FACC has successfully increased its involvement in the Bombardier C Series by securing an order regarding the production of the rudders for the new short-haul jet of the Canadian aircraft manufacturer. FACC will fabricate the components in partnership with the Italian aerospace company Leonardo. The order is an important step towards the production of primary aircraft structures and is initially intended for a term of five years.

"Technology leadership, as well as the entry into more complex aircraft structures is a key issue in the aviation industry which we have been working on very hard for years. By forcing research and development also in the field of manufacturing primary structures, FACC has gained an international leadership role", said Robert Machtlinger, CEO of FACC. "This is the main reason why we could win another order for the Bombardier C Series".

On the basis of its experience in the manufacture of lightweight structural components for various civil aircraft FACC will develop the rudder, a technologically advanced structural component. The first aircraft equipment is planned to be delivered in May 2018. FACC will ship the whole rudder to Leonardo in Foggia (Italy), where the component will be integrated into the vertical tail. Rudders serve the purpose of stabilizing and controlling the flight when the plane is in the air. They are movable, thus diverting the air stream into a certain direction according to their positions.

This new order was placed in addition to an order for wing-to-body fairings of the C Series which Bombardier has already awarded to FACC this year. "Through the latest order FACC is able to successfully increase its presence and the order volume for the Bombardier C Series", said Robert Machtlinger. "After Airbus has recently acquired an interest in the C Series, this order has substantially gained in relevance, since the aircraft has thus become more important in the market and sales are expected to rise."

Moreover, the new order also implies an extension of the long-standing cooperation between FACC and the Italian enterprise Leonardo. Among other projects, the two companies worked together on the interior equipment of the Russian regional jet SSJ100.

Contributed by FACC