A380 Wing checks
Discussion
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16942361
Just heard this on the news - all the fleet to be checked but it's not specific about the details.
Just heard this on the news - all the fleet to be checked but it's not specific about the details.
telecat said:
They've been doing it for a month or so. I believe it's relatively minor and all 380's are checked routinely.
That was the first lot. There's been a second lot of cracks which is what that artical refers to.Reading the thread on Pprune they appear to be triggered during the manufacturing process in the way the wings are lifted in the jigs at the factory in Broughton.
The cracks appear on the Wing Rib Connectors (that connect the wing rib to the stringers) - there's approx. 30-40 per wing rib, and approx. 60 wing ribs per wing, so that's ~2400 per wing. Out of them only a small number are cracked, and its only the CFRP (Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer) ones that have cracked - the 4 structural steel ones aren't cracked.
Type 1 Cracks (that appear through the manufacturing process) :
Type 2 Cracks that are appearing, with no known cause at the moment :
EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) have issued an Airworthiness Directive (AD) saying:
Type 1 Cracks (that appear through the manufacturing process) :
Type 2 Cracks that are appearing, with no known cause at the moment :
EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) have issued an Airworthiness Directive (AD) saying:
- For an aircraft that has between 1,300 FC and 1,799 FC (Flight Cycles), an examination has to occur within 6 weeks, or 84 FC, of the effective date of the AD (Which is 24 Jan)
- For an aircraft that has over 1800 FC, an examination has to occur within 4 days, or 14 FC, of the effective date.
coanda said:
Hi - where did you get that from, is it out of the EASA directive? I haven't had the chance to go looking for it.
There are no steel wingbox ribs, and all the wingbox ribs are structural. They wouldn't exist otherwise. There are two different aluminium alloys used for wingbox ribs on A380 aircraft in production. One of those alloys is less ductile in the ST direction.
The rib feet are not 'brackets' as such, and are not individual, they are integrally machined as part of a larger structure. In the case of the CFRP Hybrid ribs, they are part of the booms which are bolted on to the CFRP main bodies.
There are 49 rib positions, and of those, the 18 inboard ribs are split by the centre spar.
I'd like to say a lot more to add on to this, and to correct the massive amounts of b
ks that I've seen across a few websites I visit, but I can't, as internet walls have ears. Airbus have chosen to approach the public handling of this in a particular way, and whilst I and others on the job may not agree with it, that's what we have to put up with.
Sorry, I was rushing a bit - various sources around the tinterweb, from people who claim to be in the know - can PM you my sources if you wantThere are no steel wingbox ribs, and all the wingbox ribs are structural. They wouldn't exist otherwise. There are two different aluminium alloys used for wingbox ribs on A380 aircraft in production. One of those alloys is less ductile in the ST direction.
The rib feet are not 'brackets' as such, and are not individual, they are integrally machined as part of a larger structure. In the case of the CFRP Hybrid ribs, they are part of the booms which are bolted on to the CFRP main bodies.
There are 49 rib positions, and of those, the 18 inboard ribs are split by the centre spar.
I'd like to say a lot more to add on to this, and to correct the massive amounts of b
ks that I've seen across a few websites I visit, but I can't, as internet walls have ears. Airbus have chosen to approach the public handling of this in a particular way, and whilst I and others on the job may not agree with it, that's what we have to put up with. According to them, there are 4 steel rib "connectors" / "brackets" / Whatever you want to call it (everyone calls them different things, basically the bits in the photo above) that are structural, and more that are made of CFRP that are not structural (ie. not integral to the integrity of the rib's)
Airbus also claimed that the ribs are not strictly structural - they are there to maintain the profile of the wing, as opposed to be integral in the structure of the aircraft...
PintOfKittens said:
Sorry, I was rushing a bit - various sources around the tinterweb, from people who claim to be in the know - can PM you my sources if you want
According to them, there are 4 steel rib "connectors" / "brackets" / Whatever you want to call it (everyone calls them different things, basically the bits in the photo above) that are structural, and more that are made of CFRP that are not structural (ie. not integral to the integrity of the rib's)
Airbus also claimed that the ribs are not strictly structural - they are there to maintain the profile of the wing, as opposed to be integral in the structure of the aircraft...
No problem - as you see from my edit, I'm not going to get into it further. It just frustrates me. Monday I'll be back working directly on this problem.According to them, there are 4 steel rib "connectors" / "brackets" / Whatever you want to call it (everyone calls them different things, basically the bits in the photo above) that are structural, and more that are made of CFRP that are not structural (ie. not integral to the integrity of the rib's)
Airbus also claimed that the ribs are not strictly structural - they are there to maintain the profile of the wing, as opposed to be integral in the structure of the aircraft...
coanda said:
PintOfKittens said:
Sorry, I was rushing a bit - various sources around the tinterweb, from people who claim to be in the know - can PM you my sources if you want
According to them, there are 4 steel rib "connectors" / "brackets" / Whatever you want to call it (everyone calls them different things, basically the bits in the photo above) that are structural, and more that are made of CFRP that are not structural (ie. not integral to the integrity of the rib's)
Airbus also claimed that the ribs are not strictly structural - they are there to maintain the profile of the wing, as opposed to be integral in the structure of the aircraft...
No problem - as you see from my edit, I'm not going to get into it further. It just frustrates me. Monday I'll be back working directly on this problem.According to them, there are 4 steel rib "connectors" / "brackets" / Whatever you want to call it (everyone calls them different things, basically the bits in the photo above) that are structural, and more that are made of CFRP that are not structural (ie. not integral to the integrity of the rib's)
Airbus also claimed that the ribs are not strictly structural - they are there to maintain the profile of the wing, as opposed to be integral in the structure of the aircraft...
PintOfKittens said:
coanda said:
PintOfKittens said:
Sorry, I was rushing a bit - various sources around the tinterweb, from people who claim to be in the know - can PM you my sources if you want
According to them, there are 4 steel rib "connectors" / "brackets" / Whatever you want to call it (everyone calls them different things, basically the bits in the photo above) that are structural, and more that are made of CFRP that are not structural (ie. not integral to the integrity of the rib's)
Airbus also claimed that the ribs are not strictly structural - they are there to maintain the profile of the wing, as opposed to be integral in the structure of the aircraft...
No problem - as you see from my edit, I'm not going to get into it further. It just frustrates me. Monday I'll be back working directly on this problem.According to them, there are 4 steel rib "connectors" / "brackets" / Whatever you want to call it (everyone calls them different things, basically the bits in the photo above) that are structural, and more that are made of CFRP that are not structural (ie. not integral to the integrity of the rib's)
Airbus also claimed that the ribs are not strictly structural - they are there to maintain the profile of the wing, as opposed to be integral in the structure of the aircraft...
coanda said:
No problem - as you see from my edit, I'm not going to get into it further.
Please change your mind. Personally I'd love to hear some more detail on this especially if from someone quite close to the sharp end as claimed. Not least because I'm booked on a Qantas A380 flight next month but because I'm sure other PH BP&T followers would too.85Carrera said:
I have avoided flying on the a380 having sen the discovery channel documentary/pr video about how it is made
No one will convince me that that is a sensible way to build a plane
If you really believe the opinions expressed by TV producers you will lead a very sheltered, boring and wasted life.No one will convince me that that is a sensible way to build a plane
mattdaniels said:
coanda said:
No problem - as you see from my edit, I'm not going to get into it further.
Please change your mind. Personally I'd love to hear some more detail on this especially if from someone quite close to the sharp end as claimed. Not least because I'm booked on a Qantas A380 flight next month but because I'm sure other PH BP&T followers would too.85Carrera said:
I have avoided flying on the a380 having sen the discovery channel documentary/pr video about how it is made
No one will convince me that that is a sensible way to build a plane
I've seen those programs to - out of interest, what is it about the assembly process that you don't like?No one will convince me that that is a sensible way to build a plane
85Carrera said:
I have avoided flying on the a380 having sen the discovery channel documentary/pr video about how it is made
No one will convince me that that is a sensible way to build a plane
I hope you haven't read about the 787 delamination problems, if you have you will never set foot on a plane again. No one will convince me that that is a sensible way to build a plane
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