A380 cracks fixes to start early next year

Modifications to repair wing rib cracks on in-service Airbus A380s will begin in the first quarter of 2013 and the composite material at the root of the problem will no longer be used on new-production aircraft delivered from 2014.

The cracks issue, discovered early this year, resulted from a carbon fiber-aluminum material known as 7449 that was used in A380 wing rib feet construction. The material was selected because it is both lightweight and strong, but it is now known that it becomes brittle during the production tempering process. Although the problem did not show up on computer modeling during the A380’s design and development or on demonstrator aircraft, it is now known that the material is affected by natural up and down wing movements during flight and also by extreme temperature variances.

The European Aviation Safety Agency issued an airworthiness directive, extended to all in-service A380s, ordering mandatory inspections of the wing ribs.

EADS CEO Louis Gallois has said the fix for the 71 A380s in service will cost €105 million ($138 million) and will be borne by Airbus.

Briefing reporters in Toulouse, France on Wednesday, Airbus EVP-programs Tom Williams said a demonstrator aircraft with the modifications would begin flying from around the third quarter this year and parts for the retrofits would be available to airlines from early 2013.  Williams said the repairs could be done in one of two ways—either as a single, nose-to-tail program or in a series of repairs fitted into routine C check maintenance schedules. “We are still working out how long the aircraft will need to be grounded,” he said.

Lufthansa German Airlines CEO Carsten Spohr told last week that he expected repairs to put each aircraft on the ground for four weeks. “Next year, one of our A380s will always be on the ground. We are in talks with Airbus about compensation for the non-production of our aircraft when they are not flying," Spohr said.

The A380s delivered from early 2014 will have a new all-aluminum rib design.

Williams admitted that Airbus was “pretty concerned” when the cracking problem was first discovered but was now confident it understood the issue and had the solution. “It was very disappointing and embarrassing in front of our customers, who have been extremely supportive in terms of the inspection process,” he said.

Article Source : ATW Daily News