EADS at Augsburg Composes Itself for A400M Composites
Fabrication and build work for the Airbus A400M military airlifter is starting to build up speed. EADS Military Aircraft's Augsburg facility is playing a crucial role in the program, using its skills in composite material manufacturing. Germany plans to acquire 60 A400Ms for the Luftwaffe, and EADS will be responsible for supplying about 6.6% of the total A400M airframe-chiefly the cargo door and sections of the rear fuselage. The Augsburg team will handle manufacture and assembly of all the required parts. The rear ramp section is seen as a particularly challenging design task, as it must be capable of opening in flight for air drops. At Augsburg the A400M production space has been marked out, while design and construction of the jigs and fixtures is under way. The first metal is due to be cut late this year, and the completed parts will be sent to the Airbus initial assembly site at Bremen about one year later.
