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Aviation History
2003
2003 - 1167.PDF
A380 UHCA study towards a "smaller" large aircraft with 400 to 600 seats - lees than the VLCT study area and closer to the 747 replacement and growth market identified before. In June 1993 the three original large air craft proposals from the Airbus partners were grouped together for the first time. The designs took elements of the ASX, P502 and AC14 models and created a "Family 1" design based on a double-deck layout. In October, Airbus created the A3XX Integrated Team, tasked with deciding between two baseline 500-600-seat options. One was the UHCA-based A3XX-H600, the double A340 fuselage concept studied ear lier. The other was the A3XX-V600, a 'vertical ovoid' cross-section based on the "Family 1" concept. In January 1994 the team dropped the A3XX-H600 in favour of the double-deck design. Many factors contributed to the deci sion, one of the largest being the cabin evacuation problems associated with the14- abreast layout of the twin hulls. The -V600 offered more flexibility with a 10-abreast main deck and a seven-abreast upper deck. Meanwhile, the VLCT rumbled on and, in March 1994, Airbus was formally accepted into the study. By this time definition of the A3XX was starting to rapidly evolve, the fledgling design having already achieved "Status Five" (or fifth major iteration) by April 1994. The rate of iteration change subse quently slowed, with the final pre-launch benchmark being "Status 15" in 2000. Major changes made in 1994 included the adop tion of four rather than three main landing gear legs, moving the wings further aft, a two-frame stretch of the baseline model and a target capacity of between 530 and 630 passengers. By June 1995 VLCT studies were winding down after two-and-a-half years, the joint effort being abandoned after the group's findings that "market studies do not indicate sufficient volumes to justify the launch of the programme at the moment". Around this time Airbus reached Status 6C on the A3XX and changed the cross-section to offer up to eight abreast on the upper deck. Status 7, configured four months after the abandon ment of the joint US-European study, evaluated the A3XX against the VLCT study aircraft. The next year saw the formation of the Airbus Large Aircraft Division, and some more changes to the A3XX in response to airline input. "We decided to put everything under one roof - engines, systems and so on, to prepare for the A380," says Robert Lafontan, A380 senior vice-president engi neering. "By then we had frozen almost everything. The concept was basically as it is today." Major changes made in Status 6 that year included the key decision to seek new engines rather than go for derivatives. This was partially driven by rising payload and range demands, and the associated deci sion to raise the wing area from 725m2 to 780m2. A main driver for the change was Singapore Airlines. "Our customer wanted to be able to fly with 555 passengers and cargo from Singapore to London - or around 1,400km. Why 555? Well we did a market survey and we saw we needed at least 30% more capacity than a 747, and that con firmed it," says Lafontan. Changes introduced in 1997 included a revised frame pitch and the relocation of the engines further outboard. This reflected the growing size of the powerplants, the larger area of the wing and the need for additional wing bending moment relief, as well as pro tection of systems and structure from rotor burst. Status 10a in early 1998 saw a further increase in wing size to 817m2, revisions to the main gear and an improved low-drag rear fuselage. A world tour of an upper deck mock-up also prompted further cross-sec tion improvements. It was also decided to study reduced natural stability to allow a 5% reduction in the 200m2 horizontal tailplane area and a -50 short-bodied version, now dubbed the -700, was added to the family. "We decided to put everything under one roof to prepare for the A380" 1998 saw improvements to nose aerody namics and empennage, refinements of the wing structure and position, changes to the belly fairing and the addition of A320-style wingtip fences. By late 1999 the flap track fairings had been changed, and the wing dihedral angle slightly reduced. The year also saw confirmation of the extensive use of Glare, lightweight alloys and other advanced lighterweight materials. Before commercial launch was finally achieved on 23 June 2000, Airbus had one more major round of changes to make to the A380 - all of them driven by the relatively late emergence of London's stiff QC2 noise regulations. The changes were vital as they would particularly impact the late night departure and early morning arrivals of its largely Asia-based customers. To improve the aircraft's lift/drag ratio by 5%, particularly for improved take-off and climb out, the high-lift systems were modified with aileron droop for take-off along with a reduced setting. A drooped nose device was also introduced for the inboard leading edge to improve take-off. The variable position leading edge droop device was used in lieu of a Kruger flap that was not feasible with the deep root and three-dimensional curva ture of the A380 wing (see Section B). Engine fan diameter was also enlarged, along with other propulsion system enhancements (see Section E), while the flight management system was optimised for improved take-off and noise abatement pro cedures. With all major design changes now behind it, the design team completed detailed definition in mid-2002 and is expected to reach the 90-95% detailed design release point by September 2003. • Ovoid Circular Horizontal double-bubble Clover-leaf Deutsche Airbus A2000 www.flightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL SUPPLEMENT 20-26 MAY 2003 V
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