Airbus' top engineer praises CLEAN SKY
Alain Garcia, the top engineer at pan-European aircraft manufacturer Airbus, has said that the proposed CLEAN SKY Joint Technology Initiative (JTI) could deliver a 'step change' in aerospace innovation for Europe. Speaking at the Aerodays 2006 conference in Vienna, Mr Garcia said that as a rule, 'Before the 1970s, EU industry produced good technical products, but not significant market penetration. We were split and did not benefit from big markets. Since then we have reacted and succeeded and consolidated, with huge R&D investment to become first in class for aeronautics.' He pointed out that the expansion in the aeronautics industry will mean buying at least 15,000 aircraft over the next 20 years. These aircraft will cost around EUR 2 trillion. We should 'cost this in the battle with the competitor', he said, referring, to US aeronautics giant Boeing. At the same time, new designs will have to significantly reduce their environmental impact, in line with the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe ACARE Vision 2020 document. 'The air transport market demands ever lower operating costs. Boeing is slowly but aggressively replacing its product range with new products. These new products will most likely be highly innovative and we should not be surprised,' he said. But the new Boeing aircraft will be, like the Airbus A380, a conventional jet, using cutting-edge technology and research to deliver new designs. Airbus and Boeing have taken significantly different approaches to solve the same problem - how to carry people more efficiently. Airbus has opted for economies of scale and supersized, while Boeing has opted for a mid-sized aircraft, which will come in three different configurations for different lengths of flight and numbers of passengers. While Airbus has opted for a metal alloy plane, Boeing has gone for high proportions of composite materials. For the next generation of airliners, beyond the A380 and 787, Mr Garcia believes that 'A step-change in performance is needed - emissions, noise and consumption must be addressed to meet targets,' he said. Not only does the technology need to develop, but so does the means to develop it. He points out that the research budget for NASA currently stands at more than USD 15 billion per year, and although a significant portion of that budget is swallowed by space research, the US aeronautics research fund dwarfs what Europe can offer. Once again, there is a different, European approach to solving the problem. 'Here we take national research and technology activities and the Framework Programme, but not yet at the required level to meet the competitor. We need the support of the EU population directly or indirectly,' he said. Part of the step-change needed is to involve both the strong and weak links in the supply and intelligence chain, to strengthen the whole system. 'We need to embrace the whole supply chain - universities, research institutions - to achieve this step-change. We have demanding goals, set in the ACARE vision. We have to react. The aerospace industry has a role in driving the direction of research, to develop the breakthrough expected. Naturally, there is a key role for technology. The EU Framework Programme plays an essential role. FP7 [the Seventh Framework Programme] is the next major step in the process. Successive Framework Programmes have seen the development of Integrated Projects and Networks of Excellence. They deliver value in their areas. To work more with the ACARE vision, we need something extra,' he said. 'Joint Technology Initiatives in FP7 provide this opportunity. The industry proposes the JTI CLEAN SKY. It consists of an integrated approach and high level of participation. It focuses on integration of ambitious technological advances drawn by companies and technology, using the best project men in existence in EU industry. This ensures the best use of resources. 'This will improve EU air transport and support EU competitiveness - to reach goals set by ACARE,' he said. The CLEAN SKY JTI is so far only an idea. While FP7 could plough large quantities of money into such a project, the scheme would also require industry to contribute, in a private-public-partnership. Mr Garcia closed with a plea: 'CLEAN SKY will only deliver if it drives ambitious performance and research. We need sufficient funding under FP7, supporting the CLEAN SKY initiative. The future of our industry, the future of aeronautics and the future of our continent is at stake. We should be capable of maintaining our level,' he said.
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