ACTUALITE Aéronautique : Suivi et commentaire de l\'actualité aéronautique
Four A380s were delivered in the first three months (Q1 2011: 4 aircraft), leading to a total of 71 units delivered to seven operators at the end of March. Airbus has now defined a permanent solution for the wing bracket issues and collaborates closely with A380 operators to respond to their operational needs. This final retrofit fix is more complex than initially anticipated in March; therefore, the Group updated the cost for the retrofit solution leading to an additional charge of € 158 million in the first quarter. This charge is now treated as a one-off since the anticipated retrofit costs go beyond the recurring warranty levels. The implementation in production of the final fix will temporarily generate headwind on the year-on-year A380 EBIT* improvement in 2012 and 2013 to account for non-recurring costs and delivery adjustments. Airbus is still targeting 30 A380 deliveries in 2012, which is becoming more challenging with a more back-loaded delivery pattern. General discussions are on-going with customers. However, this should not jeopardise the reaching of break-even by the beginning of 2015.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) this week relaxed its rule on the required separation distances for aircraft flying behind the massive Airbus A380.
However, the giant double-decker jet still requires greater distances than Boeing's largest airplane, the new 747-8 jumbo.
Planes must keep a certain distance behind other jets to avoid turbulent air from the wake of the airplane ahead. The bigger the airplane. the greater the potential turbulence. And the impact of turbulence on smaller airplanes will be greater than on larger planes.
The FAA classifies the A380, which has a maximum takeoff weight of 600 tons, as "super heavy." The Boeing 747-8, at 493 tons, is classified as "heavy."
On Monday, the FAA ruled that airplanes must fly at least 5 miles behind the A380 while cruising.
On approach to an airport, the required separation distances behind the A380 are 8, 7 and 6 miles, respectively, for "small" airplanes (such as business jets); "large" planes (such as a 737); and for "heavy" planes (such as the 767 or 747).
Previously, the required separation for small, large and heavy aircraft behind an A380 were 10, 8 and 6 miles.
Airbus spokeswoman Mary Anne Greczyn said the FAA's relaxation of the rule "finally brings the separation distances for the A380 in the U.S. in line with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recommended guidelines that have been in effect for several years."
The FAA has set the separation distances for small, large and heavy aircraft f behind a 747-8 at 6, 4 and 4 miles.
Shorter separations speed up aircraft traffic flow at airports by allowing landings to be closer together.
As reported previously in various media, Tom Williams, EVP-programs, outlined the issues with the wing rib cracks. A new metal alloy was used, intended to save weight, that cracked in operations despite fatigue testing failing to discover the issue on a test airplane. Williams attributed the failure to detect the cracks to inadequate instrumentation on the test plane. The new alloy saved about 300kg. There are 60 L-brackets out of 4,000 that require inspection and only 20 are affected. The issue does not affect flight safety and the ribs can be replaced either during a C Check or during a nose-to-tail maintenance check. The “Type 2” cracks, the most serious of two types found, have to be replaced by 1,300 cycles
The aircraft maker next year expects to deliver the first A380 to Emirates Airline with 575 metric tons maximum takeoff weight (MTOW), which boosts the aircraft’s range to 8,500 nm.
Also becoming available is a 490-metric-ton maximum takeoff weight version, which complies with more stringent noise requirements and should allow airlines like Emirates to operate early-hour flights at slot-constrained airports, such as London Heathrow.
Emirates already has signed up to take a 510-metric-ton MTOW A380, to be used in regional routes with about 650 seats.
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par Poncho (Admin) Mer 25 Avr 2012 - 22:02