Testing on Bombardier's full-scale pre-production demonstrator wing for the CSeries has begun at the airframer's Belfast plant.
Using test data from the demonstrator, Bombardier intends to "optimise the design of the actual CSeries aircraft production wing", says Michael Ryan, vice-president and general manager, Bombardier Aerospace, Belfast.
"This will allow us to create the lightest weight solution with the utmost confidence in the wing's structural integrity."
A specially-designed rig was constructed for the demonstrator test programme. This rig represents the outer wing to centre wing box and centre fuselage attachments, including a simulated main landing gear leg and a simulated engine and pylon.
Controlled loading will be applied to these key areas of the demonstrator, thereby replicating the maximum loading conditions that the wing will see in service, says Bombardier. The subsequent data collected will enable the manufacturer's engineers to validate their stress and design assumptions.
"Having carried out several thousand individual material and detail tests to date, we are delighted with the progress of the CSeries aircraft wing development programme, and are looking forward to gathering the data that will help us determine the wing's final design," says Ryan.
Bombardier's Belfast facility is responsible for the design, development and manufacture of the advanced composite wings for the Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan-powered CSeries.
To date, Bombardier has secured 90 firm orders and 90 options for the 110/130-seat CSeries.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
