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SQ A380 Wing Repairs?

EK413 From Australia, joined Nov 2003, 3920 posts, RR: 4
Posted (9 months 1 week 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 11515 times:

Hello All,

Just stumbled across a photo of a SQ A380 @ LAX and was curious if the aircraft suffered any damage to the wing?

Reason I ask is the fact a large section of the wing has obviously been painted...

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Click here for bigger photo!

Photo © Sam Chui

Any idea what happen...?

EK413

Hello Tomorrow... Where will tomorrow take you?

16 replies: All unread, jump to last

9vswr From Singapore, joined Jun 2008, 54 posts, RR: 0
Reply 1, posted (9 months 1 week 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 11442 times:

I don't have any answers, but I noticed this phenomenon some time ago in another picture on the database and am curious to learn more too.

View Large View Medium
Click here for bigger photo!

Photo © Kavin Kowsari - AirTeamImages

EK413 From Australia, joined Nov 2003, 3920 posts, RR: 4
Reply 2, posted (9 months 1 week 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 11410 times:

Quoting 9vswr (Reply 1):
I don't have any answers, but I noticed this phenomenon some time ago in another picture on the database and am curious to learn more too.

Glad I'm not the only one which noticed...

EK413

Hello Tomorrow... Where will tomorrow take you?

oldeuropean From Germany, joined May 2005, 1904 posts, RR: 4
Reply 3, posted (9 months 1 week 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 11333 times:

Quoting 9vswr (Reply 1):
I don't have any answers, but I noticed this phenomenon some time ago in another picture on the database and am curious to learn more too.

This looks more like an experiment with some different paint than a repair – but who knows.

Wer wenig weiss muss vieles glauben

breiz From France, joined Mar 2005, 1808 posts, RR: 2
Reply 4, posted (9 months 1 week 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 11235 times:

Quoting EK413 (Thread starter):
Any idea what happen...?

Singapore found that two of its A380s had the famous small cracks in the wing skin brackets and had then repaired.

Says Airbus:
"The European airframer confirms that if airlines choose to undertake the repair "nose-to-tail" it will require around eight weeks to implement. However Airbus says that it expects most operators would opt to adopt the phased approach spread out over three two-year heavy checks which is less disruptive. In this case, it expects the repair would extend each two-to-three week heavy check by "a few days".
" An Airbus wing specialist on the A380 said the airframer's investigations indicated that parts were being stressed at some point during the manufacturing process, which involves drawing the wing skin over the built-up rib and spar assembly before attaching it."
"Rib feet are L-shaped brackets, about 9in (23cm) tall, which connect the wing skin to composite rib structures. There are some 30-40 on each rib spanning the wing."

I do not know yet which A380s are involved.

oldeuropean From Germany, joined May 2005, 1904 posts, RR: 4
Reply 5, posted (9 months 1 week 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 10960 times:

Quoting breiz (Reply 4):
Singapore found that two of its A380s had the famous small cracks in the wing skin brackets and had then repaired.

But these cracks, inside the wing coudn't be a reason to paint the upper surface of the wing.

Wer wenig weiss muss vieles glauben

breiz From France, joined Mar 2005, 1808 posts, RR: 2
Reply 6, posted (9 months 1 week 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 10934 times:

Quoting oldeuropean (Reply 5):
But these cracks, inside the wing coudn't be a reason to paint the upper surface of the wing.

I assume that to replace the faulty brackets, they had to remove the skin of the wing. They have then replaced it by a skin plate of a different shade of colour.
I understand the repair was done in Singapore, not in Toulouse. Aluminium plates come in all sort of grey colour shades.

Quoting breiz (Reply 4):
Singapore found that two of its A380s had the famous small cracks

Correcting myself: it is actually 6 Singapore aircraft which have/had cracks.

[Edited 2012-08-19 06:03:35 by SA7700]

AngMoh From Singapore, joined Nov 2011, 327 posts, RR: 0
Reply 7, posted (9 months 1 week 1 day 20 hours ago) and read 10761 times:

Quoting 9vswr (Reply 1):
I don't have any answers, but I noticed this phenomenon some time ago in another picture on the database and am curious to learn more too.

Note that this photo is dated 12 July 2011.

Quoting breiz (Reply 4):
Singapore found that two of its A380s had the famous small cracks in the wing skin brackets and had then repaired.

The first repairs for cracks were done in Jan 2012.

Quoting EK413 (Thread starter):
Any idea what happen...?

If it were the cracks, shouldn't there be repairs at both sides?

So I don't think this is related to the cracks.

zeke From Hong Kong, joined Dec 2006, 7727 posts, RR: 73
Reply 8, posted (9 months 1 week 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 10696 times:

Quoting breiz (Reply 6):
I assume that to replace the faulty brackets, they had to remove the skin of the wing. They have then replaced it by a skin plate of a different shade of colour.

As far as I am aware, the repair work is done from inside the tank.

We are addicted to our thoughts. We cannot change anything if we cannot change our thinking – Santosh Kalwar

breiz From France, joined Mar 2005, 1808 posts, RR: 2
Reply 9, posted (9 months 1 week 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 10549 times:

Quoting AngMoh (Reply 8):
Note that this photo is dated 12 July 2011.

Ouch, good point!
Nothing to do with the cracks then

xdlx From United States of America, joined Aug 2008, 532 posts, RR: 1
Reply 10, posted (9 months 1 week 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 9805 times:

On the outside edge you can read .... "we know about this"

my235 From United States of America, joined Mar 2009, 90 posts, RR: 0
Reply 11, posted (9 months 1 week 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 8270 times:

I wonder what the Qantas 380 wing loks like after getting repaired from the uncontained engine.?

flyingcello From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2010, 104 posts, RR: 0
Reply 12, posted (9 months 1 week 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 7812 times:

AFAIK, the A380 skins are single milled pieces...so this change in colour is not a separate panel, but a painted or treated area of the main skin.

22886 From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2001, 392 posts, RR: 0
Reply 13, posted (9 months 1 week 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 5759 times:

my235: this is what the repairs look like on VH-OQA

my235 From United States of America, joined Mar 2009, 90 posts, RR: 0
Reply 14, posted (9 months 1 week 1 day 6 hours ago) and read 4795 times:

Quoting 22886 (Reply 13):
this is what the repairs look like on VH-OQA

Thanks for those!

kanban From United States of America, joined Jan 2008, 2468 posts, RR: 21
Reply 15, posted (9 months 1 week 13 hours ago) and read 1833 times:

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Quoting breiz (Reply 6):
I assume that to replace the faulty brackets, they had to remove the skin of the wing.

definitely no skin removal required

Quoting 22886 (Reply 13):
my235: this is what the repairs look like on VH-OQA

looks like the repairs were done in a cheap body shop.

blowing up the second wing picture, it appears to have a non aerodynamic surface.. however it may just be irregular painting in small blocks by hand vs. airgun.

bikerthai From United States of America, joined Apr 2010, 1601 posts, RR: 4
Reply 16, posted (9 months 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 1315 times:

You know,

It looks like they are performing some sort of paint experiment. Note that one patch is white and one patch is dark.

I wonder if it have to do with laminar flow experiment and they are trying on different finishes?

bt

Intelligent seeks knowledge. Enlightened seeks wisdom.

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