Airbus gets ailerons designed in Turkey

ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency

Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) Chairman Yalçın Kaya makes a speech during yesterday’s ceremony to mark the companies aileron delivery to Airbus company.

The first Turkish design ailerons produced by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has been delivered to Airbus in Ankara. Ailerons are small hinged sections attached to the trailing edge of the wing
of a fixed-wing aircraft for flight control.

TAI designed and manufactured the aileron for the Airbus A350, which rivals Boeing’s 787, said TUSAŞ Chairman Yalçın Kaya at a ceremony celebrating the new product. The first delivery of the A350 to a customer is scheduled for 2014, after its first flight in 2013. Most of the body and wings of the aircraft will be made of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic, with a seat capacity ranging from 270 to 440, he said.

Ailerons are vital components of an aircraft, Kaya said, adding that it is an important step for TAI, which aims to become one of the world’s largest aviation design centers, to be able to design and manufacture them.

“Definite orders for the A350 are close to 600 as of today, and it is expected that more than 2,000 will be sold. The monthly average manufacturing pace will reach 12 aircraft according to Airbus’s plans, which means TAI will manufacture the corresponding amount of ailerons,” Kaya said. He also said TAI will continue to try to win other business packages with Airbus.

Every plane features four ailerons, made of the most advanced composite materials, which allow the plane to turn left or right, said Bekir Ata Yılmaz, aerostructures group vice president at TAI.

TAI has become a major contractor, winning the confidence of international aeronautics firms, said Murad Bayar, Turkey’s Defense Industries Undersecretary, in his speech at the event.

“God willing, we will see our own planes manufactured by TAI. We expect to hit our targets this year,” Bayar said. Turkey could achieve $10 billion in aeronautics production volume in a very short period, he added.