Aluminum Wiring

[hillbilly]

Just read a article (Wikipedia) on the new "Airbus 380" double deck airliner that will seat up to 850 people.

In order to save weight, all the wiring has been done replacing copper (the usual standard) with aluminum conductors (300 miles of it).

All of the electrical system is fully computerized and uses solid state devices instead of the usual contactors and breakers.
All cockpit lighting and display is "bulbless" LED.

The cockpit is what's called "paperless"....meaning that all the records, manuals, flightplans, data and instrumentation is completely digital.
Airbus places the blame for the delayed deliveries on the wiring.

Also, the plane's airframe (by weight) is made of 25% composite materials.
The riveting has been replaced with welded seams.

There was problems with wing strength during testing that was resolved by adding approx 30Kg (64 lbs.) of extra composite to the wing.

The hydraulic system pressure has been increased from the usual (standard for 50 years) 3000 psi to 5000 psi, which requires the hydraulic lines to be made of Titanium.

The braking system (reverse thrust) had been reduced to save weight.

The total take-off weight will be around 620 tons.
Travel anyone?
steve

 

[yanici]

Hey Hillbilly, are they using stab-loc breakers with all that aluminum wire?:grin: :grin:

Maybe they should tie on a few ballons to help that thing get up on takeoff.

 

[cpal]

AL is not new on Air craft

 

[hillbilly]

AL is not new on Air craft

I've never worked on or wired a airplane, so I'm not sure what is used.
I was just referencing the Wikipedia article.
300 miles of aluminum wiring in a plastic airplane (25% by weight, which is a lot of composite), doesn't sound like my cup of tea.
I used to fly a lot....
It's not something that I'd like to dwell on at 35000 feet in the middle of the Atlantic....but hey...that's just me.
steve

 

[cpal]

I've never worked on or wired a airplane, so I'm not sure what is used.
I was just referencing the Wikipedia article.
300 miles of aluminum wiring in a plastic airplane (25% by weight, which is a lot of composite), doesn't sound like my cup of tea.
I used to fly a lot....
It's not something that I'd like to dwell on at 35000 feet in the middle of the Atlantic....but hey...that's just me.
steve

35k feet is not the time to second guess the mfg or maintenance record. dont't forget the machine that took you into the air was made by the lowest bidder.

 

[LarryFine]

35k feet is not the time to second guess the mfg or maintenance record. dont't forget the machine that took you into the air was made by the lowest bidder.

"You know we're sitting on four million pounds of fuel, one nuclear weapon and a thing that has 270,000 moving parts built by the lowest bidder. Makes you feel good, doesn't it?" ~ Rockhound in Armageddon

 

[Bob NH]

35k feet is not the time to second guess the mfg or maintenance record. dont't forget the machine that took you into the air was made by the lowest bidder.

The Airbus isn't made by the lowest bidder. It's made by socialists in the European Union whose objective is to spread the work around no matter what the cost or skills of the local industry, and to use government subsidies to compete with Boeing, not matter how inefficient they are or how much it costs their taxpayers.

I have traveled in Europe. It is just about universal that everything costs more than the US and they accept living conditions that we would never tolerate.