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Aviation History
1981
1981 - 1771.PDF
RIGHT International, 6 June 1981 and manoeuvre loading on their higher aspect ratio wings, and to reduce drag. The A320 will probably have active ailerons, but is unlikely to have any ride-control devices like automatically activated spoilers. An Airbus design team spokesman ex plains that "no one will pay for it." Active controls have to be cost-effec tive, taking into account maintenance costs as well as any fuel saving from increased efficiency, he adds. Non essential devices represent a greater proportion of the cost of a small aero plane. Most of the story so far has been about wings. The A300 and A320 wings are built by British Aerospace, and design leadership has come from that company. Sources indicate that A 320 wing production may not take place in UK. Which Airbus sector will design leadership come from? Even if BAe is not leader of the A320 wing design team, the company will be very much involved in the programme: "Centres of excellence are always consulted," a BAe spokesman says. With the same basic team involved, no radical changes in design direction can be expected. The wing will be another step up the technology stair case referred to earlier. The immaculately tailored final pro duct that Airbus is aiming to produce will include other people's products— cockpit equipment and engines. The cockpit will be a two-man design, and will have as much layout and equip ment commonality with the A310 as possible, to keep production costs down and because Airbus believes it has a winner in its "dark, quiet" flight- deck concept. Aircrew resistance to the two-man crew for the A320 will carry less conviction than opposition to the same crew for its larger for bears, particularly if the US Presiden tial Task Force on crew complement rules that the DC-9 Super 80 should continue to be flown by two men: the latter aeroplane is about the same size as the A320-200. Airbus will probably release some further details about the A320 at Paris, but the company still insists that launch will not come before the 1717 From the A300 to the A310, wing cross-section change shows an increase in thickness/chord ratio, and a change in camber to reduce pressure distribution peaking. This trend will continue for the A320's slower wing end of the year. Great care is obvi ously being taken to get the final combination of ideas exactly right, because Airbus sources tell Flight that none of the basic ideas has changed for quite some time. S3 Below Airbus has to launch other types if it is to become a real Boeing competitor. Until the naming of the A320, most people's money had been on the TA9 320-seat stretched A300, though the 1979-80 fuel price spiral reduced its chances. Hut if Opec's recent price freeze decision lasts, could the TA9 still beat the A320 to launch? iimi The SA2, now the A320-200, will seat about 160 passengers ilPRifS? US
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