GKN Aerospace Programme Data
GKN Aerospace on the Airbus A380
The GKN Aerospace work package on the A380 includes manufacture of:
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The wing trailing edge and assembly to the wing spar
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Composite fixed trailing edge panels and false work assemblies
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The lightweight, thermoplastic wing leading edge
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Composite flap track beam components and metallic structural wing components
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Vertical rudder hinge and attachment fittings in composite
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Glare® (fibre metal laminate) fuselage panels
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Horizontal and vertical tail plane leading edges
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Cockpit and pylon wiring systems
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Passenger cabin windows (Crystal Vue II™ )
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The turbine exhaust case (TEC) and fan and low pressure Turbine (LPT) cases for the
GP7000 engine

The intermediate compressor case (ICC) for the Trent 900 engine
Work on these structures is carried out at company facilities in Bristol and Cowes in the UK,
Munich in Germany, Papendrecht, Hoogerheide and Hoogeveen in The Netherlands, Lang Fang
in China, Alabama and Garden Grove in the USA, Trollhattan in Sweden and Kongsberg in
Norway.
Wing Trailing Edge
The wing trailing edge is the complex structure that runs through the aircraft wing. For the
vast A380 aircraft, each trailing edge is almost 40 meters long and weighs 2.9 metric tonnes and manufacture and assembly of this huge structure required the development and
introduction of many innovative techniques and practices. The work package includes
responsibility for management of the global supply chain for the wing trailing edge,
manufacture of many WTE structures and assembly of the trailing edge to the wing spar. The
assembly line has two separate production lines. Each line contains automated machinery
which drills over 1000 holes and fettles over 100 surfaces for each trailing edge, carrying out
this work to an accuracy of just 0.1mm over the entire 60 metre track.
The Wing Leading Edge
Fokker Technologies, a division of GKN Aerospace, supplies the lightweight thermoplastic wing
leading edge (J-Nose). As well as offering significant weight reductions, thermoplastic
composites, when heated, can go through multiple transformations during a sequence of
production procedures. They can also be welded in various ways, and these welds are far
more effective than more traditional riveting and adhesive bonding techniques. As a result,
large integrated components can be made without adhesive bonding and assembling
mechanical joints is far more straightforward than with other materials - with no timeconsuming, wasteful shimming required.
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Fuselage Panels
Every A380 has 27 Glare panels with a total of 500 square meters of Glare on board.
GLARE®, from Fokker Technologies, is a fibre metal laminate - a sandwich material
constructed from alternating layers of aluminium and glass fibre with bond film. It has been
developed by Fokker Technologies, Delft University of Technology and the national Dutch
Aerospace Laboratory and is produced by Fokker. It offers a 15 - 30% weight reduction
compared to traditional aluminium alloys as well as enhanced corrosion resistance (the
laminate’s structure acts as a barrier to the penetration of moisture) and outstanding fatigue
and impact resistance. The material is so effective that the GLARE part of the A380 fuselage is
certified to need no inspection at all in 20,000 flights.
Tail plane leading edges
Composite horizontal and vertical tail plane leading edges. GKN Aerospace is the largest
supplier of composite tail plan details to Airbus today.
Passenger cabin windows
The passenger cabin windows for the A380 are protected with GKN Aerospace’s proprietary,
abrasion resistant CrystalVue II™ coating. These market-leading windows provide improved
light transmission and optical clarity and are the standard fit on all Boeing and Embraer
aircraft, as well as a large portion of the Airbus fleet. Today, well over 2 million CrystalVue II™
coated windows are in service worldwide.
GP7000 engine structures
GKN Aerospace is responsible for the development and manufacture of the turbine exhaust
case (TEC) as well as its support over the life cycle of the engine. By applying a new
lightweight design the engineering team lowered the weight of the TEC by more than 10%,
reducing fuel consumption and emissions. The company also manufactures this engine’s fan
containment case, the aft fan case, fan blades, fan spacers, the low pressure turbine (LPT)
case and seal outer support.
Trent 900 engine structures
For the Trent 900 engine GKN Aerospace developed and manufactures intermediate
compressor case (ICC) which is structural part of the engine. This is a pressure vessel and
includes engine and thrust mounts.
For further information please go to: www.gkn.com/aerospace
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