortheast Asia. As one of the leading airlinesin Asia, our long-term fleet plan playsa significant role in this strategy,“ said Cho.In April, as part of that long-term plan,KAL ordered 10 Boeing 787s for deliverybetween 2009-2011 to replace ageingA300-600s.KAL operates 117 aircraft with around400 daily passenger flights to 90 cities in 33countries, ranking it the 15th largest airlinein the world.But Cho and his management team aimto be in the top 10 by 2010.Even earlier, in 2007, KAL plans tobecome the world’s largest cargo operator.It currently lies second in the cargorankings. The carrier is a contender for theA380 freighter version.“The A380 will mark the beginning ofa new generation of air travel and the introductionof the A380 to our fleet meetsKorean Air’s corporate mission ofExcellence in Flight – our long-term commitmentto pursuing service, operationaland innovative excellence,” said Cho.“We are focused on offering a newdimension of service to our customers and8 ORIENT AVIATION / A380 Quarterly Update JUNE – AUGUST 2005

CUSTOMER PROFILEto our industry with our plans.”According to Cho, the A380 will helpstrengthen the carrier’s competitive edgeby lowering operating expenses: the A380offers a 15% reduction in seat-mile costsover the B747-400, according to Airbus.Boeing disputes this, however.KAL, a founding member of theSkyTeam global grouping – partners includeAir France, Delta Air Lines, KLM andNorthwest Airlines – aims to back up itsgrowth with alliance consolidation, increasingits network of destinations, flights andservices through its own fleet expansionand code-sharing with alliance partnersand others.KAL ordered five A380s in June 2003.They will be delivered between late 2007and 2009. The carrier has signed a Memorandumof Understanding (MoU) foroptions on another three. Cho said the A380would initially fly on KAL’s major trunkroutes to Europe and the U.S.For KAL, ordering the plane continueda long relationship with France andAirbus. Back in 1974 – just four years afterthe European manufacturer was born – itbecame the first carrier outside Europe toorder an Airbus aircraft. The first Airbusjet, an A300B4, entered service in August,1975.Today, the carrier remains one ofAirbus’ largest customers in the region,having placed firm orders for 56 widebodiesover the years: 32 A300s, 19 A330s and thefive A380s.The ties between the two companies arenot confined to aircraft orders. KAL’s aerospacedivision is an Airbus partner in themanufacture of aircraft components and theairline has been participating in the developmentof the A380.It designed metallic parts for the flaptrack fairing, part of theA380 wing. It will produce200 units by 2010. KALalready produces fuselageparts for Airbus’s A330 andA340 aircraft.Cho, who was appointedchairman and CEO of KALin April 1999 after havingserved as president and CEOof the airline since 1992, isalso chairman of the HanjinGroup, one of the world’slargest transportation conglomeratesand the parentcompany of KAL.‘ [The A380 is part of] ourstrategy to reinforce IncheonInternational Airport as thestrongest hub in Northeast Asia’Yang-Ho ChoChairman and CEOKorean AirHe has strong personal links withFrance. Last year, he was awarded thetitle of Commander, Legion of Honour, byFrench president Jacques Chirac for hiscontribution to business relations betweenthe two countries.Cho also has served for several years aschairman of the France-Korea High-LevelBusinessmen’s Club.As with other airlines that have orderedthe A380, KAL has a project team workingon all aspects of its introduction, from operationaland engineering issues to the keyKorean Air: aiming to become the world’s biggest cargo carrierby 200710 ORIENT AVIATION / A380 Quarterly Update JUNE – AUGUST 2005elements of cabin décor, inflight service,inflight entertainment and marketing. And,like everyone else, specifics of the cabinproduct are well-guarded secrets.However, KAL will say it plans to configurethe two-storey aircraft with around500 seats in three classes, well below the550-555 promoted by Airbus. There willbe more comfortable seats throughout thecabin and greater legroom. More entertainmentfeatures will be added for passengers.The cabin décor will be up to the standardof a five-star hotel, said officials.Insiders say there may be some advantagefor KAL in taking delivery of its firstaircraft after two other Asia-Pacific operators,Singapore Airlines and QantasAirways, who will both put their A380sinto service next year. It will be able to learnfrom any operational issues experienced bythe first customers off the rank and, hopefully,any teething problems will be ironedout before KAL takes delivery of its firstA380s.Cho said KAL would invest US$9billion in the next 10 years on aircraft, newtechnology and programmes, as well as serviceimprovements.It is introducing high-speed Internetservices in its airplanes (the service provideris Connexion by Boeing).There is a new corporate image and newinteriors are being progressively installed inthe long-haul fleet. It also has introducedFirst Class “Cocoon” sleeper seats and animproved audio-video system.In April, KAL unveiled new cabincrew uniforms, the first such change in 14years. Designed by world-renowned Italiandesigner, Gianfranco Ferre, they will beintroduced into service in October.The distinctive red and blue symbolon the tails of the carrier’s aircraft is theTaeguk, two comma-shapedfigures that represent theprinciples of “Yang” and“Yin”, indicating the interactionof heaven and earth,sun and moon, male andfemale, fire and water.To Koreans, it representsa basic philosophy of materialand spiritual life. InKorea, known as the Landof the Morning Calm, Choand his team are confidentthat the spirit can be takenforward into the cabins of itsnew A380s.

The making ofa mega-carrierOnce an ailing state-ownedoperator, after 35 years inprivate hands Korean Air(KAL) has become one ofthe region’s giant carrierswith a globe-spanning network and bigambitions for the future.When the giant Hanjin transportationconglomerate took over management of whatwas then National Korean Airlines on March1, 1969, it was handed what amounted to anairline industry cripple.The carrier had sufferedchronic losses since beinglaunched by the governmentin 1962. It was lumberingunder liabilities equivalentto more than US$1 billiontoday. The fleet consisted ofjust one jet – a Douglas DC-9 – and seven ageing propeller-drivenDouglas DC-3s, DC-4s and Fokker F27sflying on six domestic andthree Korea-Japan routes.Renamed Korean Air Lines, the namewas changed again to its present KoreanAir in 1984 when the present distinctiveblue livery was introduced.In 1969, the newly privatised KAL startedits quest for profitability by acquiring modernjet aircraft, the B707, and launched newservices to Japan, Hong Kong and China.By 1973, the first of a growing numberof B747 jumbo jets had arrived. They pliedthe trans-Pacific route from Seoul to LosAngeles. At the same time, the B707s wereused to launch services to Paris.A year later, KAL joined Air France inwhat was an elite Airbus club of just twocarriers, ordering six A300B4s that wouldenter service in 1975.In the 1970s, KAL launched a growingnumber of international freighter services.A Korean Air Lines DC-10 which pre-dates the change to the presentday livery in 1984 when the name was shortened to Korean AirToday, it is the world’s second largest cargocarrier and has its sights set on becomingnumber one.Today, KAL has more than 15,000employees. It carries nearly 25 million passengersand more than 1.5 million tons ofcargo a year.A fleet of 117 aircraft operate around400 daily passenger flights to 90 cities in33 countries.The passenger fleet has an average ageof less than seven years and consists of 24Boeing B747-400s, one B747-300, fourB777-300s, nine B777-200s, 14 B737-800s,15 B737-900s, 16 Airbus A330-300s, threeA330-200s and 10 A300-600s. There are 21full freighters in the fleet: 15 B747-400Fs,one B747-300F, two B747-200Fs and threeMcDonnell Douglas MD-11Fs.In 1976, KAL launchedits own aerospace divisionand almost singlehandedlystarted Korea’saircraft manufacturingindustry. As a pioneerin this field, the divisionhas successfully producedmilitary and civil helicopters,as well as military jetfighters. It also suppliesparts to aircraft manufacturersAirbus and Boeing.In 2004, KAL earnedan operating profit of US$384 million onsales of $7.2 billion.This year it is aiming for an operatingprofit of $600 million on sales of $7.8 billion,with a net profit of more than $400million.It is a far cry from the shaky days of thelate 1960s.ORDERSAir France: 10;China Southern Airlines: 5;Emirates Airline: 41, plus 2 A380F;Ethiad Airlines: 4;FedEx: 10 A380F;ILFC: 5 plus 5 A380F;Korean Air: 5;Lufthansa German Airlines: 15;Malaysia Airlines: 6;Qatar Airways: 2;Qantas Airways: 12;Singapore Airlines: 10;Thai Airways International: 6;UPS: 10;Virgin Atlantic Airways: 6June 2005A380 COUNTDOWNFollowed by- Static display and possible first public demonstration flight atParis Air Show- Flight test programme continues- First flight to Hamburg- The start of cabin furnishing- Early long-range test flightsFourth quarter, 2005 - Route proving flights begin- First flight (Engine Alliance engines)First half, 2006Second half, 2006- Flight test programme ends- First Singapore Airlines aircraft goes into paint shop- Type certification- Start of delivery phase for first SIA aircraft- Delivery to SIA- Entry into serviceJUNE – AUGUST 2005 ORIENT AVIATION / A380 Quarterly Update 11

ENGINEERINGINNOVATIONThe A380 senior vice-president engineering, Robert Lafontan, talks aboutthe advanced technology aboard the double-deck jetBy Charles Anderson‘We are not incorporating technology onthe A380 just for the sake of technology.It is for obtaining a business advantage’Robert LafontanA380 senior vice-president engineering, AirbusRobert Lafontan is a bigman working on a bigproject. Crammedbehind his desk inToulouse, this imposingFrenchman with his collar a littletoo tight, looks every inch the rightchoice to head the A380’s engineeringteam.And when he talks about the innovationsdeveloped for the super jumbo,he does it in an expansive manner. Butfirst, he has a point to make.“We are not incorporating technologyon the A380 just for the sakeof technology,” said the programme’ssenior vice-president, engineering.“First, it is for obtaining a businessadvantage. It’s very simple. You haveto design an aircraft capable of flyingtrans-Pacific and European routesfrom Asia, whatever the conditionsare – wind, winter, whatever – takinginto account that your competitor, the747, was well placed at the time. If youdon’t surpass the 747’s technology,clearly you will be the loser.”Lafontan was chief engineer forthe A3XX development project,which later grew into the A380. In thefast-changing world of aircraft engineering,many of the advances planned atthat time are not good enough for today’splane. “For one simple reason,” he said, listingfour. “We have more stringent environmentalrequirements. We have more stringentpassenger comfort, more stringent certificationrequirements. We need to haveoperating costs much lower than the 747’s.“For lower operating costs, we need tohave less fuel burn. We need less maintenancecosts. It is the only way.”Configuration is an obvious key to transporting555 passengers in a cost-effectivemanner, while conforming with airport regulationson size. A double-decker was inevitable,said Lafontan, dismissing flyingwingstyle planes as impractical because ofevacuation and layout concerns.One Asian city provided a little inspiration,it seems. “Double-deckers are not amystery. You see this kind of operation inHong Kong. The buses are double-deckers,the boats are double-deckers. The first timeI went to Hong Kong for the A3XX, I tookpictures and used them for presentations. Igave a nice presentation of Hong Kong toexplain the A380’s configuration,” he said.When it came to the landing gear, Airbus14 ORIENT AVIATION / A380 Quarterly Update JUNE – AUGUST 2005stipulated that it should operate withinexisting aircraft characteristics. “Thatmeans, for example, it must have apavement loading smaller, or equal to,a 747 or an MD-11,” said Lafontan.This involved building a runwayin Toulouse with four sectionsto meet International Civil AviationOrganisation (ICAO) runway requirements.Landings were simulatedusing a vehicle with movable legs andwheels, capable of being loaded up to650 tonnes, travelling at low speeds offive to 10 knots.Stress on the concrete layers similarto that produced by a B747, B777or MD-11 was measured. Then areal B777 and B747 were brought into back up the findings. After that,6,000 passes were performed usingthe A380’s own new landing gear tocheck that it was less heavy than, orat least equal to, its rivals. “This wasvery important to use,” said Lafontan.“We wanted to be within 2%-3%accuracy.”Much work was also undertakenon ensuring the A380 was able to performa U-turn in the 56 metres it takesa B777 to make the same manoeuvre.“What drives that characteristic is thepattern – the track and the distancebetween the nose wheel and the runway.Every time we took values that werewithin existing aircraft,” he said.While better aerodynamics and weightsaving are the general answers to improvedfuel burn, Lafontan can pinpoint specificsthat have helped the A380 reach that goal.First, he listed the super jumbo’s giantwing, at 845 sq. metres a huge constructionin its own right, but still capable of meetingairport requirements on width. Weightvortex was used as criteria for its configurationfreeze, the first time ever in aircraftdesign. It was important, too, that the wingdesign allowed the A380 to land on a run-

ENGINEERINGway capable of taking a B747.“As well, this big wing will have a verylow wing loading with simple, lighter, highliftdevices such as single slot flaps. Evenwith these, the approach speed of such ananimal is the same as a Dragonair A321flying into Hong Kong,” said Lafontan, aqualified A320, A330, A340 captain himselfwith 14,000 hours under his belt, mainlygained during test pilot duties.Reduction in the size of the horizontaltailplane (HTP) to ensure proper liftafter the centre of gravity wasadjusted meant less weight,even though it is still the sizeof an A321 wing. But, whilethis reduces fuel burn, it addedstrains elsewhere.“When you do that you needto make sure you have very good architectureof flight control and everywhere the aircraftis stable.“We performed some testing on anA340. We found a very good flight controlstructure. It enabled us to reduce the HTP alittle bit and reduce the size and weight ofthe plane,” said Lafontan.The entire centre of gravity, in fact, wasmoved 6% aft after two test flight campaignsand numerous laboratory and simulatortests.‘Double-deckers are not a mystery. You see thiskind of operation in Hong Kong. The buses aredouble-deckers, the boats are double-deckers.The first time I went to Hong Kong for the A3XX,I took pictures and used them for presentations.’Robert Lafontanmitted through smaller piping and hydrauliccomponents, shaving about one tonneoff the aircraft’s waist line while at the sametime improving its maintainability.He moved on to the dual architecture forthe flight control system, one using conventionalhydraulics, the other electro-hydraulicsfrom the generator: in an emergencyone system is likely to keep running.Lafontan then detailed the extensiveemployment of carbons and light alloys,especially the innovative laminate GLARE,Lafontan mentioned too the use ofcurved walls for the forward pressure bulkheadthat clipped 800 kilograms off theA380’s weight. The dash to change theengine design and increase lift at takeoffafter London Heathrow’s new noiserequirements threw a cloud over its launchdeal with Singapore Airlines.Next on his list was the use of 5,000pounds per square inch, instead of the usual3,000 pounds, for the A380’s hydraulicssystems, which allows power to be transwhichhave helped the A380 stay as trim aspossible, considering its size, while at thesame time increasing its efficiency and durability.Some 40% of its structure and componentsare made of carbon composites andadvanced metallic materials.Eight hundred kilograms have been savedthrough the use of GLARE – made fromalternating layers of aluminium and glassfibrereinforced adhesive – for the upperfuselage shell.Carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP)was brought in for the centre wingbox, saving one and a half tonneswhen compared to aluminiumalloys. It is also being used onupper deck floor beams, the verticaltailplane (see separate story)and the rear pressure bulkhead.Laser welding on the lower shelf, frontsection and panel and expanded use of titanium,particularly for the landing gear,have also helped. But all this took time, andpatience, Lafontan said.“When you have such a big aircraft,you need to optimise, section by section, asmuch as you can. That’s the reason why wedon’t have only one material for the fuselage.We have tried to take the best fromeach through a reasonable industrial compromise,”he said.A cockpit for thePlay Station generationThe A380 flight deckRobert Lafontan, as a pilot himself, although now mainly asa weekend enthusiast flying helicopters and turboprops,was keen to point out the advances in the A380’s cockpit,the widest on an aircraft in current production.It’s a fly-by-wire system, of course, and instrumentation is compatiblewith the Airbus family, meaning pilots can transfer withonly short preparation. They will be using advanced cursor devices– track balls – to move between screens, utilising a fully-integratedavionics system, fully networked to the flight management system.The track balls were introduced with the future in mind. “Somefuture pilots of the A380 are teenagers or even children who haven’tbeen born yet,” said Lafontan, referring to the possible 50-yearlifespan of the aircraft. “Take a 60-year-old pilot, he doesn’t usethese things. But children use Nintendo and Play Station. You haveto take that into consideration and design a cockpit for 50 years.“This is the first time any airliner has used interconnectivity tomove from different items on the same screen or to move amongdifferent screens.”Added vertical displays at the base of the navigation displayunits give room for information on flight trajectory to go with landingand route charts. “The paperless cockpit is very important,” saidLafontan. “Today a pilot has to look up seven books to find the minimumaltitude he can fly. It looks like a small thing, but it’s a bigadvantage.”Moving maps of airport layouts can also be displayed, takingsome of the strain off pilots finding their way in bad or foggyweather. “It’s happened to me. It’s happened to any pilot,” saidLafontan. “You have to be careful not to lose track. It’s very difficultat an airport during bad weather.“Flying the aircraft is OK, but these big birds are better in the airthan they are on the ground.”16 ORIENT AVIATION / A380 Quarterly Update JUNE – AUGUST 2005

AIRPORTSTOUCHDOWNAirports in Asia are well prepared for the arrival of the A380,but questionmarks remain over the readiness of othersBy Charles AndersonWilly-Pierre Duponthas lostc ou nt of t h enumber of flightshe has taken inthe course of his working life. He estimatesit is more than 2,000, but therehas been little glamour in his travel onbehalf of Airbus. Often, the ToulousebasedFrenchman has not gone muchfurther than the airport at which helanded.Over the last 10 years, this veteranof the A380 development programme– he goes back to A3XX days– has spent much of his time makingsure the giant airplane he helped pioneercan be accommodated at airportsworldwide, either through the way itwas designed or via changes airportsneed to make.Airlines and airports told Airbusright from the start that its planned‘super jumbo’ had to fit into the shoesof a Boeing 747. It must be able to landand take off from the same stretchesof tarmac. Not only that, it could notexceed the dimensions of a “Code F”plane – the limit on size decreedby the International Civil AviationOrganisation (ICAO) and AirportsCouncil International (ACI) for the biggestcommercial airplanes that airports can currentlyhandle. And, as it has turned out, theydon’t come any bigger than the A380.On a more everyday level, there werepractical details to hammer out, fromground servicing requirements and gatewayaccess to basics such as how to get 555 passengersand the food they will eat on boardand what kind of vehicle is needed to tow a290-tonne plane into position.As director, infrastructure and environmentfor the A380 programme, Dupont hasWilly-Pierre Dupont, director, infrastructureand environment, for the A380 programme:a walking compendium on airportsplayed a major role in finding the answers.And with that number of visits under hisbelt, he is a walking compendium on whichairports will be ready for the A380 by thetime it is due to come their way.The Asia-Pacific region, with manyfacilities planned and built in the last 15years, comes out well, often with work onlyneeded on runway and taxiway shoulders,sometimes at terminal gateways and occasionallyon baggage carousels. Elsewhere,particularly in old-style facilities in theU.S, more major problems have needed tobe overcome and concerns have beenexpressed that some will not be readyon time.International airports in HongKong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur,Sydney, Kansai in Japan, Shanghai’sPudong and Guangzhou’s NewBaiyun air ports in China andBangkok’s new airport, will all beable to host the A380, said Dupont,running through the list.Tokyo Narita? The airside is fine,but the single runway is a drawback.Beijing? Upgrading in time for the2008 Olympics means five to sixgates will be available for it from thatyear on.Then there is the second tier ofJakarta, Auckland, Melbourne andBrisbane. They will all be able to handlethe A380 by 2010 or earlier, maybeeven Christchurch, Perth and Cairns.The only question mark seems to beover Manila.Elsewhere, ageing airports likeLondon Heathrow, John F. Kennedy(JFK) in New York and San Franciscohave incorporated A380 requirementsinto major revamps necessary to keepthem in the top flight of airports.Much of the work would have beendone even if its new plane hadn’t comealong, Airbus argues. The proportionneeded for A380 work alone is only a fractionof the overall cost, the company says.These airports, squeezed for landingslots as their capacity runs out and sometimesrestricted by curfews, were alsoswayed by the fact that larger planes cansolve the problem of how to bring in morepeople without increasing flight numbers.“The arrival of the A380 is as importantto JFK ... as the Boeing 747 was when it wasintroduced. There’s a huge economic benefitto seeing an aircraft like that in a marketlike ours,” Bill DeCota, aviation direc-JUNE - AUGUST 2005 ORIENT AVIATION / A380 Quarterly Update 17

AIRPORTStor for JFK’s operating company, told journalistslast year.On the day Orient Aviation met Dupont,he heard that authorities in Los Angeles hadfinally agreed to an US$11 billion expansionthat will allow it to handle the A380. Thego-ahead came in the nick of time. QantasAirways plans to fly there in late 2006. AirFrance, Korean Air, Lufthansa, SingaporeAirlines and Virgin Atlantic Airways arelikely to follow suit soon after.There has been some controversy in theU.S., however, over other airports, such asAtlanta, deciding against making alterationsnecessary to take the plane. Dupontshrugs this off.Some 80% of U.S. B747 movementsare handled by airports that are moving toaccommodate the A380. Others, such asAtlanta, have no airline interested in operatingthe new jumbo there, so the businesscase does not exist. And, if that changed,such airports could move quickly, he said,citing the comparatively short time it istaking Auckland to upgrade. The NewZealand airport was prompted to do sowhen Emirates told authorities it wanted toland the A380 there. Qantas and SingaporeAirlines are expected to fly the A380 intoAuckland as well.Vancouver is now planning the necessaryfacilities, even though no A380 customerhas said it wants access. But witha large Chinese community, and ChinaSouthern Airlines a new A380 customer, itis betting a Mainland carrier, or an airlineserving Hong Kong, will come on board.Toronto has made the same decision.The Asian influence is an importantone, it seems, especially in cities like LosAngeles and San Francisco. “We have ahuge Asian market and we see the A380as a growth area to the Asian market,” SanFrancisco spokesman, Tony Ciavolella, toldAssociated Press.Globally, some 10 airports a year will beadded to the list of those upgrading to takethe A380 between now and 2010. Thosecoming on stream later than 2006 will neverthelessbe in time for airlines whose deliveriesare also further down the track.If all this sounds haphazard, that is onlybecause so many different organisationshave been involved. Airbus hascarried out consultations withmore than 60 airports in the lastdecade, listening to their needsand taking them back to theA380’s designers.China Southern Airlines could beVancouver International Airport’sfirst A380 customerIt had to. Without this cornerstone of thecompany’s campaign, widespread acceptanceof the aircraft would have not beenpossible.Later came multi-carrier meetings atthe airports the A380 will serve to makesure the necessary infrastructure will bein place, both airside and in the terminals,when it goes into service.Airport requirements proved to be fundamentalright from the start. At the topleveldesign of the aircraft, ICAO and ACIrestrictions meant, in effect, that the A380had to be a double-decker. There was noother way to carry the number of passengersAirbus and the airlines required.There were other considerations linkedto airport operations. The height of its tailplane section could not exceed the 80 feet(26 metres) maximum so it could fit intodocking facilities at airports designed totake Code F planes. Its gearing track wasfinalised at only slightly more than theB747-400, allowing operations from existingrunways with a 45-metre width and23-metre-wide taxiways. A comparativelyshort gear base gives a turning radius in linewith the A340-600 and B777-300ER.With take-off and landing distancesless than a B747, no major airport neededto increase its runways for the A380 alone,although runway shoulders have requiredattention in many instances. Later, newnoise limits imposed by London Heathrowmeant a fast re-think on engine design.Weight concerns require airport bridges,overpasses and underpasses to be checked,‘The arrival of the A380 is as important to JFK ...as the Boeing 747 was when it was introduced.’Bill DeCotaAviation director, John F. Kennedy International Airportbut the A380’s 20 landing gear wheels, asopposed to the B747’s 16, distribute the loadon general apron areas more evenly, so itexerts less pressure than the B777, A340-600 or MD-11.• When it came to ground operations,door heights and ground connection pointsfor items like power units were kept in linewith existing positionings. Most servicinggoes through the A380’s main deck,so many current airport vehicles can stillbe used.When it comes to getting bums on andoff seats, the design requirement was toachieve a 90-minute turnaround using twodoors on the main deck, about the same asfor a B747.Airbus claims it has done this throughimproving the cabin architecture and reducingbottlenecks, allowing passengers toaccess the upper deck via stairs reachedfrom the first door. Catering access to theupper deck is needed to hit the target, however.Upper deck boarding for passengers,the company says, is not an operationalnecessity, more a question of product differentiationfor airlines and airports. Maybeso, but 10 airports are planning to use twomain deck bridges and one upper deck.Nine others will provide one main and oneupper. Nine more have still to make up theirminds.With some airlines saying they are likelyto turn over the upper deck almost exclusivelyto business and first class sectors,it makes sense for them to allow premiumcustomers direct access to theirseats.Maybe Willy-Pierre Dupontwill be one of them. After 2,000flights, he deserves to skip thestairs.JUNE - AUGUST 2005 ORIENT AVIATION / A380 Quarterly Update 18

AIRPORTSAhead of the game,but still work to be doneHong Kong International Airport: well prepared for the A380Anumber of new major airports have been built in the Asia-Pacific in recent years and they are much better preparedto receive the A380 than airports in the West. Still, there issome work to be done. Here are four typical examples.• At Sydney International Airport, A$100 million (US$78.1million) will be spent over the next 12 months widening runwayand taxiway shoulders, building additional pavements,strengthening a tunnel, relocating navigational and visual aidequipment, modifying parking layouts and installing additionalaerobridges.The airport, which was upgraded in time for the 2000Olympics, says the introduction of the A380 was taken intoaccount when its master plan was redrawn.• At Incheon International Airport in Seoul some work is neededon taxiway shoulders, but existing runway shoulders, taxi-ingareas, bridges and stands can all take the A380.Three terminal gates will be merged to handle passenger flowand access will be through two main-deck doors. But in 2008 whenthe airport’s second phase opens, five gates will be designated forA380 operations with upper deck loading included. Planning for theA380 started three years ago.• At Hong Kong International Airport, opened in 1998, stabilisationof taxiway shoulders is being evaluated, while bothrunways comply with Code F requirements. Five passenger terminalstands are already configured to handle the A380.Planes of its size were envisaged during planning, design andconstruction of the airport.• At Singapore Changi International Airport runway shouldersneed to be widened and taxiway junctions broadened. Aircraftstands, passenger loading bridges and gate holding rooms have tobe re-configured. Aerobridge options are under evaluation, withupper deck access being considered. Luggage conveyor belts willbe lengthened.Changi’s new third terminal, scheduled to open in 2008, hasbaggage handling systems and lounges designed with the A380 inmind. Eight gates will be able to handle the Airbus giant.SAFETY1,100 sought for evacuation drillsWhile Airbus is aiming for a 90-minute airport turnaround forthe A380, it must show in latesummer that it can get everyone off thegiant jumbo in 90 seconds under emergencynight-time conditions, writes CharlesAnderson.The aim of the exercise, which will takeplace in a darkened paint hangar at theHamburg Finkenwerder plant, is to certifythe aircraft in Europe and the U.S. to carrymore than 850 passengers.A flight test A380, specially equippedwith an 853-seat interior, will be used, witheach of its two decks treated as independentcabins so no one can take the stairs andslow the process. The upper deck will house315 passengers, with 538 on the lower deck.Eighteen cabin crew and two pilots will alsobe included.That means finding 1,100 volunteerswilling to plunge down one of five illuminatedslides on the main deck, or three onthe upper section. Only one side and eightdoors of the aircraft will be used. Neithercrew nor passengers will be told in advancewhich it will be, but they will be given standardsafety instructions when they board.“We are looking internally first. Wereally need 870 volunteers. But maybe theywon’t all turn up, or the medics say theycan’t do the test. So we must go for 1,100,”said Tore Prang, manager, communications,at Airbus Germany.Sports clubs in Hamburg are also beingcontacted to supply volunteers. But Airbuscan’t just look there. It must provide an ageand gender mix. Of those onboard, 40%must be females and 35% must be males andfemales over 50 years old. They can’t practiseeither. The requirement is they have not gonethrough a similar test in the last six months.Realism is essential. Pillows and baggagewill be strewn on the cabin floors.Participants will not be able to see thehangar interior outside. Only positioninglights will be on view.The slides themselves have changes insurface that allow evacuees to travel sloweras they reach the ground. And those on theupper deck should not be troubled by theheight.Their view will be blocked by the openeddoor on one side and the slides’ rubber wallson the other.Airbus, which first started working onways to evacuate the A380’s predecessor,the A3XX, 10 years ago, said the manytests it has carried out make it confident ofsuccess. If it does not reach its target thistime, it can try again five days later. But notwith the same people. Regulations don’tallow that. They can go home.20 ORIENT AVIATION / A380 Quarterly Update JUNE - AUGUST 2005

COMPONENTSThe Hamburg connectionSpecialising in carbon fibre compositesBy Charles Andersonin HamburgAcoupleof diagrams on thewalls of the Airbus plantin Stade near Hamburg inGermany provide a tellingperspective on the sheer sizeof the vertical tailplanes (VTP) that are puttogether there for the A380.Stade turns out VTPs for all models ofthe Airbus range. It also manufactures pressurebulkheads for many of the company’splanes. Drawings of the latter, for the giantA380, widebody A340 and single-aisleA310 are looped together,in actual size, to show thedifference in their dimensions.But they can’t do thatwhen it comes the tailplane.The super-jumbo’s VTP, at14 metres (46.2 feet) high,is too big. It has to be representedto scale. Even then itdwarfs the others. Its overallsurface of 120 squaremetres makes it five timesas large as the A320, withmore than twice the lengthand twice the height. Eventhe A340, with a 53 squaremetre surface, looks punyby comparison.When mounted onthe fuselage, the top of this mammoth componentreaches up more than 24 metres fromthe ground. Standing at the highest level ofthe final assembly station at the Stade productionline, where an VTP is lifted uprightfor its last fittings and checks, is not advisablefor anyone with vertigo.The A380’s tailplane weighs in at 3,500kgs, more than seven times heavier than theA320’s tailplane. But it would have been alot more, some 20% more in fact, if it hadbeen made of advanced aluminium metalsrather than the Stade speciality, carbon fibrereinforced plastic (CFRP).The German plant, set in one of Europe’slargest fruit-growing areas, began usingAn A380 high pressure bulkhead on the move in the Hamburg plantthis lightweight, tough composite more than20 years ago, on the A310’s rudder. NowStade produces many of the CFRP componentsused on Airbus planes and has extensiveresearch facilities dedicated to furtherdeveloping its applications.That weight saving has an obvious significancefor the super-jumbo – some 22%of the overall plane is made from this particularcomposite, including the VTP, highpressure bulkhead and some flaps. It is alsopresent in the centre wing box and the upperdeck floor beams. But CFRP, a blend ofalternate layers of epoxy resin and carbonfibres both basically derived from petroleum,already had proved its effectivenesslong before the A380’s days.Its usage shaved some 800 kilogramsoff an A319’s overall weight, allowing onelow-cost carrier to add an extra eight seats.Using CFRP for the horizontal tailplanefixture of the A340-500/600 nearly halvedthe weight of that particular component.Even the veteran A300 benefited when itsVTP was switched from metal to CFRP. A22% reduction saves 800 tonnes of fuel inan aircraft’s life cycle.There is no metal in the components thatare now shipped from Stade, unless youcount items like rivets. But even its staunchsupporters in this Airbus centre dedicatedto its use recognise the limitations broughtabout by difficulty of repair. Metal sectionsare much easier to patch over when a fuselageis knocked by, say, a food truck. SoCFRP has so far been reserved for out-ofreachareas where damage is unlikely.It is expensive as well with material costsoften moving close to manufacturing costs,instead of trailing well behind as is the casewith many components. But at six times thestrength, and a sixth of the weight of steel,its efficiency and cost-effectiveness make itworthwhile, especially when its corrosionfreerecord is taken into account.Outside the aviation industry, it has beenadopted by railway and carmanufacturers. The largestof northern Europe’s offshorewindmills use CFRPfor their giant wings becauseof its lightness and strength.The A380’s huge verticaltailplane, which wasalso designed in Hamburg,takes shape along a 450-metre production line thatstarts with just the rawmaterials and ends with acompleted product.As the tailplane proceedsalong the line, itpasses those being madefor others in the Airbusrange. The contrast isstriking, as too are the differencesin the size of the pressure bulkheads.An upturned version of the A380’sbulkhead has been suggested for use as anoval swimming pool - as if anyone couldafford it.Final assembly is in Toulouse, so oncecompleted the tailplane it is loaded on toa truck, put on a barge on the river Elbe,transferred to Airbus’s Hamburg plantwhere the customer’s paint is applied andthen flown by the giant Beluga transportplane to France.That, of course, is not the last Germanysees of the giant tailplane it makes fromscratch. It will return, on a completed A380,for cabin fitting and delivery procedures.JUNE – AUGUST 2005 ORIENT AVIATION / A380 Quarterly Update 21

SUPPLIERSGoodrich takes the strain… and not just with its landing gearBy Charles AndersonMany companies havea lot at stake on theA380, but there arefew with as much asthe Goodrich Corporation.It is present from nose to tail and,if the giant jumbo is as successful as forecast,the American company will net US$6billion in sales over the 40-year life of theprogramme.When the A380 lands, Goodrich mainbody and wing landing gear systems takethe strain. If an evacuation is necessary,passengers will slide down one of its 16massive slides. The company is supplyingexterior lighting, variable frequency technologyfor the power generation system andflight controls as well as the primary andstandby data systems.Add to that the automatic ice detectionsystem, development of various structuralcomponents and cockpit and cabinattendant seats and you get some idea ofGoodrich’s involvement.The Fortune 500 company already suppliesa broad range of systems and equipmentacross the Airbus fleet, with originalequipment sales to Airbus accounting for15% of its total business. But this was thefirst time it, or any other U.S. company, hadwon a landing gear contract with Airbusand the first time the European manufacturerin fact had strayed away from Messierand Dowty, or the merged Messier-Dowty.Goodrich gets a little sniffy when thatpoint is made. “We don’t generally think ofthe aerospace industry as being defined byboundaries of geography. Nor do we thinkof Goodrich in that manner. With over 120locations in more than 15 countries we havea truly global presence,” a spokesman said.It may not, but others do, and CharlesChampion, executive vice-president for theA380 programme, has described the awardingof this particular contract as “a verystrong sign to the industry that the gamewas open” after the restructured Airbuscompany was given much more freedom todeal with U.S. suppliers than before.Airbus, in fact, spent nearly US$7billion with American companies last year,supporting more than 140,000 jobs acrossthe U.S.Goodrich’s landing gear division startedworking with the company on A380 feasibilitystudies in 1996, so its success wasperhaps not all that surprising. It is one ofthe world’s largest designers and manufacturersof such systems for commercial,military and business aircraft, starting in avery small way with the industry’s first airoillanding strut back in 1926.Goodrich’s landing gear divisionstarted working with the companyon A380 feasibility studies in 1996Weight was the obvious challenge withthe A380. It was met through extensiveuse of modelling tools, titanium and highstrength alloys and through the 5000 psi(pounds per square inch) hydraulic systemadopted by the A380’s designers.Supplies for the final product come fromNorth America, Europe and Russia, withprimary structural components built atGoodrich facilities in Tennessee, Ohio andKrosno in Poland. Assembly takes place inOakville in Ontario, Canada and the companyhas a final assembly and integrationfacility of its own in Toulouse.Strength and fatigue testing is carriedout at Oakville where an eight metre high“super rig” rests in a cavity 55 metres long.Alongside are rigs for endurance testing.Allan McArtor, chairman, Airbus NorthAmerica, played up the global themeat the time the test facility opened: “AEuropean airplane manufacturer awards anAmerican aerospace company a contract tobuild landing gear tested and assembled inCanada for an airplane that will be sold toairlines around the world and operated allover the planet.”If the landing gear was a big challenge,so was the production of the 16 giant evacuationslides, more in number and size thanfor any previous aircraft. Evacuation systemsengineers were also involved earlyin the A380’s development. The companyitself played a part in the installation of theindustry’s first inflation slide, for the Boeing707, in the late 1950s and a few years laterit began in-house development of the firstBoeing 747 evacuation system.This time, however, Goodrich had to usenew inflation technologies to meet morestringent performance requirements. Thesystem, for instance, automatically sensesthe ground and adjusts the slide’s lengthwhen the aircraft is at an angle.“The sheer number of slides that mustoperate in close proximity to each other hasbeen a challenge and required many tests tofine tune each slide’s deployment characteristics,”said a company spokesman.New regulatory requirements meantmore stringent conditions had to be met,such as deployment at very cold temperaturesand in a 25-knot wind. And Airbuswanted them 10% lighter than currentslides.They are made and tested in Phoenix,Arizona. Service requirements meant anexpansion of Goodrich’s parts service centrein Paris late last year and the same at itsSingapore facility before the A380 entersinto service.22 ORIENT AVIATION / A380 Quarterly Update JUNE – AUGUST 2005