Aero delivered first C-27J center wing box to Alenia

03/01/2008 | AERO Vodochody a.s. (AERO) delivered the first center wing box for the C-27J Spartan advanced tactical transport aircraft to the customer, Alenia Aeronautica, arriving in the final assembly center in Turin-Caselle, Italy, on January 3, 2008.

AERO Vodochody a.s. (AERO) delivered the first center wing box for the C-27J Spartan advanced tactical transport aircraft to the customer, Alenia Aeronautica, arriving in the final assembly center in Turin-Caselle, Italy, on January 3, 2008. The contract on delivery of the C-27 center wing boxe (CWB) was signed on September 2, 2006 and in the same month, AERO obtained first orders.

“Support of production and development of aircraft and aircraft parts belongs to the main priorities of AERO. The production of the CWB for the Italian customer represents a delivery with high value added as well as high labor input, which directly corresponds to our potential,” said President of AERO Peter Ondro.

“The C-27J CWB Program includes manufacturing of parts and complete aerostructures assembly, including integral fuel landing flaps, engine and fuselage hinges, leading edges with deicers, wire harnesses as well as systems installation and relevant tests. 3,200 components are used in each CWB, 2,000 of which are manufactured by AERO,” described Ludek Viteznik, C-27J CWB Program Manager.

“The first two units have been assembled from parts furnished by Alenia Aeronautica, next six units will be assembled from parts manufactured by AERO from raw material provided by Alenia. Starting from the ninth unit, AERO will take over full responsibility for the whole process, including material purchasing,” he added.

Apart from Alenia Aeronautica, AERO cooperates on further aerostructures programs with other world leading aviation manufacturers, such as Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation (S-76 helicopter almost complete production), the Boeing Company (F-18 Gun Bay Door), Spirit Aerosystems (B767 Fixed Leading Edge Assembly Kits), EADS (A320/A340 Subassemblies), Vought Aircraft Industries (B747 Fuselage Sheet Metal Parts) or Latecoere (Embraer 170/190 inner structure of doors).

AERO Vodochody a.s. is the largest aviation manufacturer in the Czech Republic. 100% of the shares of the Company are held by private equity group Penta, which has successfully finished the first phase of the restructuring process of AERO, the main result of which is profit generated in the year 2007.