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Airbus A380 Mega-liner: Weight Savings by Titanium

June 23, 2003

The titanium parts implemented in the new Airbus A380 aircraft will constitute about 9 % by weight. The new mega-liner basic version is able to transport 555 passengers over a distance of 14.800 kilometres at a speed of Mach 0.85. Length and wingspan do not exceed 80m.

Airbus aircraft has been using titanium alloys from the very beginning. Due to stringent weight considerations and increased performance requirements, the percentage of the titanium based alloys used in Airbus aircraft has raised from 5 % by weight in early models to about 9 % in the new A380 aircraft. These alloys are advantageous because of their unique combination of properties such as high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance, leading to applications in highly loaded areas, as, for example, wing sections, landing gear, flap track, and engine pylon. Their good corrosion resistance due to passivation, the stability at elevated temperatures and a good compatibility with carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) materials is positive, as well.




A variety of innovative applications in the A380 such as fitting bridges of the wing spoiler (Ti 10-2-3 plate material) will be manufactured of titanium alloys. The seat tracks in wet areas will probably be joined by laser beam welding of Ti 6-4 sheets and plates or, alternatively, be made of extruded profiles. The bleed air system will be manufactured of pure titanium sheets and partly of Ti 15-3-3-3 alloy as well. Thus, the maximum temperature will reach increased values of 245°C. The duct diameter will be enlarged to 230 mm.

In the current Airbus aircraft, titanium alloys typically take 5 to 6 % of the total weight. In contrast, Boeing and Russian manufacturers of civil aircraft have used between 2 and 9 % by weight in their products. The workhorse among titanium-based alloys is TiAl6V4 (Ti 6-4) thus offering a good balance between material properties, processing and cost. Pure titanium and other titanium alloys are used at Airbus to a lesser extent, i.e for the brackets and tubes. Forged parts, at Airbus, take about one third (460 t) of the total amounting to 1500 t titanium wrought products. The use of plate-shaped materials is slightly smaller (430 t), whereas pre-cut plates amount to 20 % (295 t). Usage of Ti 6-4 sheet is around 12 % (180 t). Bars and pure titanium sheets only sum up to 4 and 5 %, respectively.
"For future aircraft, a slight increase of titanium materials may be possible for highly-loaded or corrosion-endangered parts and in combination with CFRP", Karl-Heinz Rendigs, materials and process engineer at Airbus, Bremen, Germany, explains "further developments depend on parameters such as performance, cost and processability of innovative titanium alloys". Experts at Airbus and from all over the world are working on optimising these alloys which still have to compete with high-strength steel and occasionally with integral CFRP structures also. Meanwhile, Airbus has integrated important titanium alloys of improved properties in the process of qualification.


Experts at Airbus Deutschland GmbH (Bremen, Germany) will publish their latest developments on the 10th World Conference on Titanium: Hamburg, Germany, 13th - 18th July, 2003.

Deutsche Gesellschaft - Materialkunde e.V. (DGM)



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