Belfast Aircraft Maker Signs Contractors

Contracts have been awarded to two UK companies for work on Northern Ireland-based Bombardier's CSeries commercial aircraft programme.

Representing a major investment by the Belfast aircraft engineering firm, the deal with GKN Aerospace will see it supplying the winglet for the CSeries aircraft from its composites centre on the Isle of Wight.

The contract could be worth more than US$100 million.

Cytec Engineered Materials, Wrexham, UK, will also be supplying some of the advanced composite material for the CSeries aircraft wing.

This forms part of a wider contract awarded recently by Bombardier to Cytec Engineered Materials valued at up to US$800 million to supply carbon fibre composite materials for a number of Bombardier aircraft programmes.

Both companies will supply Bombardier in Belfast, which is responsible for the development, design and manufacture of the advanced composite wings for the CSeries aircraft.

Goodrich Actuation Systems, of Wolverhampton, and Senior Aerospace BWT, of Manchester, have already been selected by Bombardier for the CSeries aircraft programme.

Goodrich is supplying the flap and slat actuation systems, and Senior Aerospace the low pressure air distribution systems for the aircraft cabin and cockpit environmental control systems.

As part of the ongoing CSeries wing development programme, Bombardier in Belfast has successfully manufactured and assembled a pre-production demonstrator wing using its innovative Resin Transfer Infusion process.

This is currently being installed in a specially-designed and constructed test rig, in preparation for testing which is due to get under way within the next few weeks.

Michael Ryan, Vice President and General Manager, Bombardier Aerospace, Belfast, said: "I am delighted to welcome these UK companies on board the CSeries aircraft programme, and look forward to their significant contribution to the development of this new game-changing aircraft family.

"The CSeries aircraft wing programme is progressing well and we are on schedule to produce the first composite wing in 2011.

"The programme is building on our track record in Belfast of almost 40 years' experience in composites technologies.

"Not only will it further develop our capabilities and skills in one of the most advanced areas of aerospace technologies, but we believe it will also cement the UK's wider strategic interests in aircraft wing development," he said.

"As the largest ever single investment in Northern Ireland, the CSeries aircraft wing programme is also bringing significant benefits to the wider UK supply chain. We look forward to more UK companies playing a role in this programme, as they do on other Bombardier programmes."

The CSeries aircraft family is optimised for the longer range, single-aisle, 100- to 149-seat market.

Scheduled to enter service in 2013, the CSeries aircraft will deliver the lowest operating costs in its class, exceptional operational flexibility, widebody comfort and an unmatched environmental scorecard.

(BMcC/GK)