Commercial Aircraft Manufacturing Research Articles

State subsidies and aircraft financing in the EU, USA, and China: a balancing act

Abstract In the past, the discourse on State subsidies involving commercial aircraft was dominated by allegations of the support granted to aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing, and the respective disputes brought before the Dispute Settlement Body of the World Trade Organization (WTO). While the focus has until now been narrowly confined to Airbus and Boeing and, thus, the European Union (EU) and the USA and the competition between the two, new large commercial aircraft manufacturers have entered the market—notably, those based in China, Russia, and Japan. This article examines the semi-recent ‘truce’ between Airbus and Boeing and what has followed—namely, the introduction of State investment mechanisms and strategies in the EU, USA, and China for commercial airlines seeking to ‘green’ their aircraft fleets. Against the backdrop of airlines purchasing aircraft and operating services on a global market, this article exposes the lack of harmonization in approach to State subsidies globally and questions the extent to which the State and the market—and, indeed, States or groups of States—perform a balancing act in aircraft financing, an area fraught with complex political and commercial realities.

Numerical Simulations of Lightning Strikes to Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers Using a Multi-Variable Approach

Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite materials are being employed widely in the manufacturing of next-generation aircraft because of their superior mechanical properties compared to those of metallic-based materials. Owing to growing interest in CFRP materials from large commercial and military aircraft manufacturers, such as Boeing and Airbus, research that investigates lightning strikes and associated damage is of paramount importance, as the fiber-polymer composite is highly resistive to electrical current. The high resistivity of traditional CFRP materials means that they are susceptible to extreme damage caused by the Joule effect, also known as resistive heating. The aim of the study presented in this paper is to determine and quantify the effectiveness of a developed multi-variable pyrolysis approach to model the transient material degradation during a lightning strike event. The study employs the finite element method (FEM) in the form of a coupled thermal–electrical analysis in conjunction with a user subroutine available in Abaqus. A parametric study was conducted to compare three different peak current values (20[Formula: see text]kA, 30[Formula: see text]kA and 40[Formula: see text]kA) based on a model that utilized pyrolysis-dependent material constituents as well as a novel model for specific heat capacity. The study also included a heat transfer step for a cool-down process. The results obtained from the model developed have strong agreement with the surface damage area and depth of damage compared with those from experimental analysis in literature.

The impact of COVID-19 on A&D industry

Subject. The article considers global aerospace and defense companies operating in conditions of COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives. The focus is on systematization of experience in combating the pandemic and analysis of changes in the global aviation market that need to be reflected in the development strategy of the Russian aviation industry. Methods. The research methodology rests on the comparative analysis. Results. The analysis showed that COVID-19 pandemic had practically no impact on the military segment of the aircraft industry. Restrictions on international transportation changed the ratio between international and regional air transportation in favor of the latter. At present, narrow-body jet aircraft with a capacity of 120–150 seats, regional aircraft of medium and large capacity, and general purpose aviation are the most popular. The business segment faces increased competition. The revenues of commercial aircraft manufacturers show a dramatic decline. Conclusions. Diversification of defense and aerospace companies enables to overcome the crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a sharp drop in demand for air transportation entailed restructuring in the global aviation market.

Challenges in Automated Commercial Aircraft Production

Civil Aircraft development and production are facing significant challenges in future. On the one hand, the flight-path to carbon neutral aviation, like using liquid hydrogen, will require game changing technologies. Simultaneously, competition, especially on the single aisle market, is evolving fast and puts pressure on market shares and margins. The necessity of an adaptable and highly efficient production becomes more evident than ever. One contribution to achieve this goal is the research project “Intelligent Modular Robotics and Integrated Production System Design for Aircraft Manufacturing” (iMOD). Namely, it will analyze challenges regarding (1) an integrated and Digital Twin-based system design approach, (2) flexible and modular robotics to support workers with unergonomic tasks and (3) a flexible intralogistics based on Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs). Those three aspects will be integrated into an approach that uses semantic technologies to connect the different components across different levels of functionality and different life cycle phases.

Structural technology for future space systems using the MOORA method

Aerospace engineers work cecraft, or in manufacturing industries. They are primarily manufacturing, Analysis and design, research and development, and Central Govt Works for companies. Space Engineering Image Conclusion Aerospace engineering is a good career in space the industry is growing at a tremendous pace; In many fields Plenty of work for qualified aerospace engineers There are opportunities. Highest paid first in engineering An aerospace engineer is one in five professionals field. They Aircraft, spacecraft, weapons and their components Other aerospace responsible for designing and developing Proximity to engineers and staff They have their own workstations. Space The work environment of engineers is usually stressful although not effective, they are when deadlines are met Face pressure. You need to study a lot of math in aerospace engineering. In the beginning, you will start with algebra and geometry, and then you will start with advanced mathematics like calculus, trigonometry, linear algebra, differential geometry, complex analysis and numerical analysis. It is a very difficult field of study and career, but don't let that stop you from pursuing it. Firstly, engineering for aerospace engineering, many of the sciences such as technology and physics require an exceptional understanding of fields. Aeronautical Engineers Commercial Aircraft Manufacturers, Govt Working for companies and research centers. For Aeronautical Engineers the average annual salary for this job is $83,852 which is the best way? For hiring, you have experience, Demonstrate knowledge and skills. MOORA method, the first browser (2004) introduced several an optimization techniques with objectives, in which various manufacturing environments successfully solve complex decision-making problems can be used. Alternative: Sensors, Displays, Track Algorithms, and Detection. Evaluation Preference: Timeliness, Confidence, Accuracy, Throughput. As a result, performance and first rank have been achieved. Whereas accuracy is ranked low. MOORA method for drilling engineers the value of the dataset (based on ratio analysis multi-objective optimization) performance and better shows that results in rankings

Research on Substitution of Fasteners in Commercial Aircraft Production

The necessity of fastener substitution research in commercial aircraft production is analyzed. The principle of substitution of fasteners for commercial aircraft is analyzed from the perspectives of civil aviation regulations, technical requirements, operation and maintenance requirements, economic benefits, etc., and common fastener substitution scenarios are taken as examples to illustrate the positive effects of fastener substitution. The analysis believes that the reasonable application of fastener substitution in the production of commercial aircraft can effectively increase the production rate of the aircraft, and will have less impact on aircraft operations and maintenance.

Case on Leading Commercial Aircraft in the Brazilian Domestic Aviation Market

The Brazilian aviation market is the largest in Latin America, approximately $10 billion in revenues in 2018. Thus, the global leading commercial aircraft manufacturers compete vigorously for a larger share of the market. This article compared the performance of the leading airplanes in the domestic aviation market in Brazil, operated by the three major Brazilian airlines, through descriptive case study and market analysis on extensive archival research. Key findings pointed out the leaders within three categories: (i) more jumbo jets Airbus A320, and Boeing 737-800; (ii) c-series jets Embraer ERJ 195, and (iii) turbofan ATR-72 600, among the N=499 airplanes investigated within the three major airlines in Brazil, once the fourth competitor, Avianca Brasil, was suspended of all flights and operations by ANAC in April 2019, as a precautionary measure concerned with the safety of the operations, due to the company's filing bankruptcy. This work is useful to civil aviation managers, agents, decision-makers, students, academics, and overall practitioners. Discussion and future research compile the present article.

Evaluation of Supplier Performance in Commercial Aircraft Manufacturing Industry

Evaluation of Supplier Performance in Commercial Aircraft Manufacturing Industry

Risk-Return Analysis of the Biopharmaceutical Industry as Compared to Other Industries.

Background: Profits in the biopharmaceutical industry have been scrutinized in social debate. However, drawing conclusions based on industry profitability only is inappropriate as such an analysis does not account for risks faced by investors. This study aims to measure risks and returns in the biopharmaceutical industry and investigates whether risk-adjusted return on investment in the biopharmaceutical industry is higher than that in other industries.Methods: To enable appropriate comparison, we identified six benchmark industries with characteristics that match those of the biopharmaceutical industry: automotive manufacturing, commercial aircraft manufacturing, consumer electronics, packaged food manufacturing, telecom, and oil and gas. For those industries, we selected the top 25 companies per industry, covering 35–65% of industry revenues. Data on return measures (i.e., net profit margin, return on equity, total shareholder return) and risk measures (i.e., volatility of total shareholder return, beta) were derived from Bloomberg over the 2004–2016 period. The Sharpe ratio was calculated as a measure of risk-adjusted return on investment and compared between industries.Results: Net profit margins varied between 12.6 and 19.5% in the biopharmaceutical industry, and ranged from 2.6 to 8.4% in the benchmark industries. Return on equity for the biopharmaceutical industry was above the average for the other industries. Total shareholder returns for the biopharmaceutical industry amounted to 11.7%, ranking fifth across the seven industries. The biopharmaceutical industry ranked sixth among the seven industries regarding beta, and sixth in terms of volatility of total shareholder return. The median Sharpe value for the biopharmaceutical industry ranked fifth of seven industries.Conclusion: Over the 2004–2016 period, the biopharmaceutical industry did not attain risk-adjusted return on investment in excess of that in other industries and, thus, did not outperform these industries.

Noise Control Capability of Structurally Integrated Resonator Arrays in a Foam-Treated Cylinder.

Corrugated-core sandwich structures with integrated acoustic resonator arrays have been of recent interest for launch vehicle noise control applications. Previous tests and analyses have demonstrated the ability of this concept to increase sound absorption and reduce sound transmission at low frequencies. However, commercial aircraft manufacturers often require fibrous or foam blanket treatments for broadband noise control and thermal insulation. Consequently, it is of interest to further explore the noise control benefit and trade-offs of structurally integrated resonators when combined with various degrees of blanket noise treatment in an aircraft-representative cylindrical fuselage system. In this study, numerical models were developed to predict the effect of broadband and multi-tone structurally integrated resonator arrays on the interior noise level of cylindrical vibroacoustic systems. Foam layers with a range of thicknesses were applied near the inside surface of the cylinder to represent different degrees of conventional blanket treatments. Excitations including point force as well as harmonic and random fluctuating pressure fields were considered. The results suggest that structurally integrated resonators can be tuned to address a variety of noise control requirements and effectively used in conjunction with foam blanket noise treatments, but their relative benefit is reduced when thicker foam treatments are used.

Comparing mechanical behaviour of aluminium welds produced by laser beam welding (LBW), friction stir welding (FSW), and riveting for aeronautical structures

Three welding processes for aluminium parts have been considered for aircraft fabrication: riveting, friction stir welding (FSW) and laser beam welding (LBW). These processes have advantages and threats, which were analysed in the present work focusing on T-pull and Hoop tensile properties. Concerning T-pull tests, LBW coupons presented higher ability to withstand the applied loads. This was due to the better distribution of loads when the strain is done in the stringer direction. In the case of the Hoop tests, which stress only the skin, the results obtained after FSW were notably higher in terms of ultimate tensile stress, yield stress and maximum strain. It was concluded that both LBW and FSW could replace riveting usually applied for commercial aircraft manufacturing.

Outsourcing of strategic resources and capabilities: opposing choices in the commercial aircraft manufacturing

Purpose– This paper aims to address the questions of different outsourcing strategies between Airbus and Boeing and point out the theoretical limits of the resource-based view (RBV) approach that must be broadened with a finance perspective. Owing to the complexity of systems, the aircraft industry is nowadays structured around a well-organised value chain of product development and manufacturing. However, according to the RBV, capabilities attached to some systems and components are strategic resources and must be kept in house to maintain competitive advantage. In commercial aircraft avionics, critical systems such as flight controls fall directly under this rule, due to substantial risks of passenger safety they deal with.Design/methodology/approach– This study is based on two comparative studies concerning the A330/340 and A350 programmes at Airbus and their equivalents at Boeing, the B777 and the B787. The data are both primary (financial and patent data) and secondary (semi-structured interviews and documentation.Findings– The main result highlights the limits of the RBV model to understand why Airbus has chosen to re-internalise the development and production of flight control systems contrary to Boeing. For both, cost reduction is the main objective of outsourcing, but European firms are more careful with critical resources. The financialisation of aircraft manufacturers’ strategies is another explanatory factor relevant to understand why Boeing outsources strategic resources such as flight controls.Research limitations/implications– The authors demonstrate the potential of multiplication of research methods to address a question. Second, they try to bring together different theories in a preliminary effort, which gives them some promising stuffy perspective for future works.Practical implications– By addressing both the RBV and the financialisation perspectives, the authors provide an interesting view of the COmplex Products and Systems (CoPS) challenges.Social implications– The findings of this research must provide key of interpretation for business managers, which may consider the two faces, knowledge management and financial, to explain corporate performance.Originality/value– Several originalities are relevant in this work. From a methodological point of view, the authors offer a comparison between the two main players of commercial aircraft manufacturing, an oligopolistic industry. Second, the data they choose to rely on are both qualitative and quantitative to strengthen the results. Third, at a micro level, this study is original in its approach of linking outsourcing to financialisation.

Commercial Aerospace Industry from the U.S. Monopoly to Duopoly

The aerospace industry is having high political, economic and strategic importance. The industry has showed always competitive performance despite the ups and downs in the global market. The global aerospace industry which includes both military and commercial industries is worth $170 billion. In future the commercial aerospace industry is expected to continue its significant revenue and earnings growth due to increasing share of commercial airlines in total global transport. Commercial Aircraft manufacturing industry of Europe, Airbus played crucial role in regional integration and promoting competitiveness in member states aerospace industries. While for the United States aerospace industry is regarded as a technological backbone of the economy and most strategic industry of the country. Since, its beginning the industry was dominated by the U.S. companies. Today, there is no sector of economy that contributes more to the U.S. net exports than aerospace manufacturing industry. The U.S. aircraft manufacturing firms such as Boeing, Lockheed, are top global firms. By the value, industry exported $72.1 billion in 2013. It directly represents one million workers, and supporting another 2.5 million jobs either indirectly or as suppliers. As a high-technology industry, it is high destination job for engineering students; the salary of about 47 percent employees is on annual average manufacturing wage of $54,400. But by no means the U.S. today is monopoly player in the global industry and market is also shared by Europe Union, Canada and Brazil. Due it strong optimistic future, the emerging economies like, Russia, China and India are likely to enter into the market by 2020 which will be the challenge for existing companies. Within the historical context the paper will try to understand evolution of industry and trace the process how the industry became global under the U.S. monopoly and then duopoly and emerging oligopoly in the twenty first century. The understanding of historical evolution will also help us to know the nature and national importance of industry on the one side and the interaction of the government and industry with the frame work of liberal principles of free market under World trade organisation on the other side.

Comparação das propriedades mecânicas de juntas de alumínio obtidas por soldagem a laser (LBW), por friction stir welding (FSW) e rebitadas para aplicação em estruturas aeronáuticas

Três processos de união de perfis de alumínio concorrem para a manufatura de painéis estruturais (união entre revestimento e reforçadores) aeronáuticos: rebitagem, Friction Stir Welding (FSW) e soldagem a laser (Laser Beam Welding - LBW). Esses processos têm vantagens e desvantagens particulares, as quais foram analisadas no presente estudo focando, especificamente, nas propriedades de tração do conjunto unido. Dois ensaios mecânicos foram considerados, T-pull test e Hoop test. No que tange ao ensaio T-pull, as amostras soldadas por LBW apresentam maior capacidade de suportar cargas. Isso se deve à melhor distribuição de cargas, quando a solicitação mecânica se faz pelo reforçador. No caso do ensaio Hoop, onde a solicitação mecânica se dá exclusivamente no revestimento, os resultados obtidos por FSW são notadamente superiores aos obtidos pelos demais processos, em termos de tensão máxima, tensão de escoamento e de alongamento máximo. Conclui-se que tanto o LBW quanto o FSW são métodos de soldagem com possibilidade de substituir a rebitagem comumente aplicada nas aeronaves comerciais.

Numerical method to control high levels of damage growth using an implicit finite element solver applied to notched cross-ply laminates

Numerical modelling of composites is becoming ever more important to commercial aircraft manufacturers for design-phase cost reductions and improved lead times. The implementation of a user-defined numerical model for damage prediction in composites is described. All modelling is conducted in ABAQUS/Standard (an implicit solver) and the models demonstrate stable performance with significant levels of damage. This stability is often difficult to achieve when modelling damage with implicit solvers. The favourable performance is due to the damage variable evaluation, which uses information from the previous iteration of an increment to drive damage development during a given load step. This “pseudo-current” damage evaluation is complex to implement, however, the stable performance and the improved time-step size dependence justifies this approach. The method is applied to analyse cross-ply open-hole tension specimens having similar layups but demonstrating different damage growth and varying failure loads. The analysis includes in-plane damage, delamination and splitting mechanisms and a nonlocal regularisation scheme to mitigate spurious mesh sensitivity. The delamination and splitting mechanisms are essential for differentiating between the various specimen types. The damage evolution method provides stability to the implicit solver allowing significant levels of damage to develop within the laminates, giving a valuable prediction of laminate behaviour.

Scope Economy And Issues In Technology Management

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">In the 1980s, studies of technology transfer in dual-use industries have suggested a slow down in military technology spillovers to the civilian sector. This paper takes an econometric approach to measuring the bilateral spillover effect using the airframe manufacturing industry as a case study. The diffusion of technology benefits the industrial art regardless of where technological innovation is originated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>When horizontal spillover is measured as a bilateral flow of technology transfer regardless of the direction of the flow, i.e., either from military to civilian or from civilian to military, we find no evidence of a slow down, in airframe manufacturing at least, between 1961 and 1985, a period of rapid technological change in both military and commercial aircraft production</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-family: Courier;">. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">We also trace the flow of technological development in aircraft engine and measure its effect downstream on aircraft manufacturing productivity to obtain an estimate for any vertical spillover.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>We find a negative relationship between upstream innovation and downstream manufacturing cost, but the linkage effect is statistically insignificant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>We suggest that further study should be pursued in a framework incorporating some concepts from organizational theory to better understand the differences in institutional structure that affect the adaptation and development of dual-use technologies, and the social setting that become necessary to achieve dual-use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">   </span></span></span></p>

New entrants and overcapacity: lessons from regional aircraft manufacturing

The commercial aircraft manufacturing industry has been largely dominated by the advanced economies in North America and Western Europe. During recent decades, several emerging economies have invested heavily in the commercial aircraft industry, notably in regional aircraft manufacturing. This paper describes the global regional aircraft industry by comparing the demand and available production capacity. A small number of companies are currently active in this industry and able to satisfy demand. Yet, a larger number of companies are starting or planning to start production. Under these conditions and forecasted demands, overcapacity is a likely result. Four propositions are developed to explain the behaviour of new entrants.

Aviation fuel demand modelling in OECD and developing countries: impacts of fuel efficiency

AbstractOn the quest for reducing the fuel consumption per passenger per flight for economical and environmental reasons, commercial aircraft manufacturers are implementing new strategies for optimising aircraft performance by using new lighter and stronger materials and enhancing engines' efficiencies in terms of fuel consumption and maintenance requirements. With the rising and falling of economies, whether in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries or other developing countries, the aviation industry has been affected by multiple factors such as passenger traffic, freight traffic, airport capacities and oil prices. Aircraft manufacturers have worked on improving the engine efficiency of their newly built airplanes (e.g. Airbus's A‐380 and Boeing's B‐787), and many airports in the world have increased the number of their runways to face the increasing demand for air traffic in the world. Aviation efficiency can also be achieved through better load management, which in return enables airliners to cope with higher oil prices or rising costs. Aviation fuel demand is modelled in OECD North America, Europe and Pacific regions and some selected developing countries. Price elasticities of fuel demand in all regions are low, while income elasticities are high. The elasticity of aviation fuel demand on passenger kilometre performed (PKP) is considerably low. One per cent increase in PKP leads to less than half a per cent increase in aviation fuel demand, confirming an ongoing fuel efficiency in aviation industry.

Take off and Crash: Lessons from the Diverging Fates of the Brazilian and Argentine Aircraft Industries

What are the factors that allow for success or failure of developing countries' attempts to enter high-tech sectors? We make a initial attempt to answer that question through a comparative study of success and failure in manufacturing aircraft. Aircraft production is one of the key industries in the world today, as reflected in the intense Boeing-Airbus rivalry. It is also one of the most cyclical, technologically-sophisticated, and capital-intensive industries, and therefore an unlikely place for a developing country to compete. But almost from the birth of modern commercial aircraft manufacturing, Argentina's Fábrica Militar de Aviones (FMA) was at the forefront of production. Brazil's aircraft industry was tiny in comparison at that time. Yet, by the 1990s, Brazil's Embraer had become the world's third largest aircraft manufacturer, while the Argentine aircraft industry has virtually disappeared. We examine the history of each company to explain the differences in trajectories and their fates. Our analysis demonstrates that an evolutionary but consistent partnership between state and firm, one attuned to both the exigencies of sectoral development and to changes in the nature of global markets, is necessary for success.

Strategic destruction of the Western commercial aircraft sector: Implications of systems integration and international risk-sharing business models

AbstractThis paper offers a critical perspective on the changing organisational structure of the Western commercial aircraft industry. The role of systems integration based on risk-sharing partnerships for new aircraft programmes is explored. We find that build-to-print subcontracting relationships are being replaced by internationally devolved design and engineering tasks for airframe development, signaling a profound change in the geography of commercial aircraft production. While sensible from a financial standpoint, the international outsourcing of design-intensive production entails substantial amounts of technology transfer–including the delivery of proprietary knowledge to risk-sharing partners. For several of the advanced market economies, including Canada, France, Germany, the UK, and the US, the long-range strategic downside is that foreign risk-sharing partners could eventually become competitors. Systems integration on a risk-sharing basis also implies home-country joblosses among skilled workers with expertise in design, engineering, and R&D.