Airbus’ North Wales factory at Broughton started its production of the A380 wings with the first metal cut on Thursday 12 December. These are the largest Airbus wings ever designed and built in the UK.
The first cut took place on a long bed milling machine in the main factory where A380 work has been in progress for many months, manufacturing test pieces in preparation for production to commence.
The first panel is being machined from a 35 metre long aluminium-alloy billet or casting, weighing nearly 4,500 kg. The machining process will remove over 70 per cent of the metal in order to form the finished panel.
The Broughton site is manufacturing 18 of the 20 panels forming the top and bottom surfaces of each pair of A380 wings, as well as assembling and delivering the complete wing box. The bottom wing panel cut on Thursday 12 December is over 33 metres long and two metres wide and is one of the largest in the set of 18.
In photo at right, Brian Fleet, Senior Vice President Manufacturing, Airbus UK and Scott Coleman, Broughton’s East Factory Launch Controller, celebrate the factory’s first A380 production metal cut, which occurred on the long-bed milling machine with the first wing panel behind them.
The first set of A380 wings are due to be delivered from Broughton to the aircraft final assembly line in Toulouse, France in 2004.
By: andrewm - 21st December 2002 at 12:04
RE: AIRBUS STARTS A380 WING PRODUCTION AT BROUGHTON, U.K.
sorry forgot about the 225. It might be bigger than that possibly eh?
By: Bhoy - 21st December 2002 at 00:16
RE: AIRBUS STARTS A380 WING PRODUCTION AT BROUGHTON, U.K.
being bigger than the AN124 dosen’t make it a record breaker, there’s still the AN225…
By: andrewm - 21st December 2002 at 00:11
RE: AIRBUS STARTS A380 WING PRODUCTION AT BROUGHTON, U.K.
an A380 would be a weird thing as a beluga. I mean wouldnt it be bigger than an An 124!!! This would make it a world record maker and a site not to be missed.
Looks like the A380 will go ahead and Boeing have lost ALOT of market share on Super Jumbo market!
By: frankvw - 20th December 2002 at 13:35
RE: AIRBUS STARTS A380 WING PRODUCTION AT BROUGHTON, U.K.
Maybe in the future they’ll convert an A340 (or 380? ) to a “Beluga”!
It would be great!
By: wysiwyg - 20th December 2002 at 12:03
RE: AIRBUS STARTS A380 WING PRODUCTION AT BROUGHTON, U.K.
lol with bhoy and they capsize mid channel concern!
By: andrewm - 19th December 2002 at 23:39
RE: AIRBUS STARTS A380 WING PRODUCTION AT BROUGHTON, U.K.
The Japanesse are building a super boat arnt they to transport A380 parts!
By: Bhoy - 19th December 2002 at 23:25
RE: AIRBUS STARTS A380 WING PRODUCTION AT BROUGHTON, U.K.
>the boat must be going to the UK
What Boat? you’ve got me confused now…
Wyswig, I think I did read something about A380 wings being shipped by sea (Bristol Channel-Irish Sea-English Channel-Hamburg or Bristol Channel-Irish Sea-Atlantic Ocean-Straits of Gibraltar-Mediterranean-Toulouse)
Although I too would like to see that confirmed, first…
Anyway, I’m a bit worried in case any wings end up at teh bottom of the Channel being rammed by Container ships that can’t take hints off patrolling French destroyers… like a beamer, really… }>)
By: andrewm - 19th December 2002 at 17:30
RE: AIRBUS STARTS A380 WING PRODUCTION AT BROUGHTON, U.K.
Its quite near the sea but it would need road transport. If the Airbus plants are mainly in Germany (+surrounding area) the boat must be going to the UK!
By: wysiwyg - 19th December 2002 at 02:03
RE: AIRBUS STARTS A380 WING PRODUCTION AT BROUGHTON, U.K.
Can anyone confirm that these wings are too big to be transported by the Beluga so they’ll have to be shipped instead? That’s what i seem to remember hearing. A couple of years ago I was going round the MIRSI hold at MAN and had a Beluga overfly me 1000′ above. It was a fantastic sight!
By: KabirT - 18th December 2002 at 15:37
RE: AIRBUS STARTS A380 WING PRODUCTION AT BROUGHTON, U.K.
and so it begins… :9. Thanx for the news!
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December 18, 2002 at 11:23 am