Click Here to view the photo
On 15 October, Singapore Airlines officially took delivery of its first Airbus A380 in Toulouse. Long anticipated, the ceremony was a significant event, marking as it did the service launch of the biggest commercial aircraft in the world. Certain analysts would deem it as important an event as the entry into service of the Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet, 37 years ago.
With the Airbus A380, “a new chapter is opening in the history of commercial aviation,” underlined Chew Choon Seng, the boss of Singapore Airlines, at the ceremony in Toulouse. It also marks a key stage in a program that has amassed superlatives throughout the course of its development. Measuring some 240 feet (73 m.) long and with a wingspan of over 260 feet (80 m.), the A380 is a giant capable of carrying 853 passengers in a “high density” configuration (fitted with the maximum number of seats). The development of the aircraft presented a formidable technical, industrial and financial challenge. The A380 will now provide an exceptional showcase for the airline companies that have ordered it, as well for Airbus itself and, through the reflected glory, for all the subcontractors and partners involved, at the forefront of whom are many of the companies of the SAFRAN Group.
The technical excellence of SAFRAN
Following a stringent selection process, the Group companies succeeded in winning contracts in many technical areas, all of which contributed to providing the aircraft with its exceptional performance characteristics (see panel opposite). The solid basis of this success for SAFRAN was its technical excellence allied with its cast-iron guarantees in terms of after-sales and technical support. The engine is the most emblematic element of this participation. The A380 is today available with two engine types: the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 or the GP7200 from Engine Alliance. On the latter, Techspace Aero (SAFRAN Group) produces the low-pressure compressor. This component is situated just ahead of the high-pressure compressor, the main part of which was entrusted to Snecma (SAFRAN Group) by General Electric. In all, the SAFRAN Group’s contribution to the GP7200 comes to 17.5%.
Another major contribution was the development of the nacelles by Aircelle, designed to meet the needs of both engine types. Made entirely of composite materials, these nacelles are the biggest ever made for a commercial aircraft: over 13 feet (4 m) in diameter at fan disk level. They also incorporate powerful soundproofing which helps make the Airbus A380 the quietest aircraft in its category. Add to this the low fuel consumption of the engines and pollutant levels far below the levels required by the strictest of standards, they help justify the A380’s nickname of the “Green Giant”. To date, there have been 189 firm orders for the A380 from 16 clients. The company behind the inaugural launch, Singapore Airlines, has scheduled its first commercial flight on 25 October, for a return flight between Singapore and Sydney, Australia, with a configuration of three classes and 471 paying seats. Needless to say, every last seat is likely to be filled!
Contribution of Safran Group companies
Engine
Click Here to view the photo
Snecma: design, development and manufacture of the main part of the high-pressure compressor for the GP7200, in collaboration with General Electric.
Techspace Aero: design and manufacture of the low-pressure compressor and the bearing supports for the GP7200, in collaboration with Pratt & Whitney.
Hispano-Suiza: supplying Snecma with the order for variable stators. Development of the FADEC, in cooperation with British Aerospace.
Aircelle: design and manufacture of the nacelles (for the two engine types of the A380) and for the thrust reversers on the inside engines.
Sofrance: supplying the engine filtration and lubrication components.
Landing gear
Messier-Dowty: design and manufacture of the front landing gear.
Messier-Bugatti: manufacturing the braking system, the steering system for the front and main wheels and the various monitoring systems (tire pressure, brake temperature, hydraulic pressure of landing gear).
Technofan: production of the brake cooling fans.
Click Here to view the photo
Hydraulic circuits
Messier-Bugatti: design and manufacture of the hydraulic circuit distribution and filtration system.
Sofrance: production of the filtration components and hydraulic circuits (main, brakes, flight controls).
Others
Technofan: supplying the ventilation systems for the avionics and the cockpit.
Labinal Wiring Division: production of around 80% of the aircraft’s wiring harnesses.
Labinal Engineering Division: 640,000 hours of study for the wiring layout and the mechanical systems and calculations for the primary structure of the cockpit.
Messier-Bugatti: design and manufacturing of the electro-hydraulic micro-pumps for powering the flight controls in backup mode
Sofrance: production of the avionics air filters
Sources: www.le-webmag.com