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DALLAS, DEC. 2, 2002 - Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc. recently celebrated a major milestone by completing the 200th set of integrated wings for the Gulfstream V (GV) series ultra-long range business jet.
Under a revenue-sharing agreement with Gulfstream established in 1993, Vought designed and produces the wings for the GV, including integration of the electrical, hydraulic and fuel systems. The first 94-foot-long integrated wing was designed and produced in 25 months, with an on-time delivery of July 18, 1995.
"It is an honor to work on the most technologically advanced business jet made today," said Russ Day, Vought's director of commercial programs. "A dedicated team of Vought employees uses advanced manufacturing technologies to build this wing. It's difficult making a good product better, but we did just that with the Gulfstream wing."
The GV series upper wing skin is a single sheet of machined aluminum, constructed using a technique called age-creep forming. The complete wing assembly includes flaps, ailerons, leading edges and trailing edges, as well as installed sub-systems. In addition, Vought produces the Gulfstream V radome. Vought's facility in Stuart, Fla., produces nacelles for the Gulfstream IV jet.
Gulfstream Aerospace, a subsidiary of General Dynamics, completed its first flight of the new Gulfstream G550 in July and expects to receive FAA certification later this year. The advanced plane has the longest non-stop flying range of any business jet in the world - 6,750 nautical miles at Mach .80 nonstop from New York to Tokyo. The modified G550 wing also has a strengthened internal structure that increases load capacity of the plane.
Vought Aircraft Industries, Inc. (www.voughtaircraft.com) is the world's largest independent supplier of aerostructures. Headquartered in Dallas, the company provides wings, fuselage subassemblies, empennages, nacelles, thrust reversers and other components for prime manufacturers of aircraft. Vought has more than 5,000 employees and annual sales exceeding $1 billion. It has operations in Dallas; Hawthorne, Calif.; Stuart, Fla.; and Milledgeville, Ga. |
