One of Airbus’s A380 test aircraft has demonstrated a new electro-luminescent display technology designed for external use on aircraft.
The technology, developed by Safran division Aircelle, comprises thin markings which can be applied to the fuselage skin and engine nacelle to provide illuminated branding and logos using on-board electrical power.
Initial airborne tests using A380 MSN1 were carried out at night on 8 June, with the aircraft featuring an Airbus logo on its outboard left-hand Rolls-Royce Trent 900 powerplant.
Aircelle says the flight was able to demonstrate the “brightness, clarity and readability” of the marking in various lighting conditions.
The company says the display has only the depth of a decal and can be modified to show a variety of branding, graphics and even animation.
Aircelle, which will show off the development at the Paris air show next week, says that the display can be placed “almost anywhere” on the aircraft – including the underside of the fuselage and the tail.
Site and operations director Serge Riere says the A380 validation flight is the culmination of three years of effort to develop the technology, which can be scaled to other aircraft types including executive jets.
He says that the company already has extensive experience in applying logos and branding to engine nacelles. “The next logical step was to look at the use of lighted means,” he adds.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
