At the time we write this 2013 JEC Show Report two major announcements have been made on record sales from the two biggest aircraft manufacturers: Airbus and Boeing. On March 18th Airbus announced its biggest value order ever received for civil flights. The Indonesian low-cost company Lion Air ordered 234 aircrafts (A320 type) to Airbus, totaling a €18.4 billion order (US$24 billion). The French government on Monday 18th March has officially confirmed such a record order. No later than 24 hours after on Tuesday 19th March Boeing announced a significant order for its 737 aircrafts. The Irish low-cost company Ryanair ordered 175 aircrafts to Boeing, totaling a US$15.6 billion order (€12.1 billion). The aircraft industry is going well, and this is mainly due to the growth of low-cost companies.
The new AgustaWestland AW169 civil helicopter during flight tests
Fig: 6 The new AgustaWestland AW169 civil helicopter during flight tests
(Source: JEC 2013 / Fokker Aerostructures B.V (The Netherlands))
These announcements clearly show the huge potential composites will benefit from in the coming decades. The two giant aircraft manufacturers will now have to produce all these aircrafts, and make sure they do not lose control on shipment delivery dates. Composites have made significant in-roads in replacing steel and aluminum in aircraft parts these past decades, thanks to the weight reduction they offer. Now comes the time to also ease assembly steps and speed-up cycle times to increase the production output.
The JEC Innovation Award for the Aeronautics category was attributed to the Netherland-based Fokker Aerostructures B.V, which has a leading market position in the design, development and production of aircraft components like wing components, fuselage panels and tail sections for business Jets and helicopters. The 2013 JEC award was granted to Fokker and its partners for its thermoplastics composite tailgate (horizontal stabilizer) for the new AgustaWestland civil helicopter AW169. This 3-meters long part is made with four thermoplastic performs, which are welded onto a structural multi-spar torsion box under heat and pressure.
This new design allowed for 15% weight reduction compared to the usual composite tailgate designs. But the innovation also lies in the lower costs and easier production this design offers thanks to the use of four simple performs which are easily fixed onto the structural multi-spar torsion box. Fokker Aerostructures B.V not only wins on the innovation side, it also grows as it opened last year (March 2012) its first Mexican facility to strengthen its presence in emerging economies. The targeted market segments cover business jets and helicopters, its core business activity.