A380: problems with escape slides

[DAIRD]

I heared about some troubles about the escape slides of the A380's. Seems all
escape slides have to be maintained after a few flights due to a chemical disintegration of the bursting charge (which is to be used to release the slides in emergency). Does anyone know details?

[Alessandro]

Sounds strange, I think the manufacturer is an US company, anyone recall their name?

[hansonator69]

Sounds strange, I think the manufacturer is an US company, anyone recall their name?

Goodrich Corporation.

[Kell Kong]

Goodrich Corporation.

That says it all....

[IberiaMD-87]

Maybe I am wrong but the German magazine "Stern" published this information too and claimed that "custumers" are reporting problems. I thought that so far only Singapore Airlines is a costumer with operating experience?

Regards

[screaming_emu]

Maybe I am wrong but the German magazine "Stern" published this information too and claimed that "custumers" are reporting problems. I thought that so far only Singapore Airlines is a costumer with operating experience?

Regards

Cause Singapore has deployed the slides sooooo many times!

--drunmnk

[AA 1818]

Well - you know what - things could be alot worse. As for the A380, I am just impressed that Airbus can evacuate that many people from an aircraft that fast. BTW, do the slides deploy from the upper level as well?

As for the statement that the customers were reporting problems, I think that it had to do with the delayed arrival. For the most part, SQ has said that they were incredibly happy with (and further that the A380 surpassed their expectations) the product and in retrospect the delay was worth the wait. I am not so sure if all will see it that way, but for the most part, at least we are not having huge mechanical faults with the airframes and the like...

[Dmmoore]

First the slides deploy from the upper and lower decks. I believe all doors have slides.

The problem with the slides are not related to the manufacturer (Goodrich Aerospace) but with the requirement Goodrich had to build slides from aircraft on a production schedule. About 10 ship sets of slides were produced before Airbus adjusted the delivery dates. These slides have a fixed shelf life (time limit) before they must be refurbished and in addition, a hard time limit on the inflation bottle. Because of the production delay, the slides scheduled for installation on the next few aircraft are running into time limit issues with the slides and several other pressure cylinders as well.

The only customer flying the only A380 is service is very happy with the aircraft's performance.

[Kell Kong]

And on a happy note, dispatch reliability is still 100%, hard to reach with only 2 aeroplanes... And the translation of the german article must be wrong, as there is still only one customer, SQ...

[Dmmoore]

And on a happy note, dispatch reliability is still 100%, hard to reach with only 2 aeroplanes... And the translation of the german article must be wrong, as there is still only one customer, SQ...

Not hardly after SQ pushed it back in the mud and left it there overnight. Mechanically, it's 100%. Dispatch reliability is considerably less.

There is only one A380 in scheduled service.

[Kell Kong]

Not hardly after SQ pushed it back in the mud and left it there overnight. Mechanically, it's 100%. Dispatch reliability is considerably less.

There is only one A380 in scheduled service.

You mean Operational reliability then Don..

DR is only calculated with delays imputed to technical causes.. Towing accident is not to be counted as an aircraft system defect.. and there are 2 A380s delivered to SQ Don...

For your perusal:

http://www.iii.co.uk/news/?type=afxnews&articleid=6540084&subject=companies&action=article

[TAP-A343]

Further news:

Airbus is seeking a substantial increase this year in the operational duration of cartridges used to activate escape slides on the A380, after admitting that it currently has to replace the components after 70 flights.

It is planning to increase this interval five-fold, to at least 350 flights, by summer and to reach a higher figure – which Airbus describes as a “normal” level – by early 2009.

The airframer says the components are only used for activation of the eight non-overwing slides on the lower main deck of the A380.

Escape slides for the A380 are manufactured by US firm Goodrich. The manufacturer is deferring to Airbus on the matter.

Airbus stresses that the relatively-frequent replacement, performed as a routine part of scheduled maintenance, is not a safety issue. “This was known and approved well before entry into service. It has no impact on the operation of the aircraft,” says an Airbus spokeswoman.

“Goodrich is working on increasing [the interval],” she adds. The spokeswoman points out that the A380 has demonstrated extremely high dispatch reliability since introduction with Singapore Airlines in October last year.

Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles...actuators.html

[Dmmoore]

You mean Operational reliability then Don..

DR is only calculated with delays imputed to technical causes.. Towing accident is not to be counted as an aircraft system defect.. and there are 2 A380s delivered to SQ Don...

For your perusal:

http://www.iii.co.uk/news/?type=afxn...action=article

Depends on what part of the world you operate. We used "Dispatch Reliability" as the term for delays affecting the dispatch of the aircraft. We never used the term "Operational Reliability" but feel free, the end result is the same.
I quote from your article:

PARIS (Thomson Financial) - EADS unit Airbus denied a report in the German magazine Stern that said its super-jumbo A380 aircraft has problems with how frequently it must replace the cartridges that deploy its emergency evacuation slides.

The system was designed to have the cartridges replaced at periodic intervals. Seventy flight legs does seem to be a bit restrictive, but that is the way ir was designed. Therefore it's not a "Problem". Improving cartridge life will be a service improvement.

Has 9V-SKV made a scheduled flight? If so two A380's are in scheduled service.

[Kell Kong]

Depends on what part of the world you operate. We used "Dispatch Reliability" as the term for delays affecting the dispatch of the aircraft. We never used the term "Operational Reliability" but feel free, the end result is the same.
I quote from your article:

PARIS (Thomson Financial) - EADS unit Airbus denied a report in the German magazine Stern that said its super-jumbo A380 aircraft has problems with how frequently it must replace the cartridges that deploy its emergency evacuation slides.

The system was designed to have the cartridges replaced at periodic intervals. Seventy flight legs does seem to be a bit restrictive, but that is the way ir was designed. Therefore it's not a "Problem". Improving cartridge life will be a service improvement.

Has 9V-SKV made a scheduled flight? If so two A380's are in scheduled service.

Don,


I am not sure I got your point with the bold "denied", that must be because of my poor understanding of English subtleties..Especially when written by Brits..

Anyhow, you were right concerning the DR, I reviewed my basics and DR is the ratio for all scheduled flights, whereas OR is calculated based on technical interruptions only.

So I should have referred to an Operational Reliability of 100%, my mistake.

A tow truck failure cannot be counted as an aircraft system defect, neither can a pilot late arrival at work due to a hangover... I agree that pax who are late anyway don't give a rat's **s to know why they' ll miss their commutation, but I thought a reknown unbiased member of the forum would not fall in the systematic denial anytime someone writes the word Airbus.... Not you Don..

Sorry, but as of today, operational reliability of A380 as reported by SIA (Source: SIA) is still 100%.. That is a fact.


And answer is yes, 2 A380 are in service in SIA (source SIA).. another fact

[procede]

Well, looks like both operational and dispatch reliability have gone down a bit:

Singapore Airlines was forced to make the first cancellation of an A380 service due to a technical problem yesterday, after its single operational aircraft suffered a fuel pump problem.

Source: flightglobal