FACC AG today handed over the first spoilers for the new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, the newest member of the Boeing 787 aircraft family, to its customer Boeing. The spoilers will be delivered to Boeing final assembly line in Everett (Washington, USA), and there be mounted on the wing. The leading Austrian aircraft supplier has started serial production of the components using lightweight composite material.
FACC was commissioned in 2006 to develop and produce the spoilers for the Boeing
787-8. In May 2011 the contract was extended to include the new 787-9. As a supplier partner of Boeing, FACC is responsible for construction and procurement of production tools as well as for manufacture of the wing components.
"The design of ultra-lightweight but extremely strong spoilers is one of our core capabilities. Spoilers developed by FACC have proven their worth in practice on various current aircraft families," says Walter Stephan, CEO of FACC AG. "With our technological expertise in the field of composite wing structures, we were able to introduce additional product innovations and technically optimal solutions in the new, super-efficient 787-9."
“We truly value and appreciate our close relationship with FACC,” said Jeff Luckey, vice president, 787 Supplier Management for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The success and performance of the 787 Dreamliner is made possible in part by the talent and support of our global partners, and there’s an exciting future ahead for Boeing, the 787-9 and FACC.”
FACC is producing the new spoilers for the 787-9 in parallel to the ongoing serial production of the 787-8 spoilers, with the current production rate of seven shipsets per month continuously increasing to ten by autumn 2013. “The introduction of the 787-9 spoilers in addition to the ongoing serial production of the 787-8 spoilers posed a major challenge,” said Martin Bögl, Director of Aerostructures Programs, FACC. “Thanks to the outstanding commitment and the excellent cooperation from all those involved — from the Boeing 787-9 wing team under the leadership of Cliff Hall and FACC employees to our suppliers, we were able to develop an innovative spoiler concept that will be trendsetting for the next 20 years.”
Product innovations for greater efficiency
FACC’s deep manufacturing expertise and considerable experience from developing the 787-8 spoilers were a great advantage in constructing the components for the new 787-9. The challenge was to optimise the 787-9 spoiler design for efficiency and commonality. By applying its experience from the 787-8 spoilers, FACC achieved a simpler component design, ergonomic and production-oriented tooling than it would have otherwise as well as an increased integral construction. Further development of materials and processes enabled optimisation of the components for the 787-9 design. The reduction of purchased parts and various improvements in manufacturing methods reduce costs and increase efficiency in the production line of the spoiler.
Spoilers are movable flaps installed on the top of the wing. When extended, the spoilers disrupt the airflow around the wing, which reduces the aerodynamic force that keeps the plane flying. In this extended position, the spoilers act as airbrakes as they simultaneously reduce lift and slow the aircraft’s forward motion.
In addition to the spoilers, FACC also provides lower bonded panels, translating sleeves and blocker doors as well as various engine components for the 787 family.
About the 787 Dreamliner
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is the second member of the 787 family, super-efficient airplanes with new passenger-pleasing features. The 787 family brings the economics of large jet transports to the middle of the market, using 20 percent less fuel than any other airplanes of their size. With a slightly longer fuselage (20 ft, or 6 m) than the 787-8, the 787-9 will be able to carry 40 more passengers an additional 300 nautical miles (555 km). First flight and first delivery of the 787-9 are scheduled for the second half of 2013 and early 2014, respectively.