Airbus A380 test wing breaks below target

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Link to BusinessWeek's analysis, where they claim it will have no impact on deliveries

From Flight International
The wing of the Airbus A380 static test specimen suffered a structural failure below the ultimate load target during trials in Toulouse earlier this week, but Airbus is confident that it will not need to modify production aircraft.

“The failure occurred last Tuesday between 1.45 and 1.5 times the limit load at a point between the inboard and outboard engines,” says Airbus executive vice president engineering Alain Garcia. “This is within 3% of the 1.5 target, which shows the accuracy of the FEM.” He adds that the ultimate load trial is an “extremely severe test during which a wing deflection of 7.4m (24.3ft) was recorded”.

Full text from Flight International here

There is also rumours going around that The A380 failed on some aaspects of the cold weather tests, mainly reverse thrust and flaps.

NOTE: This is the rumour going around the net

Originally posted by AerJohn
There is also rumours going around that The A380 failed on some aaspects of the cold weather tests, mainly reverse thrust and flaps.

NOTE: This is the rumour going around the net

Specifically the A.net?

Any hint of a rumour that hits a.net will almost certainly be modified and immediately becomes fact in the eyes of many of its readers.

BTW, can someone tell me what a wing deflections is?[:I][?]

Cheers,
VS045

[Scrooge]

Wing deflection is in english,the amount of bend in the wing,if you look out the window during flight you will see the wing bending up with the rate it angles up getting greater as you get close to the wing tip.

Of the top of my head I think the 744's wing will bends about 18ft before failing,a 777 will go up to 25 ft before it fails.

Take a look here,see the way the wing is bending up,thats defection.

During the tests they take that to an extreme.

OK, thanks!:D

Cheers,
VS045

What should happen if more tests fail and the A380 cannot be delivered to SA on time. I am hoping to go to OZ later this year on one of the early flights, when will the tests end and delivery be confirmed?

Hopefully they will abandon the project and we can get decent looking aircraft instead of these busses with wings that Airbus "design"
[:o)][:o)]

(Waiting for the telling off, of "no airbus vs Boeing on here please) [:o)][:o)]

my husband works on the A380 in Broughton building the wings so i think he has best knowledge that the wing DID NOT fail it actually was spot on.

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Originally posted by becky
my husband works on the A380 in Broughton building the wings so i think he has best knowledge that the wing DID NOT fail it actually was spot on.

Maybe he should have a word with Alain Garcia, Exec. VP Engineering for Airbus, then :

ÒThe failure occurred last Tuesday between 1.45 and 1.5 times the limit load at a point between the inboard and outboard engines,Ó says Airbus executive vice president engineering Alain Garcia. ÒThis is within 3% of the 1.5 target, which shows the accuracy of the FEM.Ó He adds that the ultimate load trial is an Òextremely severe test during which a wing deflection of 7.4m (24.3ft) was recordedÓ....


... However Garcia says that the failure of the wing below the 1.5 target will require Òessentially no modificationsÓ to production aircraft

he said he is going to bring the report home for me to type up for you to see!! so as soon as i get it you will have it.