A REALLY BIG Bird Comes Together

The nose section of the first A380 has been completed at Airbus’ Méaulte plant and delivered to Airbus Saint-Nazaire.

A ceremony in Méaulte, France, was attended by French Minister of Equipment, Transport, Housing, Tourism and the Sea, Gilles de Robien, and by many personalities from the region, Airbus representatives and all the Airbus Méaulte personnel.

Production of an Airbus aircraft nose section requires the use of leading technologies to machine and assemble of complex parts. Airbus has developed an assembly concept using spatial positioning assisted by laser-beam measuring which allows the parts to be worked on in a variety of positions.

The frames of the cockpit windshield panes are made by high-speed machining with "spatial volumetric milling" while the upper part of the cockpit – whose shape is highly complex - is assembled by automatic riveting on a 5-axis machine.

Méaulte produces nose sections for the entire family of Airbus aircraft. The size and weight of the A380 nose section is particularly impressive. It comprises two sections weighing 1390 kg (length: 3.4 m; width: 5.4 m; height: 5.4 m) and 1800 kg (length: 4.2 m; width: 6.6 m; height: 6.7 m) respectively.

The A380 nose section is being transported to Saint Nazaire, France by Beluga from the Beauvais Tillé airport. Plans are to use the new Haute Picardie aero-industrial platform of Méaulte from 2007.

FMI: www.airbus.com