Commercial Aircraft Manufacturing Research Articles

Airbus and Boeing: Strengths and Limitations of Strong States

Over the past three decades, Airbus has emerged as the world's leading manufacturer of large commercial aircraft. The success of Europe's Airbus is dramatic, given that three decades ago, American domination of the large commercial aircraft market outside the Soviet bloc was uncontested. Airbus is now one of the world's remaining two large commercial aircraft manufacturers. Airbus was created by a coalition of European states and firms committed to regaining a European presence in the international large com mercial aviation market. By most measures, the rise of Airbus is a striking example of a successful industrial policy that required a sustained multi-state collaboration over a number of decades.

An evaluation of the TI2 manufacturing system for the machining of airframe subassemblies

The commercial aircraft manufacturing industry is continually seeking new techniques for the automation of manufacturing and assembly tasks in the construction of aero-structures. The application of automation is limited by the size and compliance of the structures, the low manufacturing volumes and the inherent dimensional variability between assemblies. New automated systems based on the use of advanced control systems and non-contact metrology are now beginning to overcome some of these problems and the use of automation is becoming more viable. The TI2 system is one such system and this paper presents the results obtained from its application to the machining of a representative airframe subassembly. Real results are presented along with a discussion of some of the problems that may be encountered when using such a system.

A Dynamic Analysis of the Market for Wide-Bodied Commercial Aircraft

This paper develops a multi-agent dynamic model of the commercial aircraft industry and then uses that model to analyze industry pricing, industry performance, and optimal industry policy. In the model, firms are differentiated in their products and cost structure, and entry, exit, prices, and quantity sold are endogenously determined in dynamic equilibrium. Re ecting the focus of the paper, demand and supply are modeled structurally, while investment is modeled in reduced form. The model utilizes a cost model of commercial aircraft production developed and estimated in a previous paper (Benkard (2000)), and a discrete choice model of commercial aircraft demand to determine static profits. I find that many unusual aspects of the aircraft data, such as high concentration and pricing below the level of static marginal cost, are explained by this model. The model also replicates the stochastic evolution of the industry well. Many of these properties could not be explained with a static model. These results provide support for the structural dynamic modeling approach in general. I also find that the unconstrained Markov perfect equilibrium is quite efficient from a social perspective, providing only 9% less welfare on average than a social planner would obtain, but that the Markov perfect equilibrium shifts a substantial amount of welfare from consumers to producers. Finally, I provide simulation evidence that an anti-trust policy in the form of a concentration restriction would be welfare reducing with high probability.

The international decentralisation of US commercial aircraft production: implications for US employment and trade

This paper examines the role of industrial offset agreements in the global decentralisation of US commercial aircraft production. Particular attention is given to the manufacturing processes involved in the design and assembly of large passenger jets (100 seats or more). It is argued that the current geography of aircraft production at the global level has been shaped by a new international distribution of input costs and technological capability. Specifically, low-cost producers within several of the newly emerging markets (NEMs) have acquired front-end manufacturing expertise as a direct result of industrial offset contracts and/or other forms of technology transfer (e.g. international joint-ventures, imports of advanced machine tools). We find that the growth of international offset agreements portend the transformation of Boeing from an aircraft manufacturer to a systems integrator. The economic implications of this potential reconfiguration of the US commercial aircraft industry are discussed in the context of several techno-market futures, some of which look rather bleak for US workers in this industry.

Measurement systems for large aerospace components

This paper results from research carried out to survey the various large commercial aerospace engineering component measurement systems. The commercial aircraft manufacturing industry is special due to the size of the components involved. Accuracy constraints remain very close, despite the size, and therefore accurate methods of measurement are necessary to control the quality of the final product. A survey of various current methods of measurement for such components is presented. These methods are based around three main principles: theodolites, photogrammetry, and laser technology. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages in terms of accuracy, repeatability, range and cost. It is also often necessary to consider what each technique provides in terms of data storage and analysis. Most techniques use computer‐based systems to store results and perform various calculations. These systems also have their own requirements in terms of the environment in which they are used. It is important to consider whether a particular system can be installed in an area suitable to measure the required component, as well as ensuring that the stability requirements are met. In this paper the principles and characteristics of conventional optical tooling, electronic triangulation, electronic trilateration, photogrammetry, laser trackers, and laser scanners are reviewed.

The titanium industry: We always bounce back

I always try to be upbeat in writing my annual commentary for the titanium issue of JOM. This year it is difficult, not only because of what happened on 9-11 (isn’t that an emergency number?) and the general downturn in the economy, but also because of the resultant dramatic reduction in commercial aircraft production. When commercial aircraft production dips, the titanium industry follows. Is there a silver lining in the present dark cloud? My choice would be the continued in-roads of titanium into automobiles, which can only be helped by a continuing emphasis on reducing the cost of titanium either via lower-cost recovery prices or reduced-cost fabrication (i.e., powder metallurgy, casting, and single melting). It’s going to be a difficult year for the titanium industry—but we’ve always bounced back. The papers in the titanium section of this issue of JOM reflect both a practical viewpoint and a science base. J.R. Wood discusses the direct production of Ti-6Al-4V alloy plate from a single electron beam cold hearth melted slab ingot. The goal of this work is to produce low cost, aerospace quality Ti-6Al-4V plate under the U.S. Air Force Metals Affordability Initiative Consortium. A slab has the advantage of being directly rollable rather than requiring blooming to intermediate slab, or upset and cross-forging prior to the rolling operation. A concern is whether the required levels of chemistry, microstructure, and consequent mechanical properties can be achieved starting from the slab. A number of interesting new processes promise reduced-cost titanium. The paper by K. Ono and R.O. Suzuki presents a new twist to a concept for titanium sponge reduction by calciothermic reduction of the oxide in molten calcium chloride. The authors propose that the theoretical electrical energy required to cause the reduction reaction and the electrolytic reaction for recovery of the reducing agent is 50% of that used in the conventional magnesium Kroll process. Worthy of consideration. New understanding of the phase transformations, which occur during thermohydrogen processing (use of hydrogen as a temporary alloying element), is reported by J.I. Qazi and co-workers. This understanding should help in better utilizing this process for enhancing fabrication of Ti-6Al-4V and in improving final mechanical properties. The final two papers concentrate on the titanium aluminides. Lu and co-authors discuss the application of mechanical alloying to these intermetallics, and Reddy presents work on the influence of niobium on the oxidation behavior of Ti3Al.

How Industrial Relations Affects Plant Performance: The Case of Commercial Aircraft Manufacturing

This analysis examines how changes in major industrial relations policies affected productivity over the years 1974–91 at one of the most important manufacturing plants in the United States. The authors find that productivity fell greatly, both in percentage terms and in absolute dollars, during strikes and a slowdown and during the terms of office of tough union leaders. In contrast with much of the firm performance literature, they find only small initial productivity effects of a movement from adversarial labor-management relations, which is the norm in this industry, to total quality management (TQM) and back again. How and why TQM is adopted, the authors suggest, may be as important as whether it is adopted. Finally, major industrial relations events like strikes, a slowdown, and the TQM program did not have long-term productivity effects; the firm returned to pre-event levels of productivity within one to four months.

How Industrial Relations Affects Plant Performance: The Case of Commercial Aircraft Manufacturing

How Industrial Relations Affects Plant Performance: The Case of Commercial Aircraft Manufacturing

2020 — The Vision Moves on

In our April 2001 issue, we ran an article “Introducing the new 20-year aircraft war” which, following on an EU report “European Aeronautics: A vision for 2020” described Europe's plans to take over the USA's dominant position in commercial aircraft production. We are now able to update on further developments.

How Industrial Relations Affects Plant Performance: The Case of Commercial Aircraft Manufacturing

This analysis examines how changes in major industrial relations policies affected productivity over the years 1974-91 at one of the most important manufacturing plants in the United States. The authors find that productivity fell greatly, both in percentage terms and in absolute dollars, during strikes and a slowdown and during the terms of office of tough union leaders. In contrast with much of the firm performance literature, they find only small initial productivity effects of a movement from traditional adversarial management, which is the norm in this industry, to total quality management (TQM) and back again. How and why TQM is adopted, the authors suggest, may be as important as whether it is adopted. Finally, major industrial relations events like strikes, a slowdown, and the TQM program did not have long-term productivity effects; the firm returned to pre-event levels of productivity within one to four months.

Learning and Forgetting: The Dynamics of Aircraft Production

This paper introduces a new cost dataset for a commercial aircraft firm and uses this data to analyze the dynamics of learning in commercial aircraft production. This dataset is found to be inconsistent with the simple learning hypothesis, and particularly the prediction that a firm's unit cost must decline with its cumulative production. Instead, strong support is found for the hypothesis of organizational forgetting, a more general learning model where unit costs are similarly dependent on a firm's past production experience, but where that experience depreciates over time. Additionally, it is found that some, but not all, of a firm's production experience transfers from one generation of an aircraft to the next. This evidence adds to our understanding of productivity in industries with learning and thus has implications to many fields of economics.

Aerospace and military [Technology 1998 analysis and forecast

While the unmanned landing on Mars and the perils of the Russian Mir space station held center stage in 1997, other space projects, designed with cost-cutting intent, moved toward launch this year or next. Facing similar budget challenges-though, unlike NASA, showing no sign as yet of meeting them-the U.S. Navy began work on radical new warship designs for the 21st century and military and commercial aircraft manufacturers looked to build large, more efficient jetliners.

The Development of Taiwan's Commercial Aircraft Manufacturing Industry

When Taiwan's first indigenous fighter plane completed a successful test flight in 1989, government economic planners targeted aircraft manufacturing as one of the promising industries for the 1990s. Although expensive development and production costs and low unit demand pose a high risk for aircraft makers, the government argued that aircraft manufacturing offered great economic benefits to the country, such as creating a technological spillover effect to other industries benefiting the design and production of military aircraft. No doubt Taiwan still has a long way to go before it joins the major league of aircraft producers, but with the government's strong support, the plan has received broad attention. But will Taiwan's aircraft manufacturing policy fly? One cannot resist thinking of Taiwan's automobile manufacturing, a target industry in the past, which still has not achieved complete self-reliance in production. Hence, what is the intention behind this push to produce commercial aircraft? Do the planners really think Taiwan can become a world-class competitor? Or are their real goals to use the aircraft industry as a convenient means to bring together the technologies needed for the advancement of Taiwan's high-technology sector? What industrial strategies and structures have been adopted? What is the relationship between the business community and the government? The government's ability to guide and accelerate the pace of industrialization in Taiwan by selective industrial policies has been perceived as one of the key factors for the MIT (Made in Taiwan) economic miracle, a view this study will evaluate. I will also examine the linkage between the military aircraft production and commercial aircraft industry. In addition, Taiwan's experience in developing the aircraft manufacturing

Evaluation of YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ bulk superconductors for high field magnet applications

Processing of YBCO single crystals was carried out by solidification of semi-liquid YBCO composition using a seeding technique. Microstructural characterization of the pinning centers was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Characterization of single crystals was carried out, relating grain size and shape to the corresponding flux profiles. Current densities were calculated based on measured trapped fields. Once circulating currents were established, flux pumping and quenching experiments were conducted. These large single crystals will be incorporated into electromagnetic forming devices for use in the military and commercial aircraft manufacturing and service industries.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Reply by Author to J. Mayers

I N his comment on the paper Advanced Subsonic Transports—A Challenge for the 1990's by Richard E. Black and John A. Stern, J. Mayers has made a strong and convincing argument for an increase in the level of government support for aeronautical research and development. No one can disagree with his position on this critical issue. However, reduced government research and development support for aeronautics is not the major reason for the delay in the appearance of an all new advanced technology transport. A change in the economic environment and the resulting impact upon the market for new aircraft is the major factor. Historically high rates of inflation combined with depressed economic conditions have characterized this environment. The domestic airlines have had to contend with lower passenger traffic growth rates and rapidly rising costs (Fig. 1). The international airlines have had the same general problem except that their individual costs have risen at different rates. Airline earnings and their ability to purchase new aircraft have been affected by these developments. Some airlines have experienced substantial operating losses over a period of years while others have experienced a continuing inadequate level of earnings. Slower traffic growth rates, combined with the uncertainty produced by an inflationary environment, cause both airlines and commercial aircraft manufacturers to emphasize economic factors. The average annual rate of U.S. inflation was 3.5 times higher from 1965 to 1975 than from 1955 to 1965. Technology advances, as applied to commercial aircraft, must result in increases in economic productivity which exceed the price increases caused by inflation. In earlier periods of commercial aircraft development, significant operational improvements, such as increased speed, range, and comfort, caused existing aircraft to become obsolete. In addition, operating costs were steadily decreased. With the advent of pure jet transports in 1958-1959, a new high level of comfort was achieved. Aircraft manufacturers, using available technology, have not yet found an economical way to significantly exceed the speed standards of those aircraft. Thus, new and more expensive advanced technology aircraft must offer significantly improved operating economics which offset adverse aircraft operating cost trends. The airlines usually will not consider re-equipping their fleets unless the aircraft manufacturer offers direct operating cost reductions on the order of 10 to 20 percent because of the high introduction cost of new aircraft. Therefore, since aircraft price is a major factor determining direct operating costs, the use of advanced technology must improve economic productivity commensurate with its cost, it must pay its way.