Successful Composite Wing Mating Achieved In Montréal

The first phase of construction of the 600,000 sq. ft. facility in Belfast that will house the manufacture and assembly of the advanced composite wings for the all-new CSeries commercial aircraft has been completed on schedule. Bombardier’s Belfast operation is responsible for the design, manufacture and integration of the advanced composite wings for the CSeries aircraft, including all flight control surfaces and highlift systems.

The first phase of the new building incorporates a production area, a low contamination “clean room” area and an area for tool storage. The main equipment, including a fabric cutter, multipleaxis machine cell, pre-formers and autoclave, is currently being installed and commissioned in preparation for production of the CSeries aircraft wings, which is due to begin in 2011. The facility, which is part of a $819 million investment by Bombardier in its Northern Ireland operation, is being built to meet high environmental standards. The building’s layout and design are optimized for energy efficiency and minimal environmental impact. The facility will be a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building, and a particular focus is being given to waste segregation and recycling. LEED is a third-party certification program and an internationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of highperformance green buildings.

“A year ago, we celebrated the start of construction of this brand new facility, and ... the first phase of this major investment – the largest ever in Northern Ireland – is now complete,” said Michael Ryan, Vice President and General Manager, Bombardier Aerospace Belfast. “We are also progressing with the composite wing development and test program as planned, and look forward to starting production of the CSeries  aircraft wing early next year.”

CSeries Wing Testing

As part of the wing research and development program, Bombardier’s Belfast operation has developed an innovative Resin Transfer Infusion (RTI) technology to manufacture the large onepiece wing skins and structural spars for the wing torque box. It has manufactured and assembled a pre-production demonstrator wing, which has been successfully tested to ultimate load, replicating 150 per cent of the most severe forces the wing is ever likely to experience in service.

Several local Northern Ireland companies have been engaged in the production of the demonstrator wing, in addition to the local firms involved in the design, construction and equipping of the new wing facility. Northern Ireland engineering and manufacturing companies will also have an opportunity to bid for work packages on the wing production in the coming months. Meanwhile, a delegation of small- and medium-sized engineering  enterprises from Northern Ireland took part in business-to-business meetings in Washington this week with some of Bombardier’s US suppliers. The event was hosted by Invest Northern Ireland. “Not only is the CSeries aircraft wing program enabling us to further develop and build on our composites capabilities, it is also providing significant spin-offs and benefits to the wider economy,” added Mr. Ryan.

Composite Wing Sample Joined to Wing Box The CSeries aircraft product development team at Bombardier’s St-Laurent manufacturing facility in Montréal has reported a successful test mating of an advanced composite wing  portion to a composite wing box. "The test joining of the outer wing portion to the centre wing box is a significant milestone during the detail design phase of the CSeries aircraft program," said Benjamin Boehm, Vice President, Programs, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft. "The test represents the manufacturing requirements for the aircraft long before we begin production, and we are very encouraged by the demonstrator development work and results achieved by our Belfast and St-Laurent facilities.”

CS100 Artist's Rendering

Since the CSeries aircraft program was announced at the Farnborough Airshow in 2008, Bombardier has recorded firm orders from Deutsche Lufthansa, Lease Corporation International and Republic Airways for a total of 33 CS100 and 57 CS300 aircraft. Options have been placed on a total of 90 additional CSeries aircraft.

FMI: www.bombardier.com