A German division of Airbus majority shareholder EADS is to build the aft pressure bulkhead of the Boeing 787, after being sourced by Vought Aircraft Industries.
One of several second-tier suppliers revealed by Vought to have reached pricing agreements with the manufacturer on its 787 workshare, EADS will use a vacuum-assisted resin transfer moulding process to make the one-piece dome at its Augsburg plant in Germany.
The award is not a surprise to Boeing, which says it does not take issue with the decision, despite Airbus’s launch of the rival A350. Boeing’s Hawker de Havilland arm in Australia builds the winglets for several Airbus types, including the A330/A340 and A380.
Vought is a Boeing structural partner on the 787, responsible for building aft fuselage sections 47 and 48. Vought has teamed with Alenia in a joint venture to produce 60% of the 787’s fuselage. Other suppliers picked by Vought include ASCO Aerospace Canada, Boeing Canada Technology, C&D Zodiac, Israel Aircraft Industries, and Korean Air Aerospace division.
Source: Flight International
