Goodrich loses out in Boeing supply race, but holds out for other contracts on project
Messier-Dowty's win over rival Goodrich last week in securing the contract to supply the landing gear for the Boeing 7E7 is unprecedented in that it includes both nose and main gear units, and covers responsibility for designing as well as manufacturing the undercarriage.
Messier-Dowty engineering director Jean-Pierre Ferey says its winning bid revolves around "various proposals on weight, cost environment, new materials, geometries and so on. We put several options on the table, from which Boeing will choose the package it wants."
Ferey adds that Boeing has remained closely involved in the design process through its advanced manufacturing research centre in Sheffield, UK. The final contract is still under negotiation and is "expected to be signed within a few weeks", says Boeing, which expects to receive the first of up to 1,300 landing gear shipsets in 2007.
Goodrich remains optimistic of securing other valuable parts of the gear system yet to be awarded. While obviously disappointed, Goodrich says it "continues to compete for a number of other key systems on the aircraft and we are confident that we will play a significant role on the 7E7 programme".
The company is competing for an electric brake selection against Dunlop Aerospace, Honeywell and Messier-Buggatti. Two suppliers are expected to be chosen to each develop, qualify and certificate a system. Boeing's decision, which will give operators a choice of wheel, electric-brake and braking- system supplier, is expected around mid-year.
Despite a relatively late decision to switch to electric-brake technology, Boeing still plans to issue a relatively unchanged request for proposals (RFP) for a landing- gear systems package. Originally expected at the beginning of March, the delayed RFP will cover steering, landing-gear actuation and some brake control.
In view of the change to all-electric brakes, representing the first use of this technology on a civil aircraft, Boeing systems engineers requested a delay to the RFP to give time for the package content to be altered. Project managers are understood to have rejected this, however, to keep the overall systems selection process on schedule. Chief contenders for the contract are believed to be Messier-Buggatti and a team from Smiths Aerospace that includes Crane Aerospace.
In line with its strategy to divest integration work from the 7E7 programme, Boeing has given its own Interiors Responsibility Center (IRC) the task of overseeing development of the interior and for working with suppliers for the aircraft. Boeing and Seattle-based design company Teague are working on the interior architecture, while the IRC will manage interior suppliers - most of which will be selected by year-end.GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES & JULIAN MOXON / LONDON
Source: Flight International
