Alenia, Goodrich And Fokker Elmo Earn Work On Program

Bombardier Aerospace announced Tuesday three European suppliers to its CSeries aircraft program. Alenia Aeronautica of Italy, Fokker Elmo of the Netherlands and Goodrich Actuation Systems of the United Kingdom, will provide key components and systems for the upcoming narrowbody airliner.

Alenia Aeronautica will provide the horizontal and vertical stabilizers, fully equipped with hydraulic, electrical and flight control systems, lights and antennas. Goodrich Actuation Systems will be responsible for the design and production of the flap and slat actuation systems.

Fokker Elmo will be responsible for the design and production of the entire wiring and interconnection system. Additionally, Fokker Elmo will design and produce all flight test and instrumentation wiring required during the certification of the CSeries.

"Adding three major suppliers to the CSeries aircraft team moves Bombardier's development of the program forward in a significant way," said Benjamin Boehm, Vice-President, Programs, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. "CSeries aircraft customers will benefit from the extensive experience of our suppliers in providing top-notch aeronautical systems and components."

Formally unveiled in July 2008, the CSeries line earned its first firm orders from Lufthansa last month. The 110- and 130-seat aircraft, intended to compete with smaller variants of the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 lines, will be powered by Pratt & Whitney's PurePower PW1000G geared turbofan when it enters production sometime in 2013.

Bombardier has already announced other key suppliers, including Rockwell Collins for cockpit avionics; Parker Hannifin for environmental controls and cabin pressure systems; and China's Shenyang Aircraft Corportation, which will build the center fuselage section.

"We are currently reviewing quotations and proposals from a wide range of potential suppliers, including other European suppliers. Bombardier's Belfast operation in the UK is developing and producing the advanced composite wings for the CSeries aircraft, and we are confident that European suppliers will play an important role on the program, as is the case on other Bombardier programs," Boehm added.

FMI: www.bombardier.com, www.nowisthefuture.com