Technology update
On a wing and a gyro
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Airbus A340 – British Aerospace makes the wings.
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The wings for the Airbus A340-500/600 large airliner family have won Millennium Products Status from the UK Design Council. The wings are designed and built by BAe, which is a major partner in Airbus Industrie. The two new versions of the A340 will be the world's longest range airliners, and the largest Airbus aircraft to date. The fuselage stretch
(-600) will provide capability for an added 80 passengers compared to the A340-300, offers an increased range of 1,000 nmi. BAe says its wing design for the A340-500/600 facilitates a 40% increase in takeoff weight but with only a 20% increase in wing area and that the gain has been achieved via "advanced aerodynamics and structural optimization." A second BAe product to gain Millennium Products Status is its Silicon Vibrating Structure Gyro. This has been designed and developed by British Aerospace Systems and Equipment (BASE). It is described as the world's first commercially available micromachined silicon ring gyroscope. It senses motion through a vibrating element etched from silicon. The material has a strength-to-weight ratio three times that of steel. The deep-trench etching process was developed by BASE's technology partner, Sumitomo Precision Products, to produce an accurate planar sensor "which is small, light, strong, and resilient."
Stuart Birch
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