FAST - airbus.com · 01/06/2011 · Picture from Hervé GOUSSE ExM Company Authorization for...

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Customer Servicesevents

J u s t h a p p e n e d

Material, Logistics, Suppliers & Warranty sym-posiumThis event was held in October 2010, gathering97 customers and 39 suppliers in Paris, France.Various presentations, live demos and inter -active sessions highlighted the latest innovativedevelopments and initiatives in the material,logistics, suppliers and warranty fields. A veryactive exchange of views took place during the12 interactive sessions and caucus discussionson different material management topics.Together, the attendees had the opportunity toshape the future requirements and businessmodels in the material, logistics, suppliers andwarranty domains.

A380 symposiumThis symposium took place in Singapore, inNovember, and featured an airline caucuswhere the operators were able to providedetailed feedback on their A380 operationalexperience and expectations, for a review byAirbus and the suppliers.Airbus representatives responded that theongoing enhancement of maintenance andoperational procedures were well on the way tomeeting its objective of 98.5% operationalreliability for the A380 fleet, by the middle of2011. The operators recognized the effortsmade by Airbus teams, pointing out theirexceptional support, commitment and excellentwork.

Airbus Leasing Support conferenceThe 7th Airbus Leasing Support conference tookplace last December in Miami, U.S.A., withmore than 130 participants coming from 43different leasing companies.A particular focus was put on upcoming rulesand regulations and the associated upgradesolutions. The A320, A330/A340 andA300/A310 families’ issues, solutions and newdevelopments were presented. Airbus detailed all the new services for lessorsto ease aircraft transfers. An Flight HourServices-Tailored Support Package (FHS-TSP)presentation was given to highlight the benefitsof Airbus services to lessors and the positive

impact of such services on the aircraft residualvalue. A very productive lessors’ caucusemphasized our ability to react quickly tolessors’ queries and specific requirements.Finally, a satis faction questionnaire showedthat lessors were very satisfied with Airbus’customer support and by its specialconsideration for leasing companies.

C o m i n g s o o n

Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ) forumThe next Airbus Corporate Jet forum will beheld in Hong Kong, China, from 29 to 31March 2011. The invitations and programmeswill be sent at the beginning of 2011.

Performance and Operations conferenceThe 17th Performance and Operations conferencewill take place in Dubai, from 9 to 13 May 2011.Organized by Airbus Flight Operations Supportand Services since 1980, this biennial eventprovides flight crews, operations specialists, flightoperations engineers and performance specialistswith a unique opportunity to constructivelyexchange views and information, and increasemutual cooperation and communication. Theinvitations will soon be sent out.

A320 Family symposiumThe next Airbus A320 Family symposium willbe held in Toronto, Canada, from the 23rd to26th May 2011. An Operators Information Telex(OIT) with the programme will be sent out atthe beginning of 2011.Airbus Family symposiums are held for eachAirbus programme every two years and targetairline engineering and maintenance managers.The prime function of these meetings is toenable two-way communication, leading to anever safer and more efficient fleet.

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Publisher: Bruno PIQUET

Editor: Lucas BLUMENFELD

Page layout: Quat’coul

Cover: Optical fibre used on aircraftPicture from Hervé GOUSSE

ExM Company

Authorization for reprint of FAST Magazine articles should be requested from the editor at the FAST Magazine e-mail address given below

Customer Services Communications Tel: +33 (0)5 61 93 43 88Fax: +33 (0)5 61 93 47 73

e-mail: [email protected]: Amadio

FAST Magazine may be read on Internet http://www.airbus.com/en/services/publications/

under ‘Quick references’

ISSN 1293-5476

© AIRBUS S.A.S. 2010. AN EADS COMPANYAll rights reserved. Proprietary document

By taking delivery of this Magazine (hereafter “Magazine”), you accept on behalf ofyour company to comply with the following. No other property rights are granted by thedelivery of this Magazine than the right to read it, for the sole purpose of information.This Magazine, its content, illustrations and photos shall not be modified norreproduced without prior written consent of Airbus S.A.S. This Magazine and thematerials it contains shall not, in whole or in part, be sold, rented, or licensed to anythird party subject to payment or not. This Magazine may contain market-sensitive orother information that is correct at the time of going to press. This information involvesa number of factors which could change over time, affecting the true publicrepresentation. Airbus assumes no obligation to update any information contained inthis document or with respect to the information described herein. The statementsmade herein do not constitute an offer or form part of any contract. They are based onAirbus information and are expressed in good faith but no warranty or representationis given as to their accuracy. When additional information is required, Airbus S.A.S canbe contacted to provide further details. Airbus S.A.S shall assume no liability for anydamage in connection with the use of this Magazine and the materials it contains, evenif Airbus S.A.S has been advised of the likelihood of such damages. This licence isgoverned by French law and exclusive jurisdiction is given to the courts and tribunals ofToulouse (France) without prejudice to the right of Airbus to bring proceedings forinfringement of copyright or any other intellectual property right in any other court ofcompetent jurisdiction.

Airbus, its logo, A300, A310, A318, A319, A320, A321, A330,A340, A350XWB, A380 and A400M are registered trademarks.

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J U L Y 2 0 0 7

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Customer ServicesEvents

Demonstrating the green trajectoryFuel efficient trajectory management tested on revenue flightsTom MAIER

Automatic Dependent SurveillanceBroadcast (ADS-B)Communications development for Air TrafficManagementChristine VIGIER

Optical fibre on aircraftWhen the light speed serves data transmissionStéphane BOUYSSOU

A300/A310 Family optimized air-vent inlet NACA DuctContinuous engineering solutions for fuel savingsCharles VALEHannah RINGROW

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)Airbus business radarCarlo K. NIZAMPaul-Antoine CALANDREAUJamil KHALIL

Enhanced spare part engineering supportSmart spare parts’ design for a part standardisationTanja BUCHHOLZAndy J. MASONKay JASCHOB

Electrical installationsPast to future

Customer Services WorldwideAround the clock... Around the world

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This issue of FAST Magazine has been printed on paper produced without using chlorine, to reducewaste and help conserve natural resources. Every little helps!

Photo copyright Airbus Photo credits:

Airbus Photographic Library, ExM Company, Airbus France

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TMATerminal Area

Surfaceoperation

EN-ROUTESector B

EN-ROUTESector A

• Direct routings/less airways• Optimum altitude• Minimum time tracks• Dynamic re-routing• Improved coordination - Amongst ATC sectors - With military• Required Time of Arrival (4D)

• Idle descent• Reduced track miles

• Opti clim and • Dep proc cust aircr foot

• Reduced engine taxi in/out• Gate hold• Unimpeded taxi

SID

E v

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• Curved RNP approach - Noise abatement - Track mile savings• RNP to ILS transition

AARRIVALDEPAR

DEMONSTRATING THE GREEN TRAJECTORY - FUEL EFFICIENT TRAJECTORY MANAGEMENT TESTED ON REVENUE FLIGHTSFA

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Tom MAIER Senior Manager CNS/ATM System Sales & Marketing

Airbus Engineering

Demonstrating the green trajectory

Fuel efficient trajectory managementtested on revenue flights

At the 5th Aviation and Environment Summit inGeneva, Switzerland, in September 2010, onecould get an impression of the multitude ofinitiatives which our industry is pursuing, to fulfilits engagement for an environmental compatiblegrowth. Besides research looking typically intoimproved airframe, engine designs and alternativefuels, the optimization of the flight trajectory isidentified as an area where quick wins can be

obtained when airlines, airports and AirNavigation Service Providers work hand in hand,often with the support of the aircraftmanufacturer. This article depicts, throughexamples, how revenue flights can beinstrumental to trial more fuel efficient Air TrafficManagement procedures with the objective toimplement them on a regular basis.


TMATerminal Area

Surfaceoperation

EN-ROUTESector B

EN-ROUTESector C

EN-ROUTESector A


• Idle descent• Reduced track miles

• Optimum climb speed and profile• Departure procedure customised to aircraft's noise footprint


• Reduced engine taxi in/out• Gate hold• Unimpeded taxi

SID

E v

iew

TO

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• Curved RNP approach - Noise abatement - Track mile savings• RNP to ILS transition

AARRIVALDEPARTURE

DEMONSTRATING THE GREEN TRAJECTORY - FUEL EFFICIENT TRAJECTORY MANAGEMENT TESTED ON REVENUE FLIGHTS

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BackgroundOne of the programmes whichtakes systematically advantage ofrevenue flights is the AtlanticInteroperability Initiative toReduce Emissions (AIRE), whichwas signed on highest level at theParis Air Show in 2007, betweenthe Administrator of the FAA(Federal Aviation Administration)and the European Union VicePresident/EC Transport Commis -sioner. This initiative aims toreduce CO2 emissions and toaccelerate the pace of change bytaking advantage of best AirTraffic Management (ATM) prac -tices, as shown in figure 1. Itenables the implemen tation of fuelefficient procedures for all phasesof flights, taking full advantage of

present aircraft capa bilities in theCommunication, Na vi gation andSurveillance (CNS) domain. TheAsia and Pacific Initiative toReduce Emissions (ASPIRE) is theequivalent programme for thatregion and was launched in Febru -ary 2008.

These programmes have to be seenin the wider context of SESAR(Single European Sky ATMResearch) and NextGen, its sisterinitiative in the United States. Bothstarted their respective develop -ment work for redesigning theATM airborne and ground system,with the objective to enablesustained air traffic growth at areduced service unit cost for theairspace user, reducing the impacton the environment without com -pro mising safety.

Traditional trajectory

Optimum trajectoryFigure 1

Green trajectory portfolioTime Metering Fix

Waypoint

g l o s s a r y

ATC: Air Traffic ControlRNP: Required Navigation PerformanceILS: Instrument Landing System



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SESAR and NextGen put thebusiness trajectory in the centre oftheir operational concepts, whichimplies that the airspace user’spreferred way of flying iscompromised to a minimum by AirTraffic Management (ATM). Ena -bled by enhanced on-board andground systems, the adherence tothe most efficient trajectorybecomes the baseline for all flights.

In the light to ensure a smoothtransition to this target concept,revenue flight trials started in themeantime to demonstrate locallysome of the concept elements - asfar as current equipment levelsallow - under involvement of smallbut representative stakeholderconsortia.

On the European side, the AIREflight trials are overseen by theSESAR Joint Undertaking (SJU) -the management body which wasset-up by the European Com -mission and Eurocontrol asfounding members and whichcounts now 15 more memberscoming from air navigation serviceproviders, airports and industries - , including Airbus - with a stronginvolvement from airlines. AIRE isbuilding the first blocks of theSESAR Concept of Operations bytesting 4D trajectory-based ope -rations and Performance-BasedNavigation (PBN). A batch of sixrevenue flight trial projects wasexecuted in 2009 involving 18partners and accumulating morethan 1,000 trial flights (known asthe European AIRE1 Exercise).This article will exemplary look atone of them, namely the MinimumCO2 in Terminal area (MINT)project, in which Airbus had apartner role.

In May 2010, the SJU awardedanother 18 contracts for the‘Performance of flight trialsvalidating solutions for thereduction of CO2 emissions’. Thissecond wave of AIRE revenueflight trials (AIRE2) started in fall2010 and involves 42 partners,with Airbus leading one of theprojects (A380 TransatlanticGreen Flights) and contributing asa partner to two further (GreenShuttle and VINGA).

A380 TransatlanticGreen FlightsThis project addresses shortfallscaused by congestion on groundand in oceanic airspace on AirFrance flights from New-York toParis. The average departure taxitime at JFK is more than 40minutes long which justifies a two,instead of four engines taxi in mostcases, saving typically 23kg of fuelper minute. However, a prerequi sitefor this procedure is to inform theflight crew on the estimated take-off time which is provided in theframe of this trial to demonstrateone benefit of the airportCollaborative Decision Making(CDM) concept.

In the oceanic phase of flight, the most efficient trajectory iscompromised by the NorthAtlantic Oceanic Track System(OTS), which imposes to stick toone of the predefined lateraltracks. Climbing to an optimumflight level is frequently hinderedby other traffic. The A380Transatlantic Green Flight trialtakes advantage of the A380’srather high optimum cruise level(between FL390 to FL430) wherelittle other traffic is encountered.The oceanic Air Traffic ControlCentres of Gander (NAV CANADA)and Shanwick (NATS) makearrangements to free the aircraftfrom the OTS. This allowsplanning the flight on a minimumtime track and to choose the mosteconomic speed and cruise level.


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Arrival flight phasewith a highpotential foroptimizationThe arrival is often the mostconstrained phase of the wholeflight. Speed and altituderestrictions are frequent to managethe traffic flow within the TerminalArea (TMA) as well as thetransition from the En-route Sectorto the TMA. Noise avoidance oftenresults in a considerable stretchingof the flight path; 360° holdings orlengthy lateral ‘trombones’ are theultimate Air Traffic Control (ATC)means to get the landing sequencebuilt up. Successive clearances tolower altitudes and vectoring putthe flight crew in a reactive ‘openloop’ situation, in which the arrivaltrajectory is not fixed, neithervertically, nor laterally. Thisprevents following a predefinedroute which is a prerequisite forproperly planning and executingthe most energy efficient descentprofiles.

The 'Minimum CO2 in Terminalarea' (MINT) project addressed agood part of these issues. It usedfor the first time in Europe theaircraft’s Required NavigationPerformance with AuthorizationRequired (RNP AR) for a +/- 0.3nautical miles lateral accuracy in acurved approach (RNP AR 0.3) forthe purpose of noise abatement atStockholm, Sweden (see approachchart in figure 2). Beforepublishing the procedure, Airbuscontributed with fly-abilityanalysis through simu lator sessionsand ensured that speed and altitudeconstraints are not compromisingthe most fuel efficient descent.

Novair, the airline partner in theMINT project, recently upgradedthe Flight Management System(FMS) on their A321 fleet to thelatest ‘Release 1A’ standard, whichallows flying the RNP AR 0.3procedure in combination with

their first generation ElectronicFlight Instrument System (EFIS).

The lateral trajectory of the 10MINT flights was agreed with theATC sectors of Stockholm andMalmö (Sweden), well beforeleaving the cruise flight level andthe ATC enabled a ContinuousDescent Operation (CDO) byavoiding altitude instructions.Therefore, the aircraft could followthe most efficient vertical profilewith engines at idle, saving in anaverage 145kg of fuel per arrival.Further, 20kg were saved throughreduced track miles whencompared to the standardInstrument Landing System (ILS)procedure.

Combining Performance-BasedNavigation (PBN) with ContinuousDescent Operations (CDO)constitutes an operational conceptwhich is feasible for many regionalairports or for major airports at lowtraffic hours. Often, the mainhurdles are more of an institutionalnature and a question of changinghabits, rather than technical.Suggesting a revenue flight trialproject can be a good means for theairline to improve the situation andobtain buy-in from the AirNavigation Service Providers(ANSP) and airports.

Time as the 4th

navigationdimensionFor both, airborne and groundsides in high traffic situations, theoptimization of the arrivaltrajectory is more complex andrequires additional means whichare developed in SESAR andNextGen. Some of these technicalenablers are related to the additionof the time aspect for trajectorymanagement.

Curved noise abatementapproach into Stockholm:After having been tested inthe MINT project, theprocedure was publishedand is now applied on aregular basis.

Stockholm RNP AR 0.3approach chart

Cour

tesy

of N

avte

ch

Figure 2



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As the Continuous DescentOperation (CDO) prevents the AirTraffic Controller (ATCO) to applythe traditional altitude and headinginstructions during the descent, theconcept previews that additionalinformation be provided in return,in the form of arrival time for asignificant metering fix. Thiswaypoint is defined from a trafficflow management point of viewand may typically be a mergingpoint or a Terminal Area (TMA)entry point. On-board, theadherence to the trajectory’s timeschedule is ensured within acertain tolerance by the RequiredTime of Arrival (RTA) function,which is accessible through theMulti-purpose Control and DisplayUnit (MCDU), via the Flight Plan(FLP) menu pages, as shown infigure 3. On the ground side, theATCO is assisted by an ArrivalManagement (AMAN) tool whichhelps to build up, at an early stage,the sequence of incoming trafficand which alerts in case ofconflicts.

In anticipation of this operationalconcept, the MINT trials lookedalso at the adherence to theestimated time of arrival over awaypoint which was chosen aroundan altitude of FL100, representinga typical altitude for entering theTMA. The observed deviation wasbelow 10 seconds compared withwhat has been predicted about 20minutes earlier, well before leavingthe cruise level. More flight trialswill be undertaken building upconfidence in the aircraft timeperformance, in order to start usingit for the sake of a smoothtransition to the initial 4Doperational concept of SESAR andNextGen.

Optimization from En-route toEn-routeVINGA (Validation and Improve -ment of Next Generation Airspace)addresses all flight phases, arriving

at and departing from GothenburgLandvetter airport, in Sweden. En-route, the flight follows a planneddirect routing, which becomes nowpossible with the implementationof the Free Route Airspace Swedenconcept. Improved service levelagreements amongst adjacentcontrol sectors, including theDanish Air Traffic Control, shallenable that the arrival trajectory beknown to the flight crew alreadybefore the end of the En-routephase. The crew then plans an idlecontinuous descent choosing theoptimum top of descent point.Considering the traffic situation,vertical ATC clearances shall notcompromise the most fuel efficientvertical profile.

The arrival trajectory leads theninto a noise and fuel optimizedRNP AR 0.3 procedure, followedby a transition to the InstrumentLanding System (ILS) approach.Through this new combination, it isensured that even under conditionsof low approach minima, the mostefficient arrival trajectory can befollowed. Another particularity isthat a RNP procedure will bedesigned, not based as usual onvery conservative theoretical windmodels, but on observed statisticalwinds which results in a furtheroptimization. Comprising animportant Performance BasedNavigation (PBN) element,partners to the VINGA project arenot only the typical revenue flighttrial triplet consisting of the airline(Novair), airport (Swedavia) andAir Navigation Service Provider(LFV), but also Quovadis, the PBNservice company. This recentlyformed Airbus subsidiary providesa complete set of RNP servicesincluding RNP procedure designand testing, flight operation safetyassessment, documenting air worth - i ness compliance, training, RNPmonitoring, and cost-benefit ana -lysis.

The optimization of groundmovements is addressed in the trialthrough single engine taxi-in and

This capability is rarely usedtoday but will increase in

importance as operationalconcepts emerge based on 4D

trajectory management.

Required Time of Arrival(RTA) page on MCDU

Figure 3


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out, whenever feasible. In case ofdelays, ‘gate holding’ with enginesoff will be preferred over queuing-up on the taxiway.

VINGA looks also into thefeasibility of more flexible andefficient departure trajectories,which shall be tailored to the noisefootprint of the individual aircrafttype. Instead of applying an uniqueStandard Instrument Departure(SID), aircraft with better noisevalues shall be allowed toaccelerate earlier to the mosteconomic climb speed and to turnearlier to the target heading.

Gothenburg, Sweden, could betaken as representative for a typicalsingle runway regional airport andthe described measures arecertainly worthwhile to be studiedin similar circumstances.

The Green ShuttleThe context is more challenging inthe busy parts of central Europe,such as between the French citiesof Paris-Orly and Toulouse, whereAir France operates up to almost50 flights a day with an A320Family fleet. Although each flightduration is only around one hour,three ATC En-route Sectors areconcerned and the shuttle flights

are kept on sub-optimal loweraltitudes, in favour of overflyinglong haul traffic. Here again, animproved coordination between thenational ATC sectors managed bythe French Air Navigation ServiceProvider DGAC/DSNA was key toobtain a more fuel efficienttrajectory.

The Green Shuttle trials whichwere undertaken in fall 2010,demonstrated the feasibility toobtain under certain conditionsoptimum cruising levels and moredirect routings, thanks also to abetter coordination with themilitary stakeholder. ContinuousDescent Operation (CDO) couldalso be demonstrated from top ofdescent into both, Paris-Orly andToulouse. Airbus contributed with‘CDO fly-ability’ analysis andadvised on best speed and verticalwindows for the hand-overbetween ATC sectors in descent.

Quantified findings of the fuelsavings obtained in the AIRE2exercise will be published by theSJU through a dedicateddissemination event in the first halfof 2011. It is expected that thetested ATM procedures have asaving potential, which justifiestheir consideration in any airline’sfuel saving action plan.


Revenue flight trials are an excellentmeans to experience and adjust moreefficient Air Traffic Management (ATM)procedures, in a perspective to transitsmoothly to their application on a dailybasis. Airbus in general and Quovadisspecifically for matters related toPerformance-Based Navigation (PBN), areprepared to support revenue flight trialsthrough customer services and expertise. There is a whole register of measures forbringing a flight nearer to the most fuel

efficient trajectory throughout the differentflight phases. Partnerships between themain stakeholders - airlines, Air NavigationService Providers and airports - is the keyfor improvements. The current context of ongoing major ATMdevelopment programmes such as SESARand NextGen favours to challenge legacyoperations in order to migrate to moreefficient target operational concepts,which will be enabled by newtechnologies on-ground and on-board.

Conclusion

CONTACT DETAILS

Tom MAIERSenior Manager CNS/ATMAirbus Engineering System Sales & MarketingTel: +33 (0)5 61 93 12 45Fax: +33 (0)5 61 93 41 [email protected]

Courtesy of DFS

Air Traffic Controller strips

i n f o r m a t i o n

Quovadisa 100% Airbus subsidiary, waslaunched in July 2009 to supportairlines, airports, air navigationservice providers and authoritiesin Performance-Based Navigation(PBN) deployment, as well as toprovide related services.Contact: Paul-Franck [email protected]


AUTOMATIC DEPENDENT SURVEILLANCE BROADCAST (ADS-B) - SURVEILLANCE DEVELOPMENT FOR AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENTFA

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Christine VIGIERDesign Management Avionics

Airbus Upgrade Services

AutomaticDependent Surveillance

Broadcast (ADS-B)Surveillance development for Air Traffic Management

As air traffic is predicted to increase steadily overthe coming years, there is a clear need to ensurethat standards of safety and efficiency aremaintained, or even enhanced. This is recognizedby the Single European Sky programme in Europe(SESAR) and the NextGen programme in theU.S.A. (read FAST article - Demonstrating thegreen trajectory), the two major bodies driving theAir Traffic Management (ATM) developmentover the coming years. Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast

(ADS-B) is all about communications betweenaircraft, and also between aircraft and ground.Both are vital in ensuring safe flights andefficiency in terms of fuel use, time andemissions. ADS-B is an integral part of theplanned efficiency drive towards 2020. Taking advantage of the latest technology, ADS-Bis designed to be retrofit on aircraft flying today.Here, we will look at aspects associated with theretrofit and take a look at the developments thatare planned for the future.


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AUTOMATIC DEPENDENT SURVEILLANCE BROADCAST (ADS-B) - SURVEILLANCE DEVELOPMENT FOR AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

ADS-Breceiver

Air Traffic Control

Step 1: ADS-B OUTAircraft informationbroadcasted for ground use

Step 2: ADS-B IN (ATSAW)Display of other aircraft ADS-Binfo in the cockpit

ADS-B

ADS-B

ADS-B

First steps involved inADS-B

Figure 1

ADS-B summary

In its final form, ADS-B isdesigned to ease Air TrafficControl (ATC) as the number ofapproaches grows, enhancing safe-ty and increasing airport capacity.In the air, the information providedby ADS-B enhances the pilots' traf-fic awareness, allowing more opti-mal flight levels leading to fuelsavings. ADS-B is considered in two partsas described:

• ADS-B OUT provides a means of automated aircraft parametertransmission be tween the aircraftand the ATC.

• ADS-B IN provides automated aircraft parameter transmissionbetween aircraft themselves.

g l o s s a r y

ADC: Air Data ComputerADIRS: Air Data/Inertial ReferenceSystemATC: Air Traffic ControlATSAW: Air Traffic Situational AwarenessDMC: Display Management ComputerEHS: Enhanced SurveillanceEIS: Electronic Instrument SystemFCOM: Flight Crew Operating ManualFM: Flight ManualFMS: Flight Management SystemFWC: Flight Warning ComputerGPS: Global Positioning System

HFDR: High Frequency Data RadioIRS: Inertial Reference SystemMCDU: Multi-purpose Control DisplayUnitMMR: Multi-Mode ReceiverNRA: Non-Radar AirspaceOANC: On-board Airport NavigationComputerOANS: On-board Airport NavigationSystemOMS: On-board Maintenance SystemSATCOM: Satellite CommunicationSPI: Special Position Identification



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STEP 1: ADS-B OUT

ADS-B OUT automaticallytransmits aircraft parameters fromthe aircraft to the ATC on ground.There is no need for the pilot’saction and it conforms to EASAregulations on ADS-B OUT, forNon-Radar Airspace (NRA)operations. The capability must bedeclared in the FCOM and the FMshall be updated (see figure 2).

STEP 2: ADS-B IN (ATSAW)

The Airbus approach to ADS-B INis named the Air Traffic SituationalAwareness (ATSAW) whichenables the reception of ADS-Binformation from other aircraft inthe vicinity. As for the ADS-BOUT, the capability must also bedeclared in the FCOM and the FMupdated (figure 4).

ATSAW is splited in two steps:- Step 2A: ATSAW operation in

flight- Step 2B: ATSAW operation on

ground

STEP 2A: ATSAW OPERATION IN FLIGHT

a) ATSAW • Improves cooperation with ATC

(better understanding of ATCinstructions),

• Improves the detection ofopportunities for flight levelchanges in standard separationfor reduced fuel savings and areduction of CO2 emissions,

• Improved efficiency onapproach,

• Enhances identification andinformation on target aircraft,

• Increases runway capacity.

b) ATSAW with ITP (In TrailProcedures) today defined onthe North Atlantic ocean (see figure 3):

• Enables more frequent altitudechanges by temporarily reducingstandard separation,

• Enables flying at the optimumflight level,

• Provides significant fuel savings.

STEP 2B: ATSAW ON THE GROUND

• Enhanced situational awarenessduring surface operations.

In this example, the MCDU(Multi-purpose Control and

Display Unit) shows theidentity and the relative

horizontal position of threeaircraft. The pilot can seeimmediately that a flight

level change to FL370 is notpossible until 1412Z time,as computed by the TCAS(Traffic alert and Collision

Avoidance System).

A different flight levelcan be requested as

clearly indicated, takinginto account the

surrounding aircraftpositions, trajectories

and speeds.

DO-260 DO-260B

Equipment required

• ATC transponder enhancedcapable

• MMR (with GPS capability)• Wiring provision EHS

• ADS-B OUT DO-260B• FWC

Availability date Now As per mandate(refer to figure 10)

ADS-B OUT

Example on MCDU

Figure 2

Figure 3


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The NavigationDisplay (ND)shows the aircraftorientation andrelativeinformation fromaircraft in thevicinity.

Step 2A Step 2B

Equipment required

• ATC transponder EHS• MMR (with GPS

capability)• EIS2• Wiring provision• EHS traffic selector• FWC standard

As for Step 2A+ OANC

Availability date Early 2011 2013 TBC

Additional information shown on the MCDU.

Figure 6

The Pilot elects to see more information onAFR6512 by the menu selection.

Figure 7

ADS-B IN (ATSAW)

Figure 4

Example on NavigationDisplay and MCDU

Figure 5

Aircraft identification

Relativealtitude/Absolutealtitude

Groundspeed

Verticalvelocity

Absolutebearing/

2D distance

Heading/Tracking

Wake vortexcategory

NEXT STEPS

STEP 3: SEQUENCING AND MERGING

The objective of the future stepis to enable the flight crews toachieve and maintain automati-cally a given spacing with des-ignated aircraft.The two principle maneuversare 'remain behind' and 'mergebehind'.The operational benefit will bethe enhanced traff ic regularityduring the approach to airportswith heavy traff ic allowingincreased airport capacity.

How does ADS-Bwork?ADS-B OUT

It uses ATC transponders to transmitaircraft information to the ground,using the Mode S 1090 MHzExtended Squitter with a refreshrate of 0.5 seconds.



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ADS-B IN

On aircraft, it is the TCAS computerthat receives and treats the ADS-Binformation coming from ATCtransponders of surrounding aircraft.The information is then displayedon the Navigation Display (ND)and the MCDU (see figures 5, 6 & 7).When ATSAW is activated and ifthe ADS-B information is availablefrom aircraft in the vicinity, thefollowing information is availablefor each pilot:• Aircraft identification• Absolute bearing/2D distance• Heading/Tracking• Wake vortex category• Relative altitude/Absolute

altitude• Ground speed• Vertical velocity

Aircraftarchitecturerequired for ADS-B OUTADS-B OUT NEEDS

• ATC transponders at minimumDO-260 standard.

• Additional wiring associatedwith peripheral equipment,

• MMR in hybrid architecturewith GPS capability.

CURRENT FLEET STATUS

Aircraft currently flying in Europeare generally well equipped for the transition to ADS-B OUT asthe prerequisite ATC transpondersMode S (DO-260) are alreadyrequired to meet the formerenhanced surveillance mandate.Aircraft greater than five years ofage and operating outside ofEurope are more likely to need anew transponder in order toachieve ADS-B capability.

ADS-B IN STEP 2A

• TCAS capable• Additional wiring• Traffic selector in cockpit• EIS2 capable

STEP 2B

Step 2A + OANC(On-board Airport NavigationComputer)

ADS-B IN TRIALSTo pioneer and test the new func-tions associated with ADS-B IN,trials are scheduled with theinvolvement of Eurocontrol andcertain airlines which will have theATSAW capability, some fromproduction and others by retrofit.The European trials will com-mence in early 2011.

The ND indicatesthe position and

trajectory of otheraircraft on

taxiways

Figure 8

DAL 02415 H

Architecture for ADS-B OUT and for ADS-B IN

Figure 9

FMS

FWC

OANC

ATCTransponders

For ADS-B IN only

GPS position

ADC, GPS, IRS data

Flight ID source

AudioHeading, Pitch,Roll, GPS data

Trafficselector

Other aircraftsystems

Controlpanel

TCASCapable ATSAW

MCDU

MMR

ADIRS

DMC/EIS


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Whilst the initial drivers from SESAR andNextGen are motivated by the need tomaintain and where possible enhancesafety standards, the commercialimplications for operators are notforgotten. The benefits from the AutomaticDependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) are not only for Air Traffic Control (ATC),but also for the airlines, flight crew andpassengers. ADS-B OUT eases the flight crew and ATCworkload, resulting in fuel and timesavings thanks to more efficientapproaches.

ADS-B IN presents additionalopportunities for fuel and time savings, in particular by the utilization of ‘In TrialProcedures’ for long range flights in theoceanic airspace, maintaining safety.ADS-B is in the early stages of a roadmapvision up until 2020 and has been adoptedby SESAR and NextGen. Airbus UpgradeServices will continue to develop newsolutions to ease flight operations, thuscontributing to reduce the congestion infuture Air Traffic Management.

Conclusion

ADS-B OUT MANDATES

Current operational requirementsor mandates are already in serviceand others are anticipated. The fig-ure 10 shows areas where a man-date already exists, such as theHudson Bay, and also shows antic-ipated mandates in other regions.The upcoming mandates in Europeand North America require a new

standard (DO-260B) which impliesan upgrade to the FWC and con-nections between the MMR and theATC transponder. This will enableadditional benefits in terms of safe-ty, flight efficiency and situationalawareness, thanks to the GPS dataenabling the transmission of moreaccurate information on aircraftpositions and the improved latencyin broadcasts.

CONTACT DETAILS

Christine VIGIERDesign Management AvionicsAirbus Upgrade ServicesTel: +33 (0)5 67 19 02 17Fax: +33 (0)5 62 11 08 [email protected]


2010DO-260

2020DO-260B

2017DO-260B

Date to be determined with a D0-260

minimum standard

2013DO-260

Mandates

Figure 10


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Stéphane BOUYSSOUAircraft Electrical InstallationElectrical Standard ItemsAirbus Engineering

Optical fibre on aircraft

When the light speed serves data transmission

As more and more electronic systems are installedon aircraft, the quantity of electrical cable isinclined to increase significantly. Aeronauticalelectrical installations have been for many yearsbased on copper conductors which are firstlyexpensive in terms of weight and secondly, havesome constraints in relation to their characteristicssuch as Electro-Magnetic Interferences (EMI) andbandwidth limitations. The introduction by Airbusof aluminium wiring allowed saving weight buthad no better effects on the characteristicconstraints.

Therefore, electrical installation designsintroduced the optical fibre technology instead ofcopper cables for data signal transmissions. Theuse of optical fibre provides large benefits interms of a large bandwidth capacity, EMIinsensibility, complete electrical isolations, signalattenuations lesser than electrical cables and lastbut not least, lightweight compared to anelectrical cable (4kg/km).

OPTICAL FIBRE ON AIRCRAFT - WHEN THE LIGHT SPEED SERVES DATA TRANSMISSION


What is an opticaltransmissionassembly?

The principle is to convert theelectrical signal to a light wavesignal, then to transmit it through aphysical pipe used as a wave guide,so called ‘optical fibre’. Therefore,an optical fibre transmissionassem bly is composed of atransmitter, optical fibre, con -nectors and a receiver (figure 1).

As a reminder, light is charac -terized by its ‘spectrum’ which isthe whole set of wavelengths fromultraviolet to the infrared(including visible light) and by its‘index of refraction (n)’ which isan intrinsic property of a materialcorresponding to the ratio betweenthe speed of light in vacuum and itsspeed in the material. When lightencounters an environment, thelight ray is reflected and refracted.The refracted ray (meaningtransmitted inside the medium witha change of directions) depends on:• The refraction index of the

parameters which are themedium,

• The angle of the light ray(figures 2 and 3).

This is defined per the SnellDescartes Law: n1sinΘ1= n2sinΘ2.Another physical phenomenon iswhen an object bumps on a planesurface, its incidence ray angle isthe same as the reflection rayangle.

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To date, the optical fibre application in Airbus aircraft are:

Aircraft Family A320 A330/A340 A380 A350

Cable length* Following chosen options 565 m* 2.4 km TBD

Nombre of links Following chosen options 41* 171 TBD

Transmitter

Electric/Opticconversion

Electricalsignal

Optical cable

Receiver

Optic/Electricconversion

Electricalsignal

Optical cableE

O E

O

Connectors

Figure 1

Optical transmission assembly

Aircraft Family A320 A330/A340 A380 A350

Cockpit Display System (CDS) •Large displays (under development) •Head-Up Display (HUD) • • • •On-board Airport Navigation System (OANS) • • • •Taxi Aid Camera System (TACS) • • •Concentrator Multiplexing Video (CMV) •Network Server System/On-board Information System (NSS/OIS) •Cabin Video Monitoring System (CVMS) •Cockpit Door Surveillance System (CDSS) •In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) • • •

Incident ray Reflected ray

Refracted ray

Normal pointof incidence

n1 medium

n2 medium

1 1 1 1

2

Incident ray Reflected ray

No refracted ray

Normal pointof incidence

n1 medium

n2 medium

I R

Angle of Incidence=

Angle of Reflection

General physical behavior of the light

Figure 3

*average following chosen options

However, it is possible to obtain acomplete reflexion (see figure 4) ifthe above both conditions aregathered, which will give us:• n1 value > n2 value (n1 and n2

refraction value of both medium).• Incident angle 1 trends towards

90° (low-angled beams).

Condition for acomplete reflection

Figure 4

Figure 2


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Optical fibreAn optical fibre is a wave guideallowing transmission of areflected light signal between twoequipments. This wave guide ismade of two basic elements whichare the core and the cladding. Eachof them is composed of the samematerial with different refractionindexes which are chosen in orderto have ‘ncore value > ncladdingvalue’. Then the light is transmittedinside the core with a low angle toensure the light wave will be totallyreflected by the cladding and trans -mitted along the core (figure 5).The fibre can be made out of Silica or Polymer. Airbus qualifieda Sili ca (glass) optical fibre P/N ABS0963-003 Type LF (seefigure 6).

Transmitter andreceiverThe transmitter and receivermodules are included in theequipment using the optical fibretechnology and manufactureddirectly by the equipment suppliers.

The transmitter has to convertelectrical data signal to light datasignal. The signal is specified byits power (<1mW) and its wavelength. Wave lengths used byAirbus are 850nm and 1300nm(figure 7). The conversion isensured by laser diodes or theLight Emitting Diode (LED)technology. At the end of the line,the receiver has to collect the lightdata signal and reverse it to electricdata signal. This conversion isdone using the Photodiodetechnology.

Optical contactsand connectorsThe optical connector is amechanical element which allowsthe connection of two optical fibrelinks. The optical fibre link is anoptical fibre fitted with contacts ateach end, allowing the installationof the optical cable in a connector. The connector implementation hasto ensure the optical signalpropagation with the minimum ofattenuation. In consequence, theconnectors have been designed toensure a perfect alignment of bothoptical fibre contact end faces, butalso a constant contact betweenboth fibres whatever the environ -mental conditions (figure 8).

Two contacts, ABS1906-01 andABS1379-003, allowing the instal -lation of optical fibre in theconnectors have been qualified byAirbus.


Regarding optical fibre intelecommunication, cladding isone or more layers of material of alower refractive index, in intimatecontact with a core material of ahigher refractive index. Thecladding causes light to beconfined to the core of the fibre bytotal internal reflection at theboundary between the two.

Total reflectionCladding

Core

Light

nCladding

nCore Silica orPolymerfibre

Ultraviolet Visible light Infrared

400 nm 800 nm 850 nm 1300 nmnm = nanometer

Fibre

Figure 5

Light spectrumFigure 7

Airbus Optical FibreP/N ABS0963-003 LF

Figure 6

Jacket N° ELEMENTS MATERIAL DIAMETER Ø

CoreCladding

Silica62.5 μm ± 3 μm125 μm ± 2 μm

Primary coating Silicone 400 μm ± 25 μm

Primary jacket Copolymer OHAL high temperature 900 μm ± 50 μm Mechanical

strength braidPolymer aromatic fibre braid N/A

Outer jacket Copolymer OHAL high temperature 1.8 μm ± 0.1 μm

μm: micrometre1.000×10−6 m = 1.0000 µm

Fibre

CAUTION: Even in an infrared spectrum (not visible to the eye), the light ray could causeserious eye damage, therefore never look an optical fibre contact in front view.



The particularity of the opticalcontacts, compared to electricalcontacts, is that they are‘hermaphrodite’, meaning that thecontact is the same on both sidesof the connector. The contactalignment is ensured by a specificadditional sleeve fitted in thefemale connector.

Since the A350 design, Airbus’philosophy is to use onlyABS1379-003 (the best one interms of installation facilities,cleaning and installation on theoptical fibre) and to designconnectors in accordance withexisting supports (rectangular,circular or square connectors, asshown in figure 9).

Optical linkmanufacturingThe manufacturing of an opticallink consists in fitting the opticalcontacts on each side of the opticalfibre. This process is complex dueto some critical steps as the gluingof the ferrule with the fibre(contact robustness is highlydependent of this step) or thepolishing (where the surface of thefibre needs to be plane). In case ofa damaged optical fibre, operatorshave the possibility to order a newoptical fibre link through AirbusSpares. Depending on theprogramme, the optical cable hasits own Part Number (P/N)recorded in the Illustrated PartsCatalogue (IPC) and retrievedwith the wire number as entrypoint (A350, A380, A340 TACS),or it is possible to request Airbuscustomers support to get the P/Nassociated to the wire number.

In addition, optical linkmanufacturing requires somespecific tooling (oven, polishmachine, interferometer, etc.). Theon-shop process is described in theProcess and Material Specifica -tion manual 01-05-63.

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gap

correctskew

lateral misalignment

Figure 8

Optical fibre contact alignment

Contact ABS1379-003

Contact ABS1906-01

Connector ABS1696

Square connector EN4165Connector ABS1213

receptacle

Figure 9

Airbus optical components

plug


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Optical fibreinstallation andconnection on theaircraftOptical fibre can be routed alonebut also on a bundle with electricalwire. Due to the optical cablespecifications (-55° to 125°C), nooptical cable is routed in fire orhigh temperature areas.As for electrical wires, a minimumbend radius has to be respected dueto the light’s reflection properties.Indeed a short bend radius willmodify the incidence angle of thelight ray, thus the total reflectionconditions will no longer berespected, resulting to somerefraction of the light ray andattenuation of the signal (figure 10).

During maintenance actions on theaircraft or during its installationphase, the optical fibre should notbe crushed at the attachment point.In case of over tightening, effectscould occur on the fibre leading toan attenuation of the signal.

To prevent such attenuation, eitherbobbin or tape must firstly beapplied at each attachment point ofthe optical fibre installation.Information concerning theinstallation of the optical fibre isavailable in the ESPM 20-33-11(Electrical Standard PracticesManual).

A major difference with theelectrical wiring installations witha high impact on the opticalassembly performance concernsthe cleanliness of the connection.Due to the diameter of the opticalfibre’s core (62.5µm, about thethickness of a human hair),contamination of the opticalcontact surface generates opticalattenuations or even, a completeloss of the signal. This is whycleaning and protecting the opticalcable contact surface is mandatoryat each step of the optical fibrehandling, to avoid contaminationof the contact surface (figure 11).For the cleaning, Airbus proposesthree techniques: Dry, wet and dryair cleaning, and two processes:Contact alone or contact fitted in aconnector.

In addition, to allow the detectionof an optical contact end facecontaminated, a microscope with aminimum magnification of 200can be used. All the above iswidely detailed in ESPM 20-55-60.

Optical fibretroubleshootingand repairIn order to ease the operator’s taskfor the optical fibre’s malfunctiontroubleshooting, some specifictools were designed in strongpartnership with the manufacturers. The troubleshooting is similar toone that would be done for anelectrical cable, by performing acontinuity check. It is performedusing the Visual Fault Locator(visible light source emitter) or aPower Meter, with or without acalibrated light source (figure 12).

Over-bent radius effects

Figure 10

Optical fibre cleanliness

Figure 11

Refracted light rayCladding

Core

Dirty optical fibre Clean optical fibre

Usage of optical fibre for In-Flight Entertainment


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To determine where the default islocated on the optical fibre line,the use of the Optical TimeDomain Reflectometer (OTDR) isthe most reliable and accurate way.

The OTDR LOR220, using thephoton counting method (see theinformation box below), wasspecifically designed by LuciolInstruments to provide highprecision measures in the aircraftenvironment and can be used onwing.

With one screenshot, the toolprovides a curve showing theoptical signal’s attenuation at eachdistance point of the cable. Bysuch, it is possible to find withhigh accuracy where the damage islocalized on the line in order toperform the repair.

The displayed result curve (figure13) allows to make the differencebetween the return loss (lightreflection due to the optical linecut-off at the level of theconnectors) and the insertion loss(signal attenuation resulting of thedefect on the line). The OTDRoffers the possibility to record thecurve, allowing the operator tosend the curve directly to Airbusspecialists for interpretation.

Airbus broken optical fibre can berepaired. Airbus qualified aspecific tooling developed by themanufacturer Diamonds allowingthis kind of repairs called the‘Fusion Splice’ which uses thefusion technology.

An electrical arc is generatedwelding two optical fibre endsfacing each other (figure 14). Theresult is a complete continuity ofthe fibre. The tool kit contains alsoa ‘tension test’ system, checkingthe correct fusion of the cable. Akind of protective sleeve P/NABS1632-003 - called ‘crocodile’in relation to its shape andspecifically designed for thisapplication - is then glued on thesplice to ensure a mechanicalprotection.

CONNECTORA

CONNECTORB

CONNECTORC

CONNECTORD

CONNECTORE

EMITTINGLIGHT

VFL/VLC

SYSTEM/

EQUIPMENT

OPTICAL FIBRE UNDER TEST

OPTICAL CONTINUITY TEST CONNECTION METHOD

CONNECTORA

CONNECTORB

CONNECTORC

CONNECTORD

CONNECTORE

OPTICAL POWER MEASUREMENT TEST CONNECTION METHOD

TEST LEADCONNECTOR

TEST LEAD

POWERMETER

CONNECTOR

TEST LEAD TEST LEADCONNECTOR

ACONNECTOR

E

INSERTION LOSS TEST CONNECTION METHOD

TEST LEADCONNECTOR

TEST LEAD

POWERMETER

LIGHTSOURCE

Figure 12

Extracted from the Electrical StandardPractices Manual (ESPM 20-52-25)


In physics, a photon is anelementary particle, the quantumof the electromagnetic interactionand the basic unit of light and allother forms of electromagneticradiation.

Figure 13

Optical Time Domain Reflectometer(OTDR) screenshot



In the recent past years, the optical fibrewas introduced in the aeronautics. Thishas required to develop components andassociated processes/methods tomaintain them during the aircraft’s life-cycle, like any other previous copper oraluminium electrical cables. In the comingyears, no doubt that continuousimprovements and further developmentswill come to light.The principles of optical fibre installationsare similar to other technologies, copperand aluminium, but require the optical

faces to be scrupulously clean. Thecontinuous development of the opticalfibre’s use in the aeronautics requires newskills and competences for an airlineelectrician, likely to work on the systemsusing optical fibre. A specific training course (Optical FibreInter-System Code XMOF) dedicated tooptical fibre troubleshooting andmaintenance has been developed byAirbus and will be available beginning of2011 in the Airbus Training e-Catalogue.

CONTACT DETAILS

Stéphane BOUYSSOUAircraft Electrical InstallationElectrical Standard ItemsAirbus EngineeringTel: +33 (0)5 61 18 55 75Fax: +33 (0)5 61 93 44 [email protected]

Conclusion

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This permanent repair restores thefull integrity and characteristics ofthe optical cable (losses introducedby the ‘Fusion Splice’ are less than0.1dB).

A complete kit P/N 1047320(figure 15) was designedcontaining the Fusion Splice toolsincluding the complete gear(pliers, scissors, light, support

plate, etc.) and the materialnecessary to perform the repair on-wing.

You may find informationconcerning the repair of an opticalcable in the ESPM 20-53-28, butalso available in Airbus SIL 20-030.

Fusion Splice technology

Figure 14

On-wing repair kit

Figure 15


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A300/A310 FAMILY OPTIMIZED AIR-VENT INLET NACA DUCT - CONTINUOUS ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS FOR FUEL SAVINGS

Fuel economy has always been a concern for theoperators, particularly with the increase in oilprices in recent years and global awareness for theenvironment. Airbus has been working with theoperators to look for ways to improve fueleconomy for all its aircraft programmes. For theA300/A310 Family programme, despite no longerbeing in production, Airbus has been looking into

potential hardware improvements which wouldgive a better fuel economy to its operators. Suchimprovements need to be attractive to operatorsand be capable for retrofit, with a quick return oninvestment. The improved NACA Duct describedin this article reduces drag, thus improving theaircraft’s fuel consumption.

A300/A310 Familyoptimized air-vent inletNACA DuctContinuous engineering solutionsfor fuel savings

Hannah RINGROWContinuous Product Development Project Leader A300/A310 ProgrammeAirbus Operations

Charles VALESite Chief Engineer

A300/A310 ProgrammeAirbus Operations


A300/A310 FAMILY OPTIMIZED AIR-VENT INLET NACA DUCT - CONTINUOUS ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS FOR FUEL SAVINGSFA

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In-serviceexperience

Based on the A320 and A330/A340Family programmes, improve -ments have been studied to reduceaerodynamic drag through theintroduction of a new NACA Duct.The A300/A310 Familyprogramme team launched anactivity to optimize its own, butwith the constraint of a minimalimpact to the structure and aminimal installation time.

Fuel systemrequirements

The NACA Duct is located near thewing tip, and counts one per wing(see figures 1 and 2). As an airinlet, the NACA Duct ensures thatthe differential pressure betweenthe interior of the fuel tanks andthe outside atmospheric pressure iskept to a minimum, particularlyduring climb and descent - theemergency descent being the mostsevere design case. As a fuel vent system outlet, theNACA Duct is sized to permit fuelflow overboard in the event of anautomatic refuel failure.

Meeting these design objectivesensures that the structural loads arekept to a minimum and thereforeallow for a lighter wing. Maintai -ning the original design loads isessential to avoid any furthermodifications to the wing struc ture.For the A300/A310 Familyprogramme modification, we havetaken benefit from previous tes -tings carried out on other Airbusprogrammes including on the fuelrig, the wind tunnel and flight tests(figure 3), thereby minimizing thecost of development andqualification.

Aerodynamicoptimization of theair-vent inlet NACADuct

Using knowledge gained from theoptimization of other Airbusaircraft families, a new aerodyna -mic shape was created, whichdiffers from the old shapeparticularly on the rear face of theinsert see figures 4 and 5. This newinsert still satisfies the fuel systemrequirements. The resulting dragreduction is 0.3% of the total aircraftdrag, leading to an approximate fuelsaving of 20-30kg per flight.

NACA Duct location on the wing

Figure 1

Current A310 NACA Duct, viewfrom underneath the wing

Figure 2

Flight test set-up for A340aerodynamic supplement

Figure 3

Inverted NACA DuctInset installation

Figure 4

Camera

Flow cones

Rake

Current NACA Duct is retained

Improved NACA Duct isachieved by fixing thenew machined insert tothe exterior of thecurrent NACA Duct


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The newly designed NACA Duct has takenadvantage of the improvements made onother Airbus programmes and has beenadapted to minimise the cost of parts and

installation time for retrofit to theA300/A310 Family programme. Thebenefit to the operator is fuel savings witha short payback period (2 to 2,5 years).

Conclusion

A300/A310 FAMILY OPTIMIZED AIR-VENT INLET NACA DUCT - CONTINUOUS ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS FOR FUEL SAVINGS

Insertramp

InsertA310 fuel vent

Insertinlet

Insertrearface

A310'Letterbox'

inlet

AirflowConcave

new design

Convexoriginal shape

Industrialization

Several options were consideredincluding a multi-part design. Thechosen modifica tion is a singleone-piece machined insert which isattached externally with newfasteners to the existing NACADuct. This means that the currentNACA Duct does not need to beremoved, minimizing theembodiment time for the retrofitsolution. The complete retrofit canbe achieved in eight hours elapsedtime. This modification is fullyinter-chan geable and requires noadditional parts to be modified.

The original shape of theNACA Duct was analyzed andconsidered to be less than optimal,as put in evidence by flight testsperformed on the A340.

Line-of-flight section through the A310 fuel ventand geometry insert

Aerodynamic supplement

NACA Duct with insert top view and cross-sectional profile

Figure 5

The new shape of theNACA Duct was developed usinganalysis and testing to demonstratethe reduction in drag whilemaintaining a similar pressuredifferential. The benefit in the newshape results in the design changesbrought to the rear face, fromconcave to convex of the inlet. Thisimproves the flow aft of the inletand therefore reduces the drag. In addition, the frontal area of theduct is reduced which alsocontributes to the reduction in drag.

CONTACT DETAILS

Charles VALESite Chief Engineer A300/A310 ProgrammeAirbus OperationsTel: +44 11 79 36 65 79Fax: +44 11 79 36 56 [email protected]


A NACA Duct, also sometimes called a NACA Scoopor NACA Inlet, is a common form of low-drag airinlet design, originally developed by the U.S. NationalAdvisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), the precursor to NASA, in 1945.

Hannah RINGROWContinuous Product Development Project Leader A300/A310 ProgrammeAirbus OperationsTel: +44 11 79 36 04 74Fax: +44 11 79 36 56 [email protected]


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Radio FrequencyIdentification (RFID)

Airbus business radarRadio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a formof Automatic Identification (Auto-ID) that uses asmall wireless device that can be attached toobjects or parts. It provides an accurate, automaticand a fast way to record and collect informationabout the object’s or part’s business activities. Forexample, you can automatically track theconfirmation of deliveries into a warehouse, datacan be written and stored onto the device in largequantities if required, and then can be readautomatically from a distance with an RFIDreader.

In the 1980’s and 1990’s, the use of RFID wasoften associated with building access control,automatic payments for road charges at tollbooths and animal tracking. Today, as a result ofmassive advances in the technology’s maturity,RFID is recognized as a fundamental enabler tostreamline business processes, reduce inventoryand increase the productivity and quality ofbusiness operations. Consequently, companiestaking advantage of such capabilities can veryquickly develop a competitive edge.

RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID) - AIRBUS BUSINESS RADAR

Jamil KHALILHead of Sourcing and EADS CoordinationValue Chain Visibilityand Auto-IDAirbus ICT

Paul-Antoine CALANDREAUFlyable RFID Project Manager

Value Chain Visibility and Auto-ID

Airbus ICT

Carlo K. NIZAMHead of Value Chain Visibility

and Auto-ID Programme Airbus Information,

Communication & Technology


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The history ofRFID in Airbus

Airbus recognized this advantageearly on and as part of its mantrafor ‘Non Stop Innovation’, startedpiloting the technology as early asthe year 2000, across its tool loanswith airlines. By 2006, there were15 projects across Airbus, eachlooking at promising new benefitsenabled by RFID. However, it wasclear that to maximize the benefitsacross the company, a coordinatedapproach was needed to avoidduplication of activities and tomaximize synergies.

As a consequence, in 2007, acorporate decision was taken tolaunch a company-wide program -me to increase visibility across thelifecycle of the aircraft, using acollection of automatic identi -fication technologies (inclu dingRFID). This was called the ValueChain Visibility (VCV) program -me. A dedicated transver sal teamwas established to chart a companystrategy, develop the optimum useof the technology and consoli -date/prioritize activities across thecompany.

The Value ChainVisibilityprogramme

The VCV programme is an Auto-IDinspired business transforma tionprogramme that is developingstate-of-the-art streamlined busi -ness processes across the valuechain through increased visibilityand measurability. Its scope is theAirbus value chain, from suppliersto Airbus, between the globalAirbus manufacturing sites ontoairline customers and in-servicepartners.

The VCV programme is providingAirbus, its industrial partners andits customers with real-timeautomated visibility of processes,materials/asset movements andother key business events. Bydoing so, we move away from ananalogue and paper-based valuechain to what we call the “DigitalFly-By-Wire” value chain.

Supply Chain& Warehouse Logistics

Closed LoopAsset Tracking

Airbus TransportNetwork

Internal AssetTracking

Manufacturing& Assembly

ConfigurationManagement

CabinOperations

Repair ProcessOptimisation

Accurate and efficient information

Information about working, not working

Where is it working, not working?

Improve the way of working

EBIT, cash, cost avoidance

Visibility

Measurability

Business process

Business savings

RFID, bar codes, etc.

Quick winsthrough dataautomation

Long term winsthrough continuous

process improvement

Airbus business radar: A digitalFly-By-Wire view of reality

Why increase visibility? Why RFID?



The businessradar concept

This may seem like a radicalconcept at first glance, but thefollowing comparison illustratesthe potential benefits of theindustrial Fly-By-Wire value chainand Airbus’ business radar concept.

Airports use radar sensors (that useradio frequencies) to automaticallytrack what is going on, in real-time.All the information from the radarsensors feed into the air trafficcontrol system that informs the airtraffic controllers what ishappening, so they can make theright decisions faster. In otherwords, they have real-timevisibility and measurability.

For airport and air trafficcontrollers, the benefits areextremely clear. Without that levelof visibility, without real-timeupdates and without thisautomation, it would be extremelydifficult to manage the skiesefficiently and prevent incidents,given today’s volume of air traffic.

The same is true for a globalindustrial company that has tens ofthousands moving parts albeit theground. The more visibility acompany has into its operations,

the more measurability and controlit can have on its processes whichin turn, help improve thoseprocesses which translate intosavings and quality improvements.

Radio Frequency Identification(RFID) helps us adopt the sameprinciple in the same way thatradar sensors provide visibility toairports. It is our ‘business radar’that lets us see what is going ondigitally, automatically and in realtime, so we can optimize the waywe work and make the rightdecisions faster.

The Value Chainapproach

Airbus does not wish to limit thebenefits of this improvementinitiative to one specific function(e.g. logistics) or even itself. This isbecause Airbus considers its valuechain to effectively be ‘profits inmotion’. These profits are notlimited to any particular functionbut are spread all along it; the samebeing true for costs. Costs arisefrom waste that does notdistinguish itself between functions,nor limits itself to companyboundaries. So Airbus is focusingon the big lifecycle picture in orderto make the big savings anddevelop an approach thatmaximizes the benefits to all actorsacross the value chain.

Due to the large scale of thislifecycle based approach, the VCVprogramme is split into two maincategories which are the ‘Non-Flyable’ and ‘Flyable’. The ‘Non-Flyable’ category refers to all theground-based processes and includesthe supply chain, transportation,logistics, manufacturing andassembly related applications. The‘Flyable’ category refers to all in-service processes and includesoperational, maintenance and payloadtracking applications.

Improved accuracy control efficiency of processes

Improved business savings

Semi-automated visibility with increased measurability (e.g. bar code)

Automated visibility with high level of measurability (e.g. RFID)

Manual based visibility with low measurability(e.g. manual data entry)

Visibility, measurability and savings. They are all connected.

Tool tracking with RFID

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Within each category, there is aportfolio of new streamlinedprocesses that span the lifecycle ofthe aircraft. These processes werefirst piloted in an individual Airbusbusiness location and then onceproven, are repeatedly deployed ona large scale across the company.In this way, we re-use andstandardize both, the new processand solutions across the company.It is effectively processharmonization with a top downstrategy, but executed in a bottom-up fashion.• Non-Flyable:

So far, Airbus has deployedalmost 20 industrial projects inthe ‘Non Flyable’ category thatrange from warehouse logisticsto tooling management, to thework in progress tracking. Allthese projects, withoutexception, have shown verystrong financial benefits in theorder of millions of Euros peryear, with pay back periods inmost cases of less than one year.The tangible benefits induced bythe higher level of automationinclude a reduction in inventoryand capital assets, improvedproductivity and quality.

• Flyable:In March 2006, a two day RFIDspecific Customer Focus Groupwas held with 34 airlines andMRO (Maintenance, Repair &Overhaul) organisationparticipants. Airbus presented itsideas and the attendees providedfeedback and their view ofpriorities. Their inputs haveformed the cornerstone of the‘Flyable’ project.

The results from an opportunityand pilot analysis across a range ofin-service processes with keyairlines and MRO partners werefound to be better than expected.All the projects had a paybackperiod of less than 12 months withmedium to strong savings. But oneof the critical enablers for thesesavings was the high memory UHF(Ultra-High Frequency) passiveRFID tags on parts.

A350 XWBAs a result of this analysis, Airbusbecame the first aircraftmanufacturer to request itssuppliers to add permanent RFIDtags to approximately 3,000 partson each of its new A350 XWBaircraft. These RFID tags aredesigned to remain with the partsthroughout their entire lifecycle, in order to enable processautomation and enhance theprocess visibility for airlines,suppliers and MRO organisations.

For example, consider the line sidemaintenance domain. When amechanic replaces a faulty unitwith a replacement unit, he will beable to digitally scan the faulty andreplacement units in order tocomplete his work order via amobile RFID handheld reader. Hewill also be able to remotelyupload this information into hisMaintenance Information System(MIS) without the need to fill inany paperwork and later type it intohis MIS. As a result, the overallprocess is much faster, the qualityof data in the databasessignificantly improved and there isless administrative work.

Non-flyable Flyable

Logistic Distribution

Supply chain tracking(3PL Centre, Toulouse)

Release 1

Warehouse logistics(3PL Centre, Toulouse)

Inventory management(A380 FAL, Toulouse)

Distribution tracking(A380 FAL, Hamburg)

CargoLifecycle of parts

Cabin configuration (Airline 1)

Release 3

Repair Shop processes (Airline 2)

Spares logistics/ FHS (Airline 3)

Payload tracking(Airline 4)

Manufacture Assembly

Global transportation (Beluga Transport, Hamburg Station)

Release 2

Work In progress (A380 Hamburg, St Nazaire, Broughton)

Tool tracking/Calibration (A380+A400M Assembly, Filton/Hamburg)

Value Chain Visibility and Auto-ID Programme

Configuration Management(A330/A340 FAL, Toulouse)

3PL: Third Party LogisticsFAL: Final Assembly Line

Value chain visibility & Auto-ID: Total lifecycle traceability

RFID tracking process from 'A to Z'


RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID) - AIRBUS BUSINESS RADARFA

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External services

Airbus has been approached by anumber of companies, both inaerospace and outside, for supporton RFID projects. Part of the addedvalue is clearly to benefit from thefirst hand experience of the Airbusteam and the proven portfolio ofprocesses and solutions that havealready been deployed withinAirbus’ industrial environment.

A successful example is thecollaboration with Air Portugal’sMaintenance and Engineering (TAPM&E) department in Lisbon,Portugal. TAP M&E and Airbus’team jointly studied and deployed aRFID solution for tracking parts in anengine repair shop. Work is now on-going to expand to two additionalareas of TAP M&E's trackingoperations (for tooling and life-vests).

n o t e s

If you would like further detailsabout what Airbus is doing andhow RFID can benefit yourcompany, please contact us. Wewould be more than happy to inviteyou to our Value Chain Visibilityindustrial showroom in Toulouse,France, where you can touch andsee firsthand how Airbus is usingthe technology to deliverimprovements and savings acrossits global manufacturing sites.

RFID

Process monitoring

business processesLeaner and more competitive

Aut

omat

ion

Rea

l tim

ere

por

ting

Quality

Process optimisation

ProductivityCycle time

Identify variations

Automated alerts

+ =

RFID + process monitoring:Enables process improvement


The theory behind thebenefits

Visibility, measurability and businesssavings: They are all connected. All business savings come fromprocess improvements. But we can’timprove what we can’t measure. Andwe can’t measure what we can’t see(i.e., visibility). So visibility is a pre-requisite for allbusiness savings. Furthermore, thelevel of visibility and in an organisationdetermines the maximum level ofsavings (i.e., if you can see so much,you can only measure so much, onlyimprove so much and only save somuch). RFID helps us see more, measuremore, improve more and save more.But while RFID is very important, it is

not our end destination. The destinationis fully automated and real-timevisibility and monitoring of our businessprocesses. RFID is one of the mainvehicles that can help us reach thisgoal.

What are the benefits?There are two categories of benefitsshort and long term. In the short term, RFID helps usautomate processes. Automation:a) Improves productivity,b) Makes processes faster which

reduces cycle times and inventories,c) Helps avoid manual errors which

therefore improves quality. So overallfaster processes, less inventory, lessefforts and better quality.

In the long term, RFID can help identifyareas where processes can be

improved and is therefore an enablerfor continuous improvement

How does RFID achieve this?Firstly, RFID helps automate processesby removing the need to manually (viapaper or bar code) track the progressof a business process. This helpsaccelerate the process, reduce thecycle times and makes it more lean. Secondly, RFID enables long termimprovements by allowing us toautomatically “see” in real-time howour processes are actually performing.If we then compare the actualperformance against our targetperformance, we can see very quicklywhat is working and what is not. Thishelps us identify where we need totake corrective actions in order to focusour improvement processes.


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Other EADScompanies

The solid RFID successes withinAirbus, together with the spirit ofinnovation across the EADS group(of which Airbus is one company),has resulted in companies withinall the group are also interested inusing RFID to enable savings. So,in order to capitalize on theexperience and lessons learnt, thedifferent companies within theEADS group are re-using andbuilding on the past of Airbus’RFID work.


Airbus is using RFID as a ‘business radar’to improve its business processes throughbetter visibility and taking a lifecyclebased approach through a singlecorporate programme, that aims tomaximize benefits to all actors across thevalue chain. As part of this lifecycle basedapproach, Airbus has developed anddeployed a full portfolio of RFID processes

and solutions. The new A350 XWB aircraftwill embed RFID capabilities from day oneon 3000 of its parts and be able to takeadvantage of the portfolio of processesthat have already been developed. Airbusis ready to support its airline customersand industrial partners to benefit from itsproven industrial experiences.

Conclusion

CONTACT DETAILS

Carlo K. NIZAMHead of Value ChainVisibility& Auto-ID ProgrammeAirbus Information,Communication &TechnologyTel: +33 (0)5 67 19 35 61Fax: +33 (0)5 61 30 00 [email protected]

Paul-Antoine CALANDREAUFlyable RFID ProjectManagerValue Chain Visibility &Auto-IDAirbus ICTTel: +33 (0)5 67 19 18 22Fax: +33 (0)5 61 30 00 [email protected]

Jamil KHALILHead of Sourcing and EADS CoordinationValue Chain Visibility & Auto-IDAirbus ICT Tel: +33 (0)5 61 18 78 05Fax: +33 (0)5 61 30 00 [email protected]

From left to right:Clive HOHBERGERChairman Automatic Identification and Mobility (AIM)

Carlo K. NIZAMHead of Value Chain Visibility & Auto-IDAirbus

Dr. Patrick KINGGlobal Electronics StrategistMichelin

Airbus employee receivesthe highest award forRadio FrequencyIdentification (RFID)activities

Carlo K. NIZAM received thedistinguished Don Percival award inrecognition of his outstandingcontribution to the advancement ofAutomatic Identification (Auto-ID)solutions at the AIM conference inNovember 2010 in Chicago, U.S.A.The award was handed over by theAssociation for Automatic Identification

and Mobility (AIM) which is theinternational global association forautomatic identification and mobilitytechnology. AIM was particularlyimpressed with Airbus’ wide vision forRFID and how far and fast Airbus hadpushed the boundaries for theapplication of the technology. “To be recognised by your owncompany is one thing,” Carlo says. “Tobe recognised by the Auto-ID industryas a whole as best-in-class takes it toanother level”.


ENHANCED SPARE PART ENGINEERING SUPPORT - SMART DESIGN OF SPARE PARTS FOR A PART STANDARDISATIONFA

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Kay JASCHOBMaterial and Logistics EngineerAirbus Material Logistics & Suppliers

Andy J. MASONMaterial and Logistics Engineer

Airbus Material Logistics & Suppliers

Tanja BUCHHOLZ Manager Material and Logistics Engineering

Airbus Material Logistics & Suppliers

Enhanced sparepart engineering support

Smart spare parts' design fora part standardisation

The Airbus Material and Logistics Engineeringteam has developed the capability to createefficient engineering solutions for the design ofspare parts, maximizing their standardisation andharmonisation. Airbus defines innovative sparepart solutions leading to improved part deliverylead times, based on the combination ofengineering expertise with the material andlogistics business experience.

Its approach to engineering solutions for materialand logistics requirements and the services itprovides to the customers includes the initiationand drive of standardisation and modular designsof spare parts, for the Airbus spares’ aftermarket.The service also aims to provide newstandardized part numbers and lead-timesolutions based on customer requests. This articlewill explain the advantages and future of inter-changeability between spare parts.


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ENHANCED SPARE PART ENGINEERING SUPPORT - SMART DESIGN OF SPARE PARTS FOR A PART STANDARDISATION

A typical case for the Material and LogisticsEngineeringsupport

When a component fails on anaircraft, the usual assumption isthat this occurs due to fatigue,static loading, wear, corrosion orother influences which aircraftcomponents are subject to. Theimmediate solution to allow theaircraft to continue its operations isalways to replace the part,particularly when its essentialitycode is ‘1’ or ‘No-Go’, meaningthe aircraft is not airworthy withoutthe part. Airbus has experiencedmany cases where the root cause isnot based solely on the part itself,but on various other externalfactors such as maintenancehandling or on the installation andtransportation. Once identified, theglobal issues can be solved fasterand more cost-efficiently, compa -red to the time and cost of a part re-design. A recent customer query regardingthe lead-time for A340 aircraftcabin lower sidewall panels,commonly named ‘Dado Panels’,highlighted this point (figure 1).Due to the fact that cabin lowersidewall panels are highlycustomized to the specificrequirements of the customer’scabin design, the specificproduction lead times can berelatively high. Lower sidewallpanels are finished by applying afilm rendering the surface with thefinal colour and pattern for thecabin interior, specific to eachcustomers’ cabin specifications.

Some customers use a light greycolour, others a sand-colour,amongst the various other shadesavailable. In this case, we lookedinto the various opportunities toreduce the replacement lead-time,whilst maintaining the integrity ofthe business, airworthiness andsafety to fulfil the customers’require ments.The only economically viablesolution was to deliver semi-finished panels, requiring thecustomer to add the coating on-sitebut enabling him to operate hisaircraft quickly. This bypassed thecustomisation issue and greatlyimproved the lead-time.

The following two prerequisitesare required to be able to add thelower sidewall panel coatings on-site:• An autoclave for the curing

process,• The qualification to perform the

curing processes.


Inter-changeability:Parts are inter-changeable (INC)when they are equal in form, fitand function. There are three maintypes:• INC1 � One way inter-

changeable: New parts canreplace old; old ones cannotreplace new parts.

• INC2 � Fully inter-changeable:Old parts can replace the newparts which can replace oldparts

• INC3 � Not inter-changeable.

Mixability:Parts are mixable when differentmodification standards can beinstalled at the same time, indifferent locations, within a givensystem.

Dado Panel(Lower sidewall panel)

Figure 1



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There are various maintenancefacilities and external providerswhich fulfil these requirementsand satisfy external aftermarketneeds. These are able to apply suchcoatings to internal Airbusproprietary panels.

Once Airbus had followed up the‘Dado panel’ case, an internalinitiative was launched to create anew official Part Number (P/N)defining a standard procurable‘non-coated’ version of the ‘Dadopanel’. This has been phased-inwith the respective inter-changeability (ICY) links to thecustomised ‘Dado panel’ variantsdisplayed in the customer'sIllustrated Parts Catalogue (IPC).Airbus customers can now order anon-customised part, greatlyreducing the lead-time, whilstgiving the freedom to drive acost/lead-time balance through

a personal selection of a maintenanceprovider for the customisation work.

In this particular case, the solutionsresulting from the analysis carriedout highlighted the additionaladded value provided by the AirbusMaterial and Logistics Engineeringteam's inputs when tackling suchin-service root cause analysis.There are many areas wherecombining experience ofengineering processes andprocedures within Airbus with the‘logistics and spares’ expertise canlead to efficient trouble-shootingand the determination of the realroot causes, particularly when onlyindirectly design-related. TheMaterial and Logistics Engineeringteam has been established in 2007in Airbus to address and solve suchtopics.

Approach

Existing parts• Initiation of design changes to

existing parts, creating spares whichare far more flexible, coveringmultiple applications and completeP/N families.

• Reorientation of ICY codes toexpand the usability of parts and tooptimize the effectivity scope ofP/Ns, as for spares a P/N can beeffective through an ICY link.

New parts• Ensure that design changes are

carried out allowing the new parts tobe inter-changeable where possibleand initiating the creation of aseparate, fully interchangeablespares’ solution.

Objectives

• React in case of Aircraft-On-Ground (AOG) with moreflexibility based on intelligent spares solutions.

• Improve the part usability by ensuring specific marketspare parts' inter-changeability (ICY),- Production ICY - Defining which systems are installed

on the production aircraft.- Spares ICY - Connecting parts indirectly inter-

changeable through chains of modifications.- Specific spares ICY - Allowing the customer to choose

whether to use new systems installed in production.• Increase operational flexibility allowing increased

regional parts’ availability:- Reduce Part Number (P/N) variance in storage

warehouses, whilst covering the fleet requirements.- Same P/Ns serve more customers.- Increased regional availability due to increased scope

per Part Number.• Reduce lead times:

- Standardized designs and parts.- Highly structured product lines and streamlined

processes.

The Airbus Material and LogisticsEngineering team way forward


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Current work andprinciplesThe aircraft configuration inservice today is the product oftrade-offs between variousspecialists and innovative designsolutions. To give an example, theaerodynamic design of the wingmust be adapted to accommodatethe structural requirements, and thestructural design must be adaptedto allow the required aerodynamicwing shape. Another importanttrade-off in aerospace design is theone between the in-serviceperformance of particular aircraftparts and the spares logistics’requirements, such as mixability,inter-changeability and transporta -bility. One standardized partperforming the same task in twodifferent locations is clearly morecost effective than designing twodifferent parts to perform two onlyvery slightly different tasks.An efficient design must meet theoperation's philosophy enablingthe standardisation of parts,ensuring the highest degree ofstandardisation and its inter-changeability. The wing of anA340 aircraft, is already anexisting example of standardi -sation to explain this principle. TheGeared Rotary Actuator (shown aspart ‘B’ in figure 2) can be used intwo separate locations. The benefitof this is that one spare part coversboth applications, allowing agreater flexibility and leanerwarehouse stocks.

Airbus Material and LogisticsEngineering team is working toidentify all areas where differentparts are similar in form, fit andfunction, to standardize parts andthus, to increase flexibility. Theincorporation of service require -ments throughout the life cycle,issues into the design process andthe ongoing product developmentdecisions for several parts in theA380 aircraft proves the validity ofthe concept.

The design philosophy that Airbusis developing has been incor -porated already for parts to otherAirbus family aircraft. For the firsttime, it is also being incorporatedinto the A350XWB programmeand will benefit all futureprogrammes.

Initial and long termimportance ofinter-changeabilityDesign evolutions are importantfor continued airworthiness, safetyand the technical advancement ofAirbus aircraft programmes whichkeeps us at the forefront oftechnology. Whilst it is importantto ensure the maturity of aircraftthrough continuous improvements,the inter-changeability isparamount, as for large expensivecomponents it can have a hugepositive impact on lead times.

Figure 2

The Geared Rotary Actuator inter-changeability on an A340 wing

Harmonisation and standardisation:Part ´B´ harmonized the functions of 5055CV,5044CV and 5009CV as the same part can be used in all three locations.


Airbus Material and LogisticsEngineering team is not justlooking at the technical perfor -mance of the part, but is applying aparticular focus on the inter-changeability (ICY) and main -tainability of the part. This is tosecure lead times and the futureAOG (Aircraft-On-Ground) per -forman ces and will allow Airbus toapply the lessons learnt fromcurrent projects to all futureprogrammes. The long term impactof non inter-changeability (whendesign changes are carried out andthe new solution is not inter chan -geable with the old solution) is thatthe pre-mod fleet cannot beprovisio ned with post-mod spares.This can lead to challenges

throughout the aircraft lifecycle asthe pre-mod spares must continueto be produced and stocked bycustomers, suppliers and Airbus(figure 3).

Material andLogisticsEngineeringsolution

We initiate and facilitate thecreation of new engineeringsolutions by working together withsystem specialists, allowingproduct developments to be inter-changeable, without compromisingtheir technical excellence.


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Current designand configuration

Newspare part

Maximizedinter-changeability

throughout full aircraft cycle

Design change:New design solution is inter-changeable

for spares

Current designand configuration

Old fleet not coveredby new part-morespares required

Larger warehouse stockrequired to ensure

the dispatch reliability

Newspare part

Future flying fleet

Design change:New design solution not inter-changeable


Benefits for Airbuscustomers• Flexibility for high priority

demands:- Parts can be used

for numerous applications- Reduced Part Number variance

in warehouses whilst fullycovering fleet requirements

• Shorter lead times and lesscomplexity:- Modular design and spare part

flexibility allows a lowerinventory to cover the same fleet size, reducing complexityfor Airbus operators’ fleets and maintenance customers

- The resulting budget savingsallow re-investment in greaterregional availability worldwide

• Inventory reduction due toreduced number of standards:- Focussing on full inter-

changeability will allow Airbusto ensure the optimumprogression of its productdevelopments, whilst retainingsimplicity and clarity of requiredspare parts thus drivingoperational efficiency andexcellence.

Spare parts engineering with inter-changeability

Spare parts engineering without inter-changeability

Figure 3


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Future activities:Technical stockoptimisationservicesThe processes Airbus is currentlydeveloping to optimize itswarehouses, will show benefits interms of tailoring service goals,enhanced regional availability andoperational flexibility. Airbusintends to allow applications alsoto customers’ spares warehouses.Looking towards the future, Airbuswill be able to provide a technicallyorientated warehouse optimisationservice, based on in-depth analysiswith an initial focus on large,complex and high value parts.These are analysed based onconsumption (essentiality),depreciation and risk, allowing arigorous and firm decision processto identify candidates forelimination. This will extend the scope ofAirbus’ current inventory consul -ting services, moving it to the nextlevel of service excellence and willinclude the following:• Inventory optimisation

recommendations• Special offers• How to attract buyers• When to scrap parts• When does it make sense to

modify/upgrade parts.

How to accessthe support?

Airbus Material and LogisticsEngineering team’s principleobjective is to ensure that efforts arefocussed on the parts which affectits customers the most, in terms oftechnical warehouse optimisation,inter-changeability and materialplanning. Airbus is available to caterto your material and logisticsaftermarket require ments.


The Material and Logistics Engineeringteam is building up knowledge andexperience to support its customers in theresolution of material and logistics issuesrelating to the design of spare parts.Airbus is aiming to build closer links withits customers to focus on the parts whichhave the greatest cost impacts on itscustomers.

The Material and Logistics Engineeringteam is the focal point within Airbus forissues relating to the design of spareparts, specifically for logistics, aftermarketefficiency, mixability and inter-changeability which includes spare partdefinition and spare part design.

Conclusion

n o t e s

In the frame of Airbus consulting services,Airbus offers two services addressing mate-rial and logistics’ optimisation:• Inventory review:

- Optimisation of inventory levels,- Analysis of distribution of spares within the flight network- Support of preparation for fleet increase.

• Process efficiency review based on leanprinciples:- Increase of process efficiency

and output- Identification and elimination

of waste.

CONTACT DETAILS

Tanja BUCHHOLZManager Material and LogisticsEngineering Airbus Material,Logistics and SuppliersTel: +49 (0)40 50 76 24 31Fax: +49 (0)40 50 76 28 [email protected]

Andy J. MASONMaterial and Logistics EngineerAirbus Material,Logistics and SuppliersTel: +49 (0)40 50 76 24 34Fax: +49 (0)40 50 76 28 [email protected]

Kay JASCHOBMaterial and Logistics EngineerAirbus Material, Logistics and SuppliersTel: +49 (0)40 50 76 24 32Fax: +49 (0)40 50 76 28 [email protected]


Concorde is a turbojet-poweredsupersonic passenger airlinerand first flown in 1969. Itentered into service in 1976 andcontinued commercial flights for27 years. Twenty aircraft havebeen built. Concorde was thefirst airliner to have a Fly-By-Wire Flight Control system. Itsavionics were unique because itwas the first commercial aircraftto employ hybrid circuits.Concorde’s maximum cruisingaltitude was of 60,000 feet(18,000 m), subsonic airlinerstypically cruising below 40,000 feet (12,000 m).

Concorde is easily recognizablewith its drooping nose whichwas a compromise between the need for a streamlined designto reduce drag and increaseaerodynamic efficiency in flight,and the need for the pilot to see properly duringtaxi, take-off and landing operations.

This magnificent aircraft wasmanufactured by the formerAerospatiale and British AircraftCorporation companies.In French, the common noun‘concorde’ means "agreement,harmony, or peace".

ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS - PAST TO FUTURE

Phot

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Tes

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This picture - which can easilyremind you that it’s close to lunchtime and that you’re starving for adelicious plate of spaghetti afterhaving read the FAST magazine -shows not less than the kilometresof electrical wire installed onaircraft.This particular photo was takenduring the Concorde’s firstelectrical cables' dismantlement inApril 1976.No doubt that the use of theoptical fibre technology (articlepage 14) will help reduce theamount of tangled cables on futureaircraft.

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RCSM location CountryLos Angeles United States of AmericaLouisville United States of AmericaLuton United KingdomLuxembourg LuxembourgMadrid SpainManama BahrainManchester United KingdomManilla PhilippinesMarrakech MoroccoMauritius MauritiusMelbourne AustraliaMemphis United States of AmericaMexico City MexicoMiami United States of AmericaMinneapolis United States of AmericaMontreal Canada Moscow RussiaMumbai IndiaMuscat OmanNanjing ChinaNew Delhi IndiaNewcastle AustraliaNew York United States of AmericaParis FrancePhoenix United States of AmericaPrague Czech RepublicQuito EcuadorRiyadh Saudi ArabiaRoma ItalySan Francisco United States of AmericaSan Salvador El SalvadorSana’a YemenSantiago ChileSao Paulo BrazilSeoul South KoreaShanghai ChinaSharjah United Arab EmiratesShenyang ChinaShenzhen ChinaSingapore SingaporeSofia BulgariaSydney AustraliaTaipei TaiwanTashkent UzbekistanTehran IranTel Aviv IsraelTokyo JapanToluca MexicoToulouse FranceTripoli LibyaTunis TunisiaVienna AustriaWashington United States of AmericaXi'an ChinaZurich Switzerland

RCSM location CountryAbu Dhabi United Arab EmiratesAlexandria EgyptAlgiers AlgeriaAlmaty KazakhstanAmman JordanAmsterdam NetherlandsAstana KazakhstanAthens GreeceAtlanta United States of AmericaAuckland New ZealandBangkok ThailandBarcelona SpainBeijing ChinaBeirut LebanonBerlin GermanyBogota ColombiaBrisbane AustraliaBucharest RomaniaBudapest HungaryBuenos Aires ArgentinaCairo EgyptCasablanca MoroccoCharlotte United States of AmericaChengdu ChinaChicago United States of AmericaCologne GermanyColombo Sri LankaDakar SenegalDhaka BangladeshDoha QatarDubai United Arab EmiratesDublin IrelandDusseldorf GermanyFort Lauderdale United States of AmericaFrankfurt GermanyGuangzhou ChinaHaikou ChinaHamburg GermanyHangzhou ChinaHanoi VietnamHelsinki FinlandHong Kong S.A.R. ChinaHonolulu United States of AmericaIndianapolis United States of AmericaIstanbul TurkeyJakarta IndonesiaJeddah Saudi ArabiaJohannesburg South AfricaKarachi PakistanKita-Kyushu JapanKuala Lumpur MalaysiaKuwait City KuwaitLagos NigeriaLima PeruLisbon PortugalLondon United Kingdom

WORLDWIDEServices & Customer SupportTel: +33 (0)5 67 19 19 80Fax:+33 (0)5 61 93 18 18

USA/CANADACustomer ServicesTel: +1 703 834 3484Fax:+1 703 834 3464

CHINACustomer ServicesTel: +86 10 8048 6161 Ext 5020Fax:+86 10 8048 6162

RESIDENT CUSTOMER SUPPORT ADMINISTRATIONField Service ManagementTel: +33 (0)5 67 19 04 13 Fax:+33 (0)5 61 93 49 64

TECHNICAL, MATERIAL LOGISTICS & TRAINING SUPPORTAirbus has its main Material Logistics centre in Hamburg, and regional warehouses in Frankfurt, Washington D.C., Dubai, Beijing,Shanghai and Singapore.

Airbus operates 24 hours a day every day.Airbus Technical AOG Centre (AIRTAC)Tel: +33 (0)5 61 93 34 00Fax:+33 (0)5 61 93 35 [email protected] AOGs in Americas should be addressed to: Tel: +1 703 729 9000Fax:+1 703 729 [email protected] AOGs outside Americas should be addressed to:Tel: +49 (0)40 5076 4001Fax:+49 (0)40 5076 [email protected] related HMV issues outside North America should be addressed to:Tel: +49 (0)40 5076 4003Fax:+49 (0)40 5076 [email protected] Training Centre Toulouse, FranceTel: +33 (0)5 61 93 33 33Fax:+33 (0)5 61 93 20 94

Airbus Maintenance Training Centre Hamburg, GermanyTel: +49 (0)40 7438 8288 Fax: +49 (0)40 7438 8588Airbus Training subsidiariesMiami, Florida - U.S.A.Tel: +1 305 871 36 55 Fax:+1 305 871 46 49 Beijing, China Tel: +86 10 80 48 63 40 Fax:+86 10 80 48 65 76Bangalore, India (Maintenance training) Tel: +33 (0)5 61 93 33 33 Fax: +33 (0)5 61 93 20 94

CUSTOMER SERVICES WORLDWIDE AROUND THE CLOCK... AROUND THE WORLD


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