European Rival Says Composites Are Safe... And It Would
Know
Has anyone checked the temperature
in Hell lately? (We speak, of course, of the town in Michigan
-- Ed.) European planemaker Airbus came to
the defense of its rival, Boeing, against accusations made
regarding the safety of the American manufacturer's upcoming 787
Dreamliner.
The Leeham Company reports Clay McConnell, VP for corporate
communications at Airbus North America, said this week Boeing is
correct in saying a composite-bodied airliner is just as safe as an
aluminum-bodied one, when it comes to absorbing crash forces.
As ANN reported, former
Boeing engineer Vincent Weldon -- who was fired from the planemaker
last year -- asserted this week composite materials aren't as
resilient as aluminum in a crash scenario, and Boeing knows it. The
composites engineer says the material can splinter into shards
small enough for escaping passengers to breath in... and, that
composite materials emit toxic smoke when burned.
Weldon made his case to the FAA in an 11-page letter. The
engineer also appeared on Dan Rather's HDNet news stream this week,
an interview picked up by a multitude of news outlets.
Boeing vehemently denied the accusations. McConnell also told
Leeham those charges, essentially, are false... and Boeing has
likely taken the appropriate measures to ensure safety. "Nobody has
more experience working with composites than Airbus," McConnell
said. "We know this stuff well.
"The properties of composite structures vary greatly according
to their design purpose," he continued. "Any suggestion that
'composites behave in a certain way' doesn’t give the whole
story. The orientation of the carbon fibers in the various layers
in a composite structure is design-engineered to give the desired
strength across various axes. The carbon fiber structure is going
to vary according to the unique purpose for that structure and the
certification requirement in each area of the airplane."
Airbus has a vested interest in the dispute. As McConnell said,
Airbus has worked with composites for years... starting with the
vertical stabilizer assemblies on its inaugural A300 and later A310
widebody airliners. Airbus also announced this week it plans to
follow Boeing's lead into utilizing the new technology, and will
assemble its upcoming A350 XWB using composite panels and
framing.
The planemaker has learned some harsh lessons with the new
technology -- including delamination issues, caused
by moisture working its way into the composite sandwich
structure -- but Airbus, like Boeing, says there are ways to
prevent such problems.
McConnell also said if there are problems with the 787 -- or,
for that matter, the A350 XWB -- the FAA and EASA will not certify
the plane.
"Both US and European airworthiness authorities are charged with
assuring all airplanes, regardless of the materials from which they
are constructed, are going to meet or exceed regulations for crash-
and fire-worthiness," he said. "We expect the certification process
for aircraft for composite fuselages will assure that all concerns
along those lines are addressed. That's what the certification
process is for."