Rollingthunder
5th Jan 2012, 22:58
Cracks found in A380s during Qantas repairs
THE discovery of tiny cracks in one of the wings of a Qantas A380 under extensive repair in Singapore has led to the detection of similar problems in four other Airbus superjumbos worldwide.
The cracks - less than a centimetre long - in the wing ribs of the A380s do not pose an immediate threat to the safety of the aircraft. The ribs are vertical fixtures that stabilise the wings.
But their detection is expected to prompt Airbus to issue a service bulletin to airlines later this month requiring them to check for the problem when their A380s are due for heavy maintenance every four years.
Engineers only discovered the cracks in the wing ribs of the Qantas A380 - named the Nancy Bird-Walton - while they were conducting $130 million in repair work on the aircraft at Changi Airport.
Their initial suspicion was that the cracks - with a width hardly visible to the naked eye - were caused by the A380's mid-air engine explosion shortly after take off from Singapore in November 2010.
But subsequent investigations have found this was not the case and engineers have discovered similar cracks on three Airbus test aircraft and one operated by Singapore Airlines.
The cause of the cracks in the Nancy Bird-Walton's wing is still to be determined but an initial assessment is believed to pin the blame more on the way the wing ribs were constructed rather than due to the loads and thrust at which the aircraft was operated by Qantas.
SMH
THE discovery of tiny cracks in one of the wings of a Qantas A380 under extensive repair in Singapore has led to the detection of similar problems in four other Airbus superjumbos worldwide.
The cracks - less than a centimetre long - in the wing ribs of the A380s do not pose an immediate threat to the safety of the aircraft. The ribs are vertical fixtures that stabilise the wings.
But their detection is expected to prompt Airbus to issue a service bulletin to airlines later this month requiring them to check for the problem when their A380s are due for heavy maintenance every four years.
Engineers only discovered the cracks in the wing ribs of the Qantas A380 - named the Nancy Bird-Walton - while they were conducting $130 million in repair work on the aircraft at Changi Airport.
Their initial suspicion was that the cracks - with a width hardly visible to the naked eye - were caused by the A380's mid-air engine explosion shortly after take off from Singapore in November 2010.
But subsequent investigations have found this was not the case and engineers have discovered similar cracks on three Airbus test aircraft and one operated by Singapore Airlines.
The cause of the cracks in the Nancy Bird-Walton's wing is still to be determined but an initial assessment is believed to pin the blame more on the way the wing ribs were constructed rather than due to the loads and thrust at which the aircraft was operated by Qantas.
SMH