Alten Mag 5 (english version) - Aeronautics

MAGN°5/ JUNE 2015

AERONAUTICS SPECIAL

PARIS AIR SHOW 2015

The new aeronautical challenges P.4 Special report: R&T, engineering, manufacturing, customer support,

our scope of intervention P.9 News P.26

Let your taLent shine. embrace innovation.

www.aLtenrecrute.fr

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MarKETS4 EXPERTS TALKING:

ALTEN facing new challenges

6 Testimonials

SPECIaL rEPOrT : aErOnauTICS SPaTIaL dEfEnCEEnginEEring

10 Cabin activities

12 AIRBUS EVC, Cabin tests, design

14 Airframes : • Development of the engine pylon for the A320NEO • GECI, airframes in Romania

16 AIRBUS EYAV, cockpit functions

17 THALES, naval communications management system

18 CNES, a development platform for launchers

19 The design validation and calification of navigation systems for SAGEM DS

20 ZODIAC AEROSPACE, designing electronic for electrical distribution

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#5Manufacturing

20 ALTEN listed as « ME3S » by AIRBUS

custoMEr support

21 Customer Support engineering 22 ATEXIS : technical documentation for AIRBUS Group

Quality

23 Our Center of Excellence for Quality

supply-chain

24 AIRBUS HELICOPTERS

25 MI-GSO, AVENIR CONSEIL FORMATION, Offerings from our subsidiaries

nEWS26 Damien B., Senior Agency Manager, ALTEN UK

ALTEN meets André Turcat, Concorde test pilot

Editorial committee: S. Bréant, S. Antignat, L. Graciani.Other contributors: P. Bonhomme, S.Ougier, P. Amore, Jean-Michel A., Patrick B., Yves-Marie B., Calin D., François G., Mario L.S., Markus M., Timothée M.. We would like to thank the sales managers, product leaders and engineers who kindly agreed to be interviewed.Graphic design: - Maquette : M.Gomes - Crédit Photo : © Fotolia, © Alten.

CONTENTS

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Markets

Whitney and Rolls Royce will be central to our future growth challenge.

For the past 40 years, air traffic has grown twice as quickly as world GNP and continues to do so. With this fact in mind, we have topped up our product offering in order to support the development of this market. We have adapted to the new challenges facing our customers, i.e. faster production rates, robust supply chains and the growing needs in airline maintenance and services, indexed directly to the growth and ageing of the world’s airline fleet. For this evolution to succeed, ALTEN is drawing on the expertise acquired in other sectors such as the automotive field and energy. The transmission of this industrial know-how together with in-depth extensive insights into aeronautical products that come from ALTEN’s

Aerospace

In this sector, ALTEN is a major player acknowledged throughout the engineering world. Even though, from an R&D standpoint, the market is facing the prospects of a lower workload in the years ahead given the absence of new aircraft programmes, ALTEN is investing to consolidate its partnerships with leading companies (aircraft manufacturers, OEMs and system suppliers such as AIRBUS Group, Thales, Safran and Dassault). We are actively involved in the consolidation and enhancement of customer project performance thanks to our power to deliver. We control

quality, costs and delivery dates with our nearshore and offshore offerings in Romania and India. ALTEN today is a world-class player in all the core businesses of aeronautics, i.e. structure and engineering, systems, embedded software and electronics, but also in the sector’s transversal functions (supply chain, configuration management, quality and project management). In the world of aeronautical R&D, strengthening our position with engine manufacturers is a priority target. The core of future business will indeed be focused on these major operators, linked to reductions in fuels costs helped by replacement engines. Snecma, GE, Pratt &

Of all the innovation and engineering markets serviced by ALTEN, none gets engineers more excited or shapes a career path more decisively than Aerospace & Defence. The demand for expertise, the technological resources and industrial achievements of this sector are compelling vectors for an obsession that lies at the core of the ALTEN Group’s positioning. That said, the challenges the sector now faces are wider than ever.

By Pierre Bonhomme Executive Vice President

« The challenges facing our customers: faster production rates, robust supply chains, airline maintenance and service requirements »

ALTEN FACING NEW CHALLENGES IN THE AEROSPACE AND DEFENCE SECTOR

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positioning in the R&D field today explain our relevance and the difference we create. Examples of ALTEN’s development in this respect are legion: manufacturing engineering and maintenance with AIRBUS, logistics with AIRBUS HELICOPTERS, quality control with Finmeccanica, etc. ALTEN supports every customer throughout the life cycle of each product, from R&T (research & technology) to maintenance, from development to industrialisation and manufacturing.The depth of our knowledge is a huge asset for our customers and for our teams. For example, our engineers, who in recent years have worked in design and engineering offices, will be gaining new experience in manufacturing plants and so will be better equipped and more efficient when it comes to designing the aircraft of the future.Another potential growth factor for ALTEN lies with our skills in the IS/IT field. The goal is future support for our customers as they square up to the challenges of tool innovation and modernisation. Whether for upgrading PLM tools or digitalisation, today we are capable of building the bridge between engineering and IT in order to offer digital solutions that are relevant because they are tailored to each customer.

Space

After a few lean years, the space sector today is going through unprecedented change and higher levels of activity have returned. With regards to launchers, the announced roll-out of the Ariane 6 programme plus the joint venture with AIRBUS SAFRAN Launchers will provide a European alternative to competition from low-cost launchers, in particular Space X.As for satellites, we have seen a pretty clear upsurge in orders fuelled by large-scale military or civilian programmes, research agendas and telecommunications. Horizon 2020, Galileo, the exploration of Mars, climatic observation and the Internet via satellite are all new needs. But while the market is clearly there, the squeeze on production costs and the weight and operability of satellites are

EXPERTS TALKING

ALTEN FACING NEW CHALLENGES IN THE AEROSPACE AND DEFENCE SECTOR

more than ever at the core of concerns for customers and consequently for industrialists in this sector. ALTEN is deploying its industrial know-how and the reliability of its offering to achieve these objectives. Our ambition is to take full advantage of our knowledge when it comes to shortening design and manufacturing cycles and thereby support the evolution of prototyping models towards sound industrial processes.

Defence

The peculiarity of the defence market is its very high dependence on national budget policies. In a tense economic climate marked by the resurgence of issues surrounding national debt, these defence budgets have been scaled down in many major countries and primarily in the United States, a heavyweight defence spender which, budget-wise, has as much sway over the market as the next 15 countries put together. Nevertheless, growing geopolitical tensions and the recent terrorist threats are all factors that point to maintaining France’s defence budget and the development of export markets.

ALTEN’s expertise in this area covers the air, naval and ground defence functions, together with homeland security and cyber-security.In this context, ALTEN has successfully groomed its profile and skills with the Group’s major customers, i.e. Dassault, Safran, Thales and AIRBUS DS, through its expert knowledge of this specific market. Indeed, our engineers with experience in the defence sector meet the standards of excellence demanded by our customers and support them on every continent. Recent successes in the export market and most notably contracts for the Rafale aircraft will certainly keep the order books of our industrial partners agreeably full, but they will also put pressure on their supply chains. Buoyed by expertise in this sector, ALTEN is already promoting its proven know-how to ensure the success of these new orders.

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Markets

For AIRBUS, the No. 1 challenge is to evolve from the status of European leader to that of world player in aeronautics in order to limit exposure to the US dollarFor this issue, the role of ALTEN is to support the development of AIRBUS (in the US and India, etc.) by deploying European expertise and methods across local teams.

No. 2: The successful integration of Group divisions: AIRBUS, AIRBUS HELICOPTERS, AIRBUS Defence & Space, and Premium Aerotech.ALTEN is supporting AIRBUS and its agenda of Group harmonisation by deploying a global offering and thereby the wherewithal to guarantee excellence of delivery (« on time », « on quality »), competitiveness (price, work package commitment, nearshore) and integration of the AIRBUS Group’s methods and tools.

No. 3: Bolster the Group’s supply chain in terms of engineering and productionThe efforts made to streamline the panel of engineering suppliers should help to maintain a pool of reliable partners, who are capable of meeting major challenges and proposing solutions on a global scale. ALTEN is adding its weight to this consolidation of the AIRBUS supplier panel by way of a targeted acquisition policy aimed at boosting our expertise and at producing economies of scale. Furthermore, we are also working on the robustness of the supply chain (OEMs, Tier 2, engine manufacturers, raw material

suppliers) through the deployment of best practices for all our Aerospace and Defence activities, thereby contributing to the vertical integration of this sector.

No. 4: Sustaining skills during slow periods of engineering activity.To sustain know-how and expertise, ALTEN redeploys teams to other markets or customers by way of our Skills Centres; in so doing, we retain the ability to meet the long-term needs of AIRBUS in terms of both quality and quantity.

No. 5: Achieve a profitability target of 10%ALTEN is supporting AIRBUS and its policy of profitability through the consolidation and outsourcing of business, together with the implementation of nearshore and offshore solutions. The search for operational synergies between different positions enables us to optimise costs and consequently improve our productivity for AIRBUS.

No. 6: Help speed up rates of production (single aisle, A350, A330 NEO)ALTEN is providing AIRBUS and its suppliers with skills in the achievement of significantly higher production rates in order to effectively meet the demands of order books. To this end, ALTEN shares the product insights gained by our design and engineering office, our strong positioning in the production field and proven methods taken from other industries (Lean, Agile; continuous improvement, etc.).

No. 7: Adapting work methods to incremental developmentsALTEN is one of the very few AIRBUS partners that works on product life-cycles end to end (R&T, design & engineering office, production, service support), a significant advantage for lowering industrialisation deadlines, improving performance and launching incremental developments at very short notice.

No. 8: Stay the market leader through product and process innovationALTEN is investing in several ground-breaking areas with a number of customers, sometimes by way of self-financed projects, and offers effective solutions to face up to new challenges. As such, ALTEN is involved in several significant fields of research for AIRBUS, including for example the digital factory, 3D printing, drones, virtual reality and 3D design, etc.

By Patrick B., Director of Key Account Development

The ALTEN/AIRBUS partnership: business challenges for AIRBUS, answers from ALTEN

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By Timothée M., Division Director

tEstiMonials

The Space Market

The decision taken by European partners at the end of 2014 to shut down the Ariane 5 programme in order to develop the new Ariane 6 launcher was designed purposefully to counter low-cost competitors, particularly the American SpaceX agenda. AIRBUS SAFRAN Launchers, a space transport joint venture employing 8,000 people, founded by the two companies, will be in charge of the development and manufacture of the new launcher. €8 billion will be invested in the programme over 10 years.

The architectural studies for the new launcher were commissioned in 2012 by the Launcher Division of the CNES for completion by 2021, an exceptionally short deadline that naturally implies a high-speed work-rate. As the first half of 2015 is dedicated to defining strategy for the new joint venture, we can expect a boom in engineering activity during the second half of the year and into early 2016.

More generally speaking, we are seeing a redistribution of roles amongst space industry players and a refocusing on traditional activities: the CNES is concentrating on pre-projects and the future of space travel (manned flights, for example); ARIANE ESPACE is once again the launch operator, while studies and the manufacture of the launcher are in the hands of AIRBUS/SAFRAN. At the same time, satellite, telecommunication, civilian and military activities are clearly back on track.

In the field of space exploration, we might also mention the ambitious INSIGHT project conducted by NASA and involving SODERN, a subsidiary of AIRBUS, for the development and production of a probe to measure seismic activity on the planet Mars. The launch of this probe is scheduled for March 2016, reaching the red planet sometime in September 2016.

DEFENCE: WHAT’S AT STAKE On account of growing geopolitical tensions, France’s defence budgets are staying at their present levels and we are seeing growth in the export market. There are two main programmes of note:

The EBMR (MRAV) programme (multi-role armoured vehicle)

“Prepared by the French DGA (Department of Weaponry), this market entails the development, manufacture and support for MRAVs under the “Scorpion” programme. The Griffon multi-role armoured vehicle and the Jaguar reconnaissance armoured vehicle respectively will replace firstly the VAB armoured troop carriers and secondly the AMX10RC, the Sagaie ERC reconnaissance vehicle and the Hot Median VABs produced in the 1970s and 1980s and used by the French army in theatres of operations for three decades.” There is a three-year development plan for this new French armoured vehicle instead of the usual eight years.

Renewal of nuclear weaponry: commissioning of the M51.3 missile

The M51 missile is a French ballistic missile of the MSBS type (sea-ground-ballistic-strategic), with a multiple MIRV nuclear warhead. It has armed French nuclear submarines since 2007.The M51.3 programme consists of the development of a new 3rd stage for the M51, coming into service in 2020 and offering improved operational performance.

Source: http://rpdefense.over-blog.com

« The Ariane 6 Programme: the agreement to parry US low-cost competition in space »

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Markets

The Indian aerospace market: substantial and growing fast

The Indian aerospace market is the world’s 2nd largest after China. Civilian aeronautics accounts for 25% of activity, as opposed to 75% for the military.

India’s aerospace and defence industry mainly revolves around HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.). At the present time, HAL alone does not have the capacity to address the ambitious Indian defence modernisation plan (an investment of more than €100 billion over four years) and is having to work with international partners (e.g. Dassault for the Rafale fighter). In the process, India has become the world’s leading arms importer.

In this context and a framework of technology offset and transfer, India presents significant partnership opportunities for French firms such as AIRBUS, Dassault, Thalès, Safran, etc.

With a workforce of almost 1,200, ALTEN India has positioned itself as an engineering partner to support key players in the aerospace sector in India.

Spread around the cities of Bangalore, Chennai and Mysore, with over 15,000 sq.m of offices, ALTEN India’s Technical Centres provide our customers with engineering services for systems, mechanics, embedded software, technical documentation and information systems.

ALTEN’s global technical set-up enables ALTEN India to operate either as an offshore delivery centre for European projects or on local missions with levels of service and quality that comply with Group standards (CMMI level 3).

Regarding defence projects, ALTEN India provides our Indian partners with the expertise and know-how expected by our European customers in the framework of offset contracts.

tEstiMonials

By Pascal A. Group Technical Director

Chennai(Madras)

Bangalore

Mysore

« The Indian aerospace market is the world’s 2nd largest after China »

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spEcial rEport

AEronAutiCSSpAtiAl dEfEnCE

from r&t to customer support, our scope of intervention

Technological challenges and ALTEN’s responses Our project references

SPECIAL FEATURE AEROSPACE

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our actiVitiEs aEronautics spatial DEfEncE

CABIN ACTIVITIES

EnginEEring environment. With his knowledge and the team behind (Business Managers, Technical Direction and consultants), ALTEN is ready to grow the business up to a position as the No.1 supplier for AIRBUS Cabin.

Mario, could you describe the parts ALTEN is involved today?

MSU: Today we cover mainly activities in the field of Cabin Systems, like Oxygen, Water-Waste or Light. The second pillar are the monuments, like Galleys, Stowages and Seats.We are able to bring our customers an added value by covering an end2end process, starting with the conceptual definition, the specification, development finishing with the validation&verification process.

YMB: Not to forget the end of the story: after the handover from design office to testing department another ALTEN team (often with technical support from the engineering teams) covers the physical validation of cabin systems and equipment.

What is the type of activity in your main work packages?

YMB: Beside the typical development activities, I would

Yves-Marie, would you just give us a short overview on the cabin activities within ALTEN Technology?

YMB: ALTEN is today one of the preferred supplier in the field of Cabin development and Customization. To streng-then our position as strategic suppliers for AIRBUS Cabin, we have onboarded end of 2014 a new DD in Hamburg, Mr. Mario L . Susnjar. Mario has more than 20 years of expertise in our sector in particular within aerospace Interior

Interview with d’Yves-Marie B., north Germany Division Director, and Mario L.S., Division Director

Technological challenges and alTen’s responses – OUR PROJECT REFERENCES

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What are your targets for the future?

MSU: There is a significant change of development activities in comparison to the last decade:AIRBUS is today well positioned in the global market in terms of Aircraft families. The overall development strategy is changing from Revolution to Evolution. This is indeed a challenge also for us. This represents definitely a great chance for ALTEN because we want to strengthen our position. This is only possible during a phase of growth or, like we are facing today, during an adaptation phase.

YMB: To cut a long story short: we have the ambition to become the No. 1 supplier for AIRBUS Cabin, benchmark on volume, quality and customer satisfaction. We also have the ambition to be a sustainable partner for the aerospace supplier and AIRBUS supply chain like e.g. Zodiac, Diehl and B/E aerospace. Not to forget the second main pillar for tomorrow: all retrofit activities, driven by the airlines, here we want to be a strong supplier for AIRBUS Cabin refurbishment and for example Lufthansa Technik.

* Chrystal Cabin Award : handed during the aircraft interior expo toge-ther with the University of Applied Sciences in Hamburg and AIRBUS, this price rewards the innovation regarding products and configuration of cabins of plane.

like to high-light two of our work-packages as highly transversal: Technical change management and our “Process Methods & Tools” bundle. For those two WP, ALTEN was chosen because of our ability to combine the engineering knowledge and expertise together with project management capabilities (for TCM) on the one hand, and on the other hand with deep IT and programming knowledge and skills (for PMT). ALTEN is extremely well positioned within Procurement Organization and Supply Chain, to accompany the Cabin stakeholders in the mana-gement of their suppliers. Last but not least, with our Work Packages on Quality Engineering Cabin and Testing Cabin, together with the above mentioned Work packages in Configuration Management and Process Methods and tools; ALTEN has become, in the last years, a supplier able to accompany the Cabin perimeter in most of its stakes and challenges.

MSU: another high-light is our Innovation team; we are involved in several future oriented projects for air conditioning, water-waste and cabin configuration. In our team of engineers we have two winners of the Chrystal Cabin Award*.


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AIRBUS EVC, Cabin tests, design

AIRBUS EVC is the department inside AIRBUS responsible for cabin integration testing.

Functionality and performance of all cabin and air rela-ted systems that are installed in an Airbus aircraft are tested and verified according to test specifications and requirements defined by the various aircraft programs, aeronautical authorities and design offices. The scope covers mechanical systems such as air & cooling, water/ waste or oxygen, electromechanical systems, e.g. cabin power or door actuation, as well as electronic systems such as Cabin Intercommunication Data System (CIDS), Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) or In-Flight Entertainment (IFE).

Functional and system integration benches allow testing original aircraft equipment and systems and their interdependencies under realistic ground and flight conditions in a large laboratory scale. Also ground and flight tests are supported, as well as major in-service incidents and support for the final assembly lines (FAL) of Airbus worldwide.

AIRBUS expects from his external service provider a high level of autonomy and a profound practical system knowledge on the wide spread bunch of different systems and technologies.

We have successfully strengthened our capacity to validate and verify most complex airborne systems and their requirements. Over almost 2 decades, we have been a reliable partner for AIRBUS EVC and we have consequently enlarged our competences and project portfolio, gathered experiences on a wide range of various aircraft systems. Today we are supporting AIRBUS not only in the field of testing. ALTEN is also closely working with many design offices, sharing the responsibility for development and definition of cabin and air systems, helping AIRBUS to stabilize their subcontracting landscape whilst identifying and develo-ping synergies and savings.

By Markus M., Senior manager ALTEN GmbH


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Testing starts with the ability to translate a test requirement into a useful test set-up. From the test-rig conception and design, via the physical mechanical and electrical instal-lation to test performance and test data analysis, ALTEN is able to deliver the full scale of required skills and knowledge out of one hand.

Our engineering consultants are using a widely spread and specialized tool & process landscape depending on the specific test task and system related. The ability to analyze aircraft system communication networks is a key in testing, consequently we are familiar with all relevant standards and their corresponding analyzer tools for e.g. CAN, ARINC or AFDX. To assure the function of an electronic system test benches, test systems like Techsat’s ADS2 are in use. For test data analysis, report generation and requirement management we use different tools and databases like DOORS, CATEGA or DIADEM. Where needed we are able to apply programming languages such as Phython or C++ or visual programming and simulation tools like LabView or MatlabSimulink.

Our technician and electrician team and network can realize any test-rig set-up or modification on short term request, including necessary pre-assemblies that are carried out in ALTEN’s own work shop at Hamburg-

Finkenwerder. Also a worldwide test support for ground & flight tests is managed from here.

ALTEN is a major player in aircraft system testing today in Germany. The team in place offers a substantial bandwidth of different skills and expertise. From test-rig mechanic to expert programmer and from senior electrician to test installation engineers, we have everything on board to deliver testing excellence. We are bringing together 20 years of test experience in an interdisciplinary team, embedded into a wide spread system community in- and outside ALTEN and combined with an efficient and transparent way of project management.

ALTEN stands for a high degree of autonomy as well as a proven flexibility when it comes to short term requests or changes. Based on our long-term partnership, our history in testing – at customer premises but also within our own test environment – we are ready to take commitment and to offer a real end-to-end solution.

TEST ENGINEERS AND MECHANICS OF ALTEN ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR• analysis of test requirements (RFT, LTR, TEP)• test rig set-up & maintenance, preparation of

electrical and mechanical test cases• equipment and system qualification tests/ integrated & configured tests for hardware and software

• test support for ground- & flight test, MAP/ FAL support (trouble shooting)

• virtual flight tests, head of version campaigns• supplier management & monitoring, test witnessing

& execution at supplier • test data analysis & documentation


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The A320neo (new engine option) is not a full aircraft development programme, but simply an update. In a full programme, the fuselage, aerofoil or empennage are in the front line. Here, the spotlight is on the power plant (pylon, nacelle, engine). We are on a critical path in terms of schedule and we cannot run late. For example, although it took six years to develop the A350 pylon, that of the A320neo will take just four. Given that Boeing is due to launch the 737MAX, a direct competitor, the earlier the neo is commercialised, the bigger the market shares for AIRBUS. Certification of the CFM neo is scheduled for the end of 2015, with the aircraft coming into service by mid 2016.

ALTEN has recently won the pylon development package for the A330neo and is well positioned for that of the A380neo, should AIRBUS announce its launch…”

THE A330NEO…TIGHTER DEADLINES THAN EVERAIRBUS has a highly ambitious development schedule for the aircraft. ALTEN has 42 months in which to deliver the full pylon design. To do so, we have deployed a team of highly experienced engineers who are capable of anticipating hurdles along the way. Additionally, the distribution flow for input data has been optimised.

EnginEEring AIRFRAMES

DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENGINE PYLONFOR THE A320NEO

« The range of AIRBUS aircraft is complete: the family comprises the A320, A330, A350, A380 and A400M. The A320 is starting to show its age (it first came into service in 1988), but as the Group’s “flagship” it is of capital importance to AIRBUS ».

AIRBUS has decided to modernise this plane, with the focus on new engines. Two engines are being proposed to customers: the Pratt & Whitney and the CFM. Yet any talk of new engine must also include a new engine/aerofoil interface. This interface, the pylon, is precisely where we come in.

Two ALTEN teams have worked on the product: one under a work package agenda for the development of the CFM pylon. Originally conducted by GECI, then integrated with ALTEN in late 2014 after the purchase, it has been working on the design for four years (system mechanics and installation), a part of which is sub-contracted to GES in Romania, and on stress (static, fatigue, sonic fatigue, dynamics). The main tools used are CATIA V5, GILDA, PATRAN/NASTRAN, ABAQUS, and ISAMI (AIRBUS software).

The second team, organised into work units, has been operating to support AIRBUS for the CFM and P&W pylons. It carried out the design and stress studies not included by the pylon development teams and checked the full set of documents produced by the latter.

« It took six years to develop the A350 pylon, but just four for the A320neo »

Nicolas L., Project Manager


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GECI, AIRFRAMES IN ROMANIA

GECI Romania, founded in 1999, is a design and engineering office (DEO) specialising in the design of parts, assemblies and systems dedicated to the aerospace industry. Backed by 15 years of experience, the Romanian team operates from offices organised into delocalised work package modules.

The main business activities developed by GECI Romania are:

• primary and secondary structure design for fuselage and engine pylons;

• installation design for engine pylon systems;• structure design for engine air intake;• installation design for electrical systems;• design for insulation blankets;• installation design for aerofoil hydraulic systems.

Under our continuous improvement programme, we look to broaden our scope of competencies, the objective being to establish the most comprehensive and widest possible industry offering. Our offering has to range from technical skills to supervisory skills and project management.

GECI Romania started its first deliveries for AIRBUS in the early 2000s. Since then our DEO has been involved in the majority of projects launched by the French manufacturer:

• Primary and secondary fuselage structure design for the A320, A330, A340, A380 and A350 XWB, and the rear ramp of the A400M.

• Primary and secondary engine pylon structure design for the A350 XWB, A400M, A320neo and A330neo.

• Installation design of engine pylon systems for the A350 XWB, A400M, A320neo and A330neo.

• AIRBUS A350 XWB ATA923 & 924 – installation of systems and support for electric harnesses.

• AIRBUS A350 XWB insulation blanket – the creation of 3D models with 2D developed template.

• AIRBUS A350 XWB engine air intake – elementary and fitted parts, fixed brackets and overall plans for equip-ment and installations.

• AIRBUS A350 XWB – installation of aerofoil hydraulic systems – creation of 2D plans for simple and fitted tubes, overall plans for the installation of tubes.

• Migration of CATIA models from V4 to V5.

GECI Romania introduced a quality management system (QMS) based on standards EN9100 – 2009, and ISO9001 – 2008. In addition, we received NATO endorsement in February 2010.

The GECI Romania team works with specialists, most of whom are graduates from the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest. All our engineers have been trained in the use of CATIA V5 and the necessary specific modules. Many of them have also received outside training at AIRBUS approved institutes (ELS Toulouse and Hamburg) in the use of specific tools such as EnoviaVPM, PDMLink, GILDA, IP Manage-ment, and others.

The GECI Romania office is linked directly to SPAN AIRBUS through a secured protocol giving access to AIRBUS tools such as VPM, PDMLink, GILDA, TREND, and others. For data exchange, we have direct access to AIRBUS Supply and I-Share.

In April 2014, the GECI Romania office joined the ALTEN Group structure, and the Romanian team continues to support Group efforts in favour of our special customer AIRBUS, with whom they are endeavouring to play a major role in the Company’s “nearshore” strategy.

By Calin D., Director of GECI Romania

Project team, GECI Romania


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the event of cabin depressurisation. In addition, a number of issues, for instance the management of distance between aircraft and the optimisation of flight paths and runway taxiing, meet a major challenge for civil aeronautics in the years ahead, namely air traffic overcrowding.

Jean Luc C. and his team

AIRBUS EYAV,DESIGN & ENGINEERING OFFICE FOR COCKPIT FUNCTIONS

Between 2012 and 2014, ALTEN teams were engaged with the Flight Operations project, the objective of which was to introduce software solutions that would replace cockpit paper documentation with digital data (see ALTEN MAG June 2013).

“This successful project was our trump card to show that we were able to work on all cockpit functions, including the research programmes for new-generation cockpits. As with the previous project, we focused on our communities of pilots and avionics engineers to demonstrate our capacity to clearly comprehend the needs of airlines, pilots, air controllers, etc. and to devise a relevant list of functional requirements. And from that list, the production of specifications tuned to the expectations of our customer.

In addition to our recognised ability to structure projects and design systems, our strong point in respect of AIRBUS lies in the utilisation of our pilot competency, from both professionals and amateurs.

activities

Firstly, it is obviously essential to take on board the needs of airlines and users in terms of flight operations before, during and after the flight: flight plan, aircraft preparation, optimisation of performance, communication, management of stopovers, maintenance, etc.

However, the most sensitive task of all is operational evalua-tion, made through the capture and analysis of comments from pilots when we propose flight scenarios on customer simulators. This is all part of the thinking behind the continuous and iterative improvement process, and it also helps to demonstrate the appropriateness of the evaluated solution with regards to safety standards. For example, one of the functions is the automation of emergency descents in

By Jean Luc C., Project Manager


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real-life situations and versatility

This highly operational project requires the utilisation of real-life situations to create awareness for the engineers working on this subject and enable them to “put themselves in the pilot’s shoes” more easily. One important evolution from the original “Flight Operations” project is the demand for versatility. There are more functions to deal with, on more planes, which makes our work all the more rewarding but tends to disperse activity. In this area, we are the sole supplier to AIRBUS.”

THALES DEFENCE: NAVAL COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Thales, a global leader in maritime communications, has developed a com-munications management system for surface vessels or submarines. The system interconnects and manages all on-board commu-nications equipment (internal and external) and creates a genuine multi-platform communications network.

Backed by professional expertise in complex technical environments, ALTEN is actively engaged in the development of a bespoke system for each vessel, operating on ships now being built at the Saint Nazaire shipyards.

our engagement

Software development and MCO*• The creation of software modules (CSCI) for the

communications equipment to be used;• The maintenance of software on an operational

vessel geared to feedback or the implementation of new equipment.

Integration/Validation/Qualification (IVQ)• IVQ Software (software testing on simulated

platforms);• IVQ System (“full-scale” testing for the whole

system);• Drafting of test cards and test plans for qualification.

*Operational readiness

nEWs in BriEf

CNES, A DEVELOPMENT PLATFORM FOR LAUNCHERS

When it comes to launchers, the CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales) is an authority in the field of design and qualifi-cation working for the French government, but it also fulfils a role of assistant to the contracting authority.

The ALTEN platform within the launcher division synergis-tically covers three activities for Ariane 5ME and Ariane 6 launchers: Flight Control and Protection, Thermal Performance/ Structure/Materials, and Aerodynamic Environment.

Our engineers have carried out flight simulations geared to the characteristics of the rocket, payload, climate, trajectory, etc. For perfect tracking of the rocket’s trajec-tory until it goes into orbit, our teams have programmed, set and analysed automatic piloting. This high-stake project required a number of different model simulations and calculations with regard to thermal performance, materials, conductivity and radioactivity, together with the development of launcher aerodynamic models in order to conduct payload calculations. These studies were made using CNES in-house tools, simulation tools such as Matlab, development tools (C++, Python), fluid mechanical calculations (Fluent) and aerodynamic environment studies (Nastran). Additionally, ALTEN has published an article about the influence of wind speed on the optimisation of trajectories.

AIRBUS DEFENCE & SPACE: DEVELOPMENT OF THE CYBERSECURITY SYSTEM AIRBUS D&S is the AIRBUS Group division charged with the development of products and services designed for military use and astronautics.

The division is also specialised in cybersecurity and boasts major customers such as national governments, critical infrastructures and firms. The aerospace group offers a number of solutions for threat analysis and vulnerability, secured data infrastructures, cybersecurity training, etc.

AIRBUS turned to the ALTEN Group for the design and verification of IS security. ALTEN’s engagement comprises two major components. Firstly, the architectural design of the AIRBUS information system, involving secured logical architecture and the securing of IP addressing, plus the physical architecture through which to design the architecture of information systems for governments using WLAN or VPN-type networks. Secondly, a section more closely linked to software engineering. Beefing up the OS, intrusion tests and the development of tools are ALTEN’s key achievements in the software field, work that has helped us to reinforce security systems to prevent data theft, and to simulate attacks in order to assess system security and allow quicker detection of furtive cyber-attacks. Our consultants used international standards for information security, namely ISO/IEC 27001 and ISO/IEC 27002.


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THE DESIGN, VALIDATION AND QUALIFICATION OF NAVIGATION SYSTEMS FOR SAGEM DÉFENSE SÉCURITÉSagem, a part of the Safran Group, is a world leader for solutions and services in optronics, avionics, electronics and critical software for civilian and defence contracts.

The European front-runner and the world’s third largest producer of inertial navigation systems for aerospace, marine and land applications, Sagem is also the global leader for helicopter flight controls and the European n° 1 for optronic systems and tactical drone systems.

ALTEN holds the Studies and Validation framework contract with SAGEM DS and has conducted the following studies for inertial navigation systems:• pre-sale studies;• system specification for inertial units;• design of navigation algorithms;• development of behavioural simulators;• validation of inertial unit system;• environmental qualification in laboratories;• expertise for singular behaviours.

The applications for these systems are land, sea and aerospace for civilian and military markets (missile guiding systems, for example).

“Inertial units are systems used in naviga-tion that help identify the location, the speed and orientation of a moving object. An inertial core composed of accelerometers (motion sensors) and gyroscopes (vibrational or laser-type) measures the acceleration of the carrier’s rotation.

These measurements are then integrated with the help of algorithms calculating all related navigation data (position, speed and orientation). To enhance the precision of navigation data, the measurements from the inertial core are weighted with those from other sensors (GPS, odometer, current velocity, etc.).

ALTEN’s team of consultants, organised into an enginee-ring platform now being outsourced, works on the full V model cycle where system validation is predominant, verifying the proper acquisition of expected performances.

The test facilities used are heavy-duty and belong to SAGEM. Tests are conducted on material under real conditions, including a true-to-life situation with the product in a vehicle. The goal, of course, is a quest for higher performance from each model.

These techniques call for expertise in aerospace navigation. Skills in this field are few and far between and need to be maintained by team training and support. Our engineers, all of whom are experienced, must necessarily have an excellent understanding of the customer’s products and related implementation.”

Testimonial from Vincent de M., Platform Manager, aged 30, ESME SUDRIA


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nEWs in BriEf

ZODIAC AEROSPACEDESIGNING ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS FOR ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION ALTEN designs electronic circuits for primary and secondary power distribution boxes for Zodiac Electrical Power Systems, a world leader in this field for air-craft and system manufacturers. This is a product that has to be delivered “turnkey” to Zodiac’s customers (Embraer, Bombardier).

ALTEN commands the full analysis of the customer’s spe-cifications to then design the circuit’s electronic schema-tics, choose the appropriate components and devise the smartest location to optimise the routing of printed circuits. For the validation of electronic circuits, internal tests have been carried out geared to each product range and then tested in certified laboratories for qualification. Product monitoring, conducted during the implementation procedure, has led to real improvement in accordance with customer feed-back.

Conducted totally independently, this project called for full knowledge of the DO 160 “Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment” standard, which enabled a series of test environments and test pro-cedures to be set up for embedded aircraft equipment. Electronic CAD, the electrical schematics and the sche-matic review were conducted using Altium, Ki-Cad and Mentor Xpedition software.

Manufacturing

INDUSTRIALISATION OF A350 XWB COMPOSITE STRUCTURE ALTEN LISTED AS “MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING SERVICES STRATEGIC SUPPLIER” (ME3S).

The A350 XWB (eXtra Wide Body) is the first AIRBUS aircraft to use more than 50% of composite material in its primary structure. The industrialisation and the upsurge in production of these composite parts is a ma-jor challenge for the AIRBUS site in Nantes. The role of ALTEN was to offer assistance in the manufacture of sub-assemblies: the keel beam, centre wing box and air intakes, whilst writing up assembly instruction sheets and proposing methods and line adjustments. Helping the cus-tomer with cost management was also an objective in order to fully evidence the ROI achieved with the modifications made.

Testimonial from François G., Division Director


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Lastly, our engineers ascertained and took account of manufacturing or assembly defects. They were required to draw up derogation files, which were then submitted to the Design & Engineering Office. Aiming to assess the maturity of the manufacturing range (RMA or Routing Maturity Assess-ment), our teams conducted satisfaction surveys with works-hop personnel, a move that helped to evaluate the true robustness of applied methods.

During this project, ALTEN demonstrated its capacity to manage each and every stage needed for the manufacture of several composite structural elementary parts. We used a temperature-controlled clean room in order to eliminate dust during the laying of carbon wire and so respect the conditions laid down by the specifications. Furthermore, our teams had to solve all the issues related to assembly and the adjustment of interfaces between Composite/Titanium parts, and to the fact that titanium is much harder than alu-minium and consequently less deformable.

Lean manufacturing based on the elimination of waste during production processes led to considerable flexibility in the organisation of our teams. In 2009, ALTEN was already a Tier 2 partner for AIRBUS, i.e. we were supplying technical modules to another subcontractor who was directly linked to the AIRBUS Group. Since this project, we have enjoyed Tier 1 status, meaning we are able to supply complete and complex systems directly to the European manufacturer. Additionally, one of our consultants was named Work Package Manager dedicated 100% to management of the project.

After a highly selective listing procedure at AIRBUS, ALTEN has now been appointed “Manufacturing Engineering Ser-vices Strategic Supplier” (ME3S), meaning that we are now positioned as one of the group’s main suppliers.

custoMEr support

CUSTOMER SUPPORT ENGINEERING

The optimisation of customer support is central to the technical, economic and human challenges facing any company. It is a key factor in decision-taking and a major lever for business competitiveness. The ALTEN Customer Support facility for AIRBUS covers two major activities. One, managed by ATEXIS, is dedicated to the design and updating of technical documentation for the maintenance of aircraft and helicopters. The other, led by ALTEN consultants, concerns the maintenance and repair of aircraft structure and systems relating to all programmes for airlines, plus assistance to the contracting authority and functional support for Customer Support applications.

structure support activity

To extend the lifespan of their aircraft, airlines call in service providers to optimise and manage their maintenance and repair operations. Inside our Structure Support facility, our role is to draw up the timeline for all repair work connected to aircraft structure, then to ensure the effective validation of all technical justifications by the Design Office and DOAs (design operating approvals).We are also instrumental in improving the Structure Repair Manual. ALTEN conducts technical investigations and proposes changes to certain tolerance levels for the repair of structural parts. After verification by the Design Office and Customer Services, these changes help airlines to operate their aircraft more effectively.

*DOA : design operating approval


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systems support activity

ALTEN’s engagement concerns the Avionics System of aircraft. ALTEN teams are involved in tracking preventive maintenance and conduct analyses and recommendations for class 4, 5 and 6 operating incidents (i.e. no impact on piloting). We also lead continuous improvement activity by targeting recurring issues in order to improve the design and/or reduce the time needed by Customer Support to deal with incidents. Lastly, CEIS activity (Controlled Entry Into Service) consists in tracking the behaviour of equipment (technical data) in order to assess the performance of new systems.

aMoa activity and functional support

The IT department of AIRBUS Customer Support is tasked with issues related to the Customer Support function’s infor-mation system. Its role is to develop and maintain an efficient and customer-friendly IS eco-system. Applications may be for AIRBUS internal use or shared with AIRBUS customers, particularly airlines.

ALTEN is involved in the conducting of AMOA and functio-nal support activities. We assist our customer in the steering of projects throughout their life cycle, from the moment the need is expressed until the entry into service phase, and then throughout the application’s operational lifespan.

ATEXIS: THE DESIGN AND UPDATING OF TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION FOR AIRBUS GROUP AIRCRAFT AND HELICOPTERS

“ATEXIS, an ALTEN Group entity specialising in maintenance engineering, takes charge of projects throughout the V model cycle of customer support: the anticipation and

description of operations, the maintenance and operability of systems or equipment during the operating phase. ATEXIS is also in charge of training for operators and FSEs (Field Service Engineers) who work on products during this phase.

our technical Documentation activity for airBus and airBus helicopters

Throughout the series life of a product, any number of operations may be required, like the replacement of parts, repair work or the upgrading of safety standards. All these operations are carried out based on certified documentation drawn up in accordance with clearly defined rules and peculiar to each aircraft in service. Technical documentation is a discipline that concerns the safety of people and property, and for a service provider it represents a genuine commitment to responsibility. Manuals change continuously, according to the configuration of aircraft and equipment. A major effort in terms of documentation will be made in particularly for the lead version. Other incidents leading to technical modifications to aircraft, such as experience feedback from accidents or upgrades in regulations, also generate new documentation. This type of commitment from ATEXIS in terms of deliverables is therefore very much about meeting stringent requirements when it comes to scheduling. As you would expect, airlines cannot take delivery of an aircraft without comprehensive documentation.

our engagement

ATEXIS teams, comprising maintenance technicians and engineers operating on the more specific phases, take charge of technical documentation for the whole range of AIRBUS aircraft, both planes and helicopters. And of course, writers have to really know the products. By capitalising on the skills of our consultants, we have successfully built a lasting relationship with our customer. The contracts that bind us are stable as long as we maintain a high level of excel-lence and meet the unwavering requirements of RFT (Right First Time) and OTD (On Time Delivery).

Very significant future business prospects

The sector is reporting constant growth in the number of planes in service. Airlines are being created and we are seeing both the emergence of new markets (China and India, for example, where potential is enormous) and a boom in air traffic. AIRBUS, for whom we are now a major partner, accounts for more than 50% of world market share. The future shows no sign of problems of workload, on the contrary, everything points to peaks of activity that could be very significant, as is currently the case with the A350”.

By Stéphane OUGIER, Executive Vice President


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Quality

A TRANSVERSAL OFFERING FOR AEROSPACE AND DEFENCE: THE CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR QUALITY

When it comes to quality, our offering covers a number of sectors: product, process, so-called regulatory areas (certification, standards, qualification) and the supply chain. The ALTEN Centre of Excellence for Quality, created in 2011, deals with each of these hubs. For AIRBUS, our experts operate especially on the A350.

Questions for Stéphane L., aged 41, an indus-trial engineer and Head of Transversal Functions for the Aerospace and Defence Division.

« What is the objective of the altEn centre of Excellence for Quality?

The implementation of a suite of solutions: firstly online trai-ning and the e-learning platform, backed by instructor-led training whenever needed, for all our consultants but also, when requested, for the customer’s teams. ALTEN has set up a network of specialists able to trade best practices and step in on certain projects (given that some specialities are highly specific, such as for example the management of the cost of non-quality). Lastly, the Centre of Excellence supports the assembly of offerings and pre-sale propositions. To sum up, the goal is to keep full control over our know-how, to capi-talise and develop our offerings, and to run a network.

Who is the training for?

Mainly for our Quality consultants, but also for engineers from other functions, whose technical environments, in design & engineering offices, in factories, etc., require grea-ter awareness in this area. To date, over 600 consultants have benefited from training.

What impact does this structure have on altEn’s positioning in the aerospace sector?

The very existence of this structure has helped us to signifi-cantly strengthen our positioning in key activities. We are a key partner for AIRBUS across the whole DEO/Quality spectrum with, in particular, the roll-out of Quality standards, cost control and quality assurance in the fields of systems, airframe, cabin, testing and flight physics. ALTEN was selected to operate on the A350 programme, including conformance, quality certification and company customer quality. Meaning that we are supporting each and every area of quality in a major European industrial programme.

What are the keys to customer relations?

The strength of our propositions for continuous improvement and optimisation. This is typical of the way we operate because it is integrated in individual goals and is one of the criteria for the career advancement of our engineers; they are assessed on their capacity for constructive analysis and trained in these optimisation processes (Lean-type). Today, Tier 2 suppliers and equipment manufacturers consult us on these functions and on our comprehensive know-how in the field of cost reduction (process, methodology, techni-cal analysis, the development of preventive approaches, etc.)».

airBus standards Standards: Implementation of Quality management system (ISO 9001, 14001, EN 9100, HSE, etc.)Deployment of AIRBUS procedures on supplier premises (AMDEC, PPS, GRAMS, GRESS, etc.).

Testimonial from Stéphane L., Project Director


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supply-chain

AIRBUS HELICOPTERS

ALTEN is now the sole supplier for operatio-nal procurement with AIRBUS HELICOPTERS thanks to an innovative “clean-break” econo-mic model that meets the cost and perfor-mance challenges inherent in supply chain functions.

On 16 March 2015, ALTEN won a tender from AIRBUS HELICOPTERS for that division’s operational procurement business. The ALTEN Group was selected for all seven perimeters proposed by AIRBUS HELICOPTERS and so became sole supplier for operational procurement (produc-tion and maintenance) over the next four years. This business translates to the management of over 300 suppliers and over 80,000 order lines p.a.

ALTEN has been partnering AIRBUS HELICOPTERS since 2006 for supply chain functions (procurement, scheduling and industrial transfers).

Much is at stake for our customer in this area, with a need to improve operational performance (increasing the OTD rate, optimal inventory management) while optimising management costs.

Ruling out classic approaches, which would have failed to meet the targets set by our customer, ALTEN has made a clean break from the existing set-up. We have engaged LEAN analyses of business to identify leads for optimisation, workshops with other lead players in this field (e.g. EDF, General Electric, PSA and Stelia) to identify best practices, and collaboration with an expert consulting firm for supply chains (Mobius) to put forward innovative solutions. This approach has enabled ALTEN to achieve a full 35% reduction in operational procurement costs over the next four years.

While ALTEN today has introduced an initial expert approach to operational procurement for AIRBUS HELICOPTERS, other industrial players have also taken an interest in our know-how. In time, ALTEN plans to develop a multi-customer service centre for operational procurement in order to further optimise management costs, for the benefit of our customers and for other business players such as SMEs.

« With this issue, we have taken up a huge challenge, building a structure of over 60 people for AIRBUS HELICOP-TERS. We have already been working on four of the seven sectors since 2007 (mechanical parts, structural parts, equipment for governmental craft and spare parts for 1st generation craft). AIRBUS HELICOPTERS is keen to harmo-nise the supply chain function across its whole structure. Focusing on the practices of our customer, we have delive-red a response whose innovative character lies with the creation of a central BPO unit (Business Process Owner), which ensures function uniformity and the global handling of basic issues. Our proposition echoed the wants and needs of AIRBUS HELICOPTERS in terms of performance, function structuring, standardisation and a significant reduc-tion in costs. All of these points will be at the centre of a continuous improvement process over the next four years.»

Testimonial from Patrick H., Project Manager


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MI-GSO IS AIRBUS « PREFERRED PARTNER » FOR PMO

With the A350-900 entry into service at the end of 2014 (1st aircraft delivered to Qatar Airways in December), AIRBUS has demons-trated a very high level of maturity in Project Management. This program had to face multiple chal-lenges: technological, industrial and operational… All of that with a very clear target right from the beginning: the aircraft was to fly, to be certified, and to be delivered with the right level of maturity («right first time») in a reduced timeframe.

MI-GSO, the ALTEN Group’s solution specialized in Project Management, is AIRBUS « Preferred Partner » for PMO through its P&PM Center of Competence. MI-GSO has partnered with AIRBUS over the whole program to support the manufactures’ teams in achieving their goals.MI-GSO engineers involved in this program have been embedded as PMOs within the A350 project teams, in charge of structure, equipment, powerplant, systems, tests, manufacturing and FAL (Final Assembly Line), on all deve-lopment sites (France, Germany, England and Spain).The PMO supports project leaders in their TCQP accounta-bilities (Time, Cost, Quality, Performance), to facilitate the decision making process: • Check the physical progress of the project and estimate

remain to do,• Identify the gaps and analyze the impacts, • Suggest and monitor actions plans to align on targets• Set up dashboards and relevant KPIs

The A350 program continues with the development of its -1000 version. This first and largest family derivative is now in its definition phase, and test flights are planned to start in Q3 2016. MI-GSO teams, benefiting from this experience, have contributed to set-up innovative Project Management solutions

By Jean-Michel A., CEO Advisor

offErings froM our suBsiDiariEs

AVENIR CONSEIL FORMATIONAVENIR CONSEIL FORMATION provides CA-TIA V6 training for SNECMA as part of the deployment of the Industrial Platform (Methods Offices) solution. Additionally, we handle CATIA V5 training for all entities within the SAFRAN Group.

We provide CATIA V6 training for SNECMA as part of the deployment of the Industrial Platform solution (Methods Offices for the preparation of intermediary manufacturing resources). The four-day training programme is intended for a pool of 150 method preparers in charge of drafting work instructions.Additionally, we handle CATIA V5 training for all the entities within the SAFRAN Group (SNECMA, AIR-CELLE, MESSIER BUGATTI DOWTY, SAGEM, LABINAL, SAFRAN ENGI-NEERING SERVICES, TURBOMECA, etc.) as the lead training provider for SAFRAN university. The contract, sig-ned more than two years ago, has already resulted in our giving over 200 days of training to group employees and is part of a lasting partnership.

*P&PM : Project and Programme Management*PMO : Project Management Office

NEWS

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portraits

« My challenge at ALTEN UK: strengthen our positioning on aerospace projects and diversify business towards other transport sectors. ».

Damien, who joined ALTEN as a Business Engineer specialising in the aerospace sector and with initial experience at AIRBUS, won very quick promotion with the ALTEN South-West agency and after two years was appointed Senior Agency Manager. He then accepted the challenge from ALTEN to move to a position with ALTEN UK in December 2014.

“The UK offers significant prospects for business development in fields such as aerospace engineering, particularly with electrical systems and mechanics (aerofoil, landing gear) for the A350. In particular, the country has two major AIRBUS sites: an aerofoil engineering centre in Bristol and a production centre in Chester.

We also have at hand significant business potential with equipment manufacturers working for Bombardier, Dassault, the Swedish aircraft manufacturer SAAB, and of course AIRBUS. ALTEN UK now has a high growth target and recent months have brought to light real potential and a market that responds positively to our ambitions. This is a fast-growing trend thanks to the new opportunities characterised by significant developments and investment in the fields of energy and aerospace, and for transport in general. The British economic picture is now positive and full of opportunities for business and growth. So my roadmap is eventually to diversify our business outside the aerospace industry.”

For our new and recently inaugurated building at Saint Martin du Touch, we organised a competition for consultants aimed at choosing a name for the site that would represent our values and our technological and human excellence.The name chosen was André Turcat. ALTEN is immensely proud that Mr Turcat, an iconic figure in the history of aeronautics, should agreed to “lend” his name to one of our buildings. We were honoured to meet him on our site, where a commemorative plaque was unveiled at the inauguration ceremony on 20 November 2014. It carries a quote he has always cherished: “To invent, it is not a bad thing to have dreamed”.

André Turcat, born on 23 October 1921, was the chief test pilot for Concorde and flew the first flight in March 1969. He was also a French Air Force pilot and a test pilot for the Nord 1500 Griffon, which he flew at the record speed of Mach 2.19. He also holds several other aeronautical records.

Leslie C., Head of Recruitment and Communication, put three questions to André Turcat at the reception held following the building’s inauguration.

Damien B., Icam, Coaching Business Manager, ALTEN UK.

André Turcat Concorde test pilot

altEn MEEts…

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world speed record over 100 km in a closed circuit flight in 1959.

André Turcat’s new book, “Une soif d’apprendre” (Hunger for Learning) will be out in bookshops very shortly. The French title is taken from “Citadelle”, by Antoine de Saint Exupéry.

*The Nord 1500 Griffon was a prototype supersonic fighter developed in the 1950s by the publicly-owned company Nord-Aviation. It was built in response to a tender from the French Air Force for a fighter capable of breaking Mach 2 by 1960.

*Source Wikipedia

lc: how do you see the future of french aerospace?

a.t. : JRight now I am struck by the absence of new projects in the range of commercial supersonic aircraft. Projects are focusing on drones or corporate aircraft but there are no plans to develop supersonic craft for passengers. Yet there are still huge stakes in shorter flight times across the Atlantic and the Pacific.

lc: What are the technological breakthroughs we might imagine in the aerospace sector today? What is there left to conquer? a.t. : In my opinion, there are still advances to be made in aerodynamics and therein big savings from engines, especially supersonic engines. However, the progress made with subsonic engines is already very considerable. In this sector, I can’t see how we can invent anything better for the time being. Likewise for military aircraft, which I see all countries have acquired on a major scale.

lc: What are the most powerful images you still have of your career?

a.t. : Concorde’s maiden flight, of course, an historic aircraft. The public have forgotten the names of the pilots who flew the test flights for AIRBUS, for example. There is a sort of injustice about my usurping all the glory, thanks to which I still have the pleasure of being invited to special events like today!

The other image would be the Griffon*, which was deployed in France after the war and with which I beat the

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Alten Mag 5 (english version) - Aeronautics

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