SHORTS HANDED OVER THE first horizontal stabiliser for the Bombardier Global Express business jet on 27 February. The stabiliser, which has a span of 5.3m and weighs 500kg, is one of the largest all-composite structures designed for a commercial aircraft, claims Belfast, UK-based Shorts. It consists of blade-stiffened skin panels, which are cured in an autoclave at the company's advanced composites site. Around 2,300kg of composites are used in the Global Express - 10% of the structure - resulting in a weight saving of some 318kg per aircraft. The Global Express is scheduled to have its first flight in September.
Source: Flight International