0:00:01 > 0:00:06The landscape of north-east Wales is just breathtaking but here
0:00:06 > 0:00:10you'll also find the biggest manufacturing site in Britain.
0:00:10 > 0:00:16For me, its beauty lies in its industry. Just look at this,
0:00:16 > 0:00:18it's just stunning what's produced here.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24For over seven decades,
0:00:24 > 0:00:28Flintshire has been at the centre of Britain's aerospace industry
0:00:28 > 0:00:32and some of the planes built here even broke world records.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38The world is watching North Wales again as the engineers here
0:00:38 > 0:00:41revolutionise air travel as we know it.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47They create wings for some of the largest aeroplanes
0:00:47 > 0:00:51to fly in our skies and the latest A350
0:00:51 > 0:00:53has a ground-breaking new design.
0:00:55 > 0:00:56To find out how they're doing it,
0:00:56 > 0:01:00I'll be joining the team assembling one of these wings,
0:01:00 > 0:01:04uncovering the surprising secrets of their engineering along the way.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Stunning, just stunning.
0:01:06 > 0:01:11And finally, the ultimate test - I'll fly on these Welsh wings
0:01:11 > 0:01:14to discover whether their innovative design is helping to create
0:01:14 > 0:01:18the quietest and greenest commercial flight ever.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22Do you really like flying this plane? Oh, yes. Do you?
0:01:41 > 0:01:44'Number 242, Charlie Victor Hunter. Good morning again.
0:01:44 > 0:01:49'Join crosswind and report left-hand downwind runway 22...
0:01:49 > 0:01:51'IZ012.'
0:01:51 > 0:01:54I love the north-west coast, just look at that view.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59I grew up in Prestatyn and I used to sunbathe on that beach
0:01:59 > 0:02:03down there and look up and see the aeroplanes coming in
0:02:03 > 0:02:05and out of Liverpool Airport and think,
0:02:05 > 0:02:09"One day I want to fly a plane."
0:02:09 > 0:02:15It's taken me a long time to get there, but now here I am.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Hello, Prestatyn.
0:02:18 > 0:02:23# All I want is a pair of wings to fly... #
0:02:23 > 0:02:26On the radar, November 242 Charlie Victor.
0:02:26 > 0:02:31We are 11 miles to the north-west. Request joining instructions.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35I've recently qualified as a pilot, fulfilling my childhood dream
0:02:35 > 0:02:39and this is the first time I'd ever flown low over my home patch.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43What I didn't realise when I was growing up is that North Wales
0:02:43 > 0:02:48is one of the hubs in the world for aeronautical engineering
0:02:48 > 0:02:51and down there is where they build some of the best
0:02:51 > 0:02:53parts of aircraft in the world.
0:02:57 > 0:03:03Airbus Broughton is located on a massive 750-acre site in Flintshire.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Here they build wings and then transport them
0:03:05 > 0:03:09on this extraordinary plane to the south of France.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Everything they do is on a gigantic scale.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25And their latest ground-breaking design is taking
0:03:25 > 0:03:28the aeronautical world by storm.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31My little plane isn't as big but she's just as loved.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35'November 2 Charlie Victor...'
0:03:35 > 0:03:38I'm flying in to find out how these brand-new wings are setting
0:03:38 > 0:03:41a new benchmark standard for fuel efficiency.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44'You're parking on Bravo with the Beluga.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48'So once runway vacated at Bravo, follow the marshal's instructions.'
0:03:57 > 0:04:00It's cutting-edge stuff, we may never fly in the same way again
0:04:00 > 0:04:03and it could all be down to some Welsh wings.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15Broughton is famous for building wings.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19The wings of an aeroplane are critical to how the plane flies,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22its handling and its fuel efficiency and this year
0:04:22 > 0:04:28they're celebrating 75 years since production first began on this site.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Today they're supplying some of the most popular airlines
0:04:31 > 0:04:35in the world and that keeps around 6,000 Welsh workers busy
0:04:35 > 0:04:37and I get to join them.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39So you're the man in charge here?
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Yes. Good to see you here. Welcome to Broughton.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44This is where we build A350 wings.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49The A350 is one of the most advanced aircraft in the world.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53It's made of advanced materials, 70% of the product is advanced materials
0:04:53 > 0:04:57and 53% of that is carbon-fibre composite.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Carbon fibre is a form of soft graphite,
0:05:01 > 0:05:03just like what's found in the centre of a pencil.
0:05:03 > 0:05:08It's mixed with plastic resin to make carbon-fibre composite.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12It's tough, lightweight but extremely flexible.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15We're currently building one pair, two pairs per month
0:05:15 > 0:05:18but by the end of this year, we've got to get to five pairs per month.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22Within a year? That's a five-times increase, that's correct.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25I understand you know a little bit about engineering, Carol.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28Compared to you, about that much. Would you like to join us?
0:05:28 > 0:05:30I'd love it, I really would love it. OK, great.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34The moment has come for me
0:05:34 > 0:05:37to get hands-on experience in building one of these wings.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41This uniform reminds me
0:05:41 > 0:05:45of when I was a very junior engineer at the Dinorwig Power Station
0:05:45 > 0:05:49in Snowdonia and, of course, we had the capped shoes or boots,
0:05:49 > 0:05:55the boiler suit or overalls, and the obligatory hard hat.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Yes, sir.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03They call this the washing line and you can see why.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06Except here, we don't have clothes hanging down,
0:06:06 > 0:06:09we had the skins or the covers of the wings.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12This is the top cover
0:06:12 > 0:06:15and this one here is a much more curvy bottom skin.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21What's so remarkable about these is that they are the largest
0:06:21 > 0:06:27single pieces of carbon-fibre composite ever made in the world.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31That gives you some indication of just how revolutionary
0:06:31 > 0:06:32this place is.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39Good afternoon, Station 82. So to start with, safety, OK?
0:06:39 > 0:06:41No near misses, no accidents.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44It's the start of shift and we're all lined up for the team briefing.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48Some of us will be supporting MSN25's removal from jig.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Any issues?
0:06:50 > 0:06:54Right, thank you very much, guys, have a nice afternoon.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58My first job is to move this two and a half tonne carbon-fibre
0:06:58 > 0:07:02top skin of the wing into the jig so we can work on it.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04To manoeuvre it around the factory,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07we're using a special vehicle known as the AGV.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12All right, Carol? Hiya. Your time to shine today. All right, then.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14You going to help us out? Yeah, moving the cover.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Going to move the cover today. Is that for me? Yup.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19I hope it's the right size.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22I have got my certificate in forklift-truck driving.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26It's not quite the same, is it? That's not going to help us today.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29So I put this around my waist, do I? This is the dead-arm box.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32What does that mean? Me colleague's going to be driving.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34What does a dead-arm box mean? If there's a problem
0:07:34 > 0:07:37and we're swinging and we're coming to a bollard,
0:07:37 > 0:07:39if you think it's unsafe...
0:07:39 > 0:07:43Yup. ..take your hand off that and the machine, AGV, will stop.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45Just cuts out. Cuts out straight away.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47And that's worth millions, isn't it? Er...
0:07:47 > 0:07:51At a guess, I think probably 1.1 million, 2 million. Yeah.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53So... One, two. Yeah, it's only...
0:07:54 > 0:07:56It's only carbon fibre, eh? It's only money, isn't it?
0:07:56 > 0:07:58"It's only money"!
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Ready? Good to go. Right, I'm sticking with you, Rossy.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05This is brilliant, the way this moves. It's fantastic.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07These wheels are incredible.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11I think it's roughly about ?8,000 a wheel.
0:08:11 > 0:08:12Is it really? Yeah.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22This is an extremely delicate manoeuvre
0:08:22 > 0:08:25and you can feel the pressure.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29The team knows that one false move could cost a fortune.
0:08:32 > 0:08:37Take your hand off now and it stops straight away. It's looking like...
0:08:38 > 0:08:41..possibly may have to move this frame. Move this?
0:08:44 > 0:08:48This AGV not only manoeuvres but it can also lift this heavy
0:08:48 > 0:08:52and expensive piece of wing. Going over the top? Yeah.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56The first flight. First flight, yeah.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Luckily, it has just enough reach to clear the frame.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02It's been designed by the Americans, is that right?
0:09:02 > 0:09:05I think that's German. I think Kuka's...
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Say that again, what was it? LIVERPUDLIAN ACCENT: German.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10Stan Boardman. I know, yeah!
0:09:12 > 0:09:15The next stage in the manoeuvre is to lift this delicate top skin
0:09:15 > 0:09:21right up to the ceiling of the hangar and then across to the jig.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24The frame uses 103 vacuum suckers just like the suckers
0:09:24 > 0:09:29to hold your cuddly toy in the car but just a little bit more powerful.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35I feel as though I'm attached to this wing now...
0:09:35 > 0:09:38in some kind of ethereal way.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41Go on, Carol, give it a full whack.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44A bit of welly? Yeah, go on. Go, baby, go.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50She doesn't swing as fast, then, does she? No.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52The quicker it's in the air, the safer.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58But she's safe, tidy up there.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01She's safe, she's not swinging and she's happy to be drilled in now.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04No problems. So I'm going to take her into the jig now. Yeah, go on.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06And then we're going to lock it down.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08All right, I'll hold your paper. Thank you.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15While I leave Rossy with the tricky job of positioning the top skin,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18I'm going underneath to get my hands dirty
0:10:18 > 0:10:22and come face-to-face with those carbon-fibre wings.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24All right, boss, what are we going to do?
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Basically, the machine comes in and drills all the cover
0:10:27 > 0:10:28but it can't get in this area
0:10:28 > 0:10:30because it clashes with the cantilever.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34The pressure is on me now to drill the perfect hole.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38The drill I'm using here is powerful and, to stop costly mistakes,
0:10:38 > 0:10:40it's completely automatic.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Perfect. One down, several thousand to go.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54Although, I've got a sneaky feeling that someone's drilled some already.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57That's it, a good hole. Thank you very much.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03Choosing carbon-fibre composite over old-fashioned aluminium
0:11:03 > 0:11:06has meant huge changes for the workers here.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08I mean, the thing is, for someone who's a passenger,
0:11:08 > 0:11:13what it's made of is so completely different, isn't it? Yeah, yeah.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17Kind of the cleverness is hidden almost. Yeah, it was just metal.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19We've worked with metal for so long
0:11:19 > 0:11:23and now all of a sudden it's just different. It's like NASA.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27It was like going from the cave to NASA. It was!
0:11:27 > 0:11:31We were like cavemen. Cavemen to astronauts in a week.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36AMERICAN ACCENT: Failure is not an option.
0:11:37 > 0:11:41Working with carbon fibre has completely changed how
0:11:41 > 0:11:43the wing can be shaped.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45The curve in this panel could mean cheaper fares
0:11:45 > 0:11:50for everyone as it reduces fuel burn by 25%.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53To understand how, I'm going back to the basics of flight.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57It's the wing that gives us lift.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01Now, I'm going to show you just with a little drawing how it works.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05So I'm going to draw my wing here and, generally on a wing,
0:12:05 > 0:12:10the curvature on the top of the wing is greater than on the bottom
0:12:10 > 0:12:15and there's a reason for that. So, this is my airflow.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19So when a wing is moving through the air, you see that a dot on this
0:12:19 > 0:12:26bit of air coming over has to go all the way over the top of the wing.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31A similar dot just travels underneath
0:12:31 > 0:12:34and then they meet up at the back and then on they go.
0:12:34 > 0:12:35Now, the thing is, when this one
0:12:35 > 0:12:38going over the top of the wing travels,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42it has to go faster than the bit of air on the bottom,
0:12:42 > 0:12:45so what you get is you have high pressure on the bottom,
0:12:45 > 0:12:47low static pressure on the top
0:12:47 > 0:12:52and the high pressure pushes the wing upwards and that is the force
0:12:52 > 0:12:57that we call lift or, when you look at an aeroplane, I call it magic.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04It doesn't matter if it's a jumbo jet or a bumblebee,
0:13:04 > 0:13:06they each achieve lift in the same way.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Now, if you don't believe me, you can do this at home.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Get a bit of paper, OK? Static pressure the same,
0:13:13 > 0:13:16the weight of the paper is hanging down.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20When I blow across the top, the pressure on the top will reduce
0:13:20 > 0:13:22and we will have lift.
0:13:26 > 0:13:27You see?
0:13:30 > 0:13:31But once in the air,
0:13:31 > 0:13:35the shape of the wing determines the way the aeroplane flies.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39The best way to demonstrate is with a bit of aeronautical origami.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42I think you're a bit of a neater folder than me, Carol.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Is that what it is? You're after speed.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47And as a former fighter-aircraft designer,
0:13:47 > 0:13:49Roy Scott knows all about it.
0:13:49 > 0:13:50One of the main principles is
0:13:50 > 0:13:53the angle of the wing relative to the fuselage, to the body.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56So, for example here, what we're looking for is a very
0:13:56 > 0:13:59stable flight on a passenger aircraft.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03What we do is slightly fold the wings upwards to give that
0:14:03 > 0:14:06upwards effect and that's called a dihedral wing. Dihedral.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10Dihedral effect. Uppy wings. Yup. Yup.
0:14:10 > 0:14:11And the Harrier Jump Jet, for example,
0:14:11 > 0:14:14where we want an unstable aircraft because it can roll fast...
0:14:14 > 0:14:17You worked on that as well. That's correct, yes, down at Thornborough.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20..the wings are formed downwards in an anhedral effect.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24So if you look at fighter aircraft you can see that. Yup. OK.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26So mine, theoretically, should go the furthest.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29And mine should do the rolling and spinning and all of that.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32OK. Three, two, one.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47Yes! Yay! So yours was spinning quite a bit.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49Mine somehow nosedived.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53So maybe there was a secret paperclip in there. I think that's what it was.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04Airbus is one of the biggest employers in Wales.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Building wings keeps a workforce of over 6,000 busy.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15There are currently only a few completed A350s in service
0:15:15 > 0:15:20but the pressure is on to supply 780 pairs of wings on order
0:15:20 > 0:15:22to customers such as Qatar Airways.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29But this factory has a long history of working against the clock.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32'This is a bomber factory in Britain.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35'The workers have arranged with their management and their
0:15:35 > 0:15:37'joint production committee to build a bomber
0:15:37 > 0:15:40'in the record time of 30 hours.'
0:15:40 > 0:15:44This is Broughton back in 1943.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48Here, a team from the factory are attempting to set a world record
0:15:48 > 0:15:51to build a whole Wellington bomber aeroplane.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54'You can get some idea now of the size of the bomber.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56'It's almost 65 feet long.'
0:15:56 > 0:15:58During the Second World War,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01while the men were fighting on the front line, women were
0:16:01 > 0:16:05clocking into factories all over Britain to help in the war effort.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08'The progress they are making speaks for itself.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12'For it's only 10 o'clock, one hour from the starting time.'
0:16:12 > 0:16:16Betty Weaver was one of the women trying to smash that world record.
0:16:16 > 0:16:21She was recruited to work here from the local Co-op. She's 94 now.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24The first day I turned up, there was two of us together.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27We had our photograph taken to put on a pass.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30I was handed the largest white boiler suit
0:16:30 > 0:16:34I've ever seen in my life and a wooden box with tools in it.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39And I didn't know which one to use or which end to start
0:16:39 > 0:16:42but I was thoroughly taught for about three weeks.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Yeah.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47And that was it, I was on my own.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51So here was this massive production line and little Betty...
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Big Betty. CAROL LAUGHS
0:16:55 > 0:16:58So which job were you given, then, on the whole construction?
0:16:58 > 0:17:00What was your job on it?
0:17:01 > 0:17:05Well, it was the intercom inside the plane where the crew
0:17:05 > 0:17:08kept in touch with each other. OK.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12Two ladies before me used to run the cable through the plane... Yeah.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15..and there was a box there at each station... Yeah.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18..so that the pilot could keep in touch
0:17:18 > 0:17:20with all of his... All the crew.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24..the navigator, the wireless operator, second pilot
0:17:24 > 0:17:27and I connected the boxes up.
0:17:27 > 0:17:29And did that remain your job through the war, then?
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Yes, all the way through. So everybody specialised in one thing?
0:17:32 > 0:17:38Exactly. Because the wings and the fuselage were fabric, weren't they?
0:17:38 > 0:17:42Basically, yes. The cover of them was fabric. Yup.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46It was linen that they stitched on and they had to do 12 stitches
0:17:46 > 0:17:48to an inch.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50If there was one stitch missing,
0:17:50 > 0:17:54it had to be undone and redone. No! Yes.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57And then it was dumped over the top
0:17:57 > 0:18:00until it was like the skin of a drum, more or less.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02Really hard. Yeah.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06And so the inspectors checked... Very, very strict. Very strict.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08Well, it had to be, didn't it? Exactly.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11People's lives depended on it. Absolutely, yeah.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Betty and her fellow workers gave up their weekend to try to break
0:18:16 > 0:18:18that world record.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22'Here comes the test pilot, Gerald Winnie, a really amazed man.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24'He was planning to fly the bomber this afternoon
0:18:24 > 0:18:28'but so fast has this aircraft been completed that they got him
0:18:28 > 0:18:31'out of bed to put the bomber through its paces.'
0:18:31 > 0:18:34It was wartime propaganda at its very best,
0:18:34 > 0:18:39aimed to bolster spirit at home and put the wind up the enemy.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42So, did they break the record? 'The record?
0:18:42 > 0:18:45'Yes, they broke it, those workers.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49'They said they'd build a bomber in their spare time in 30 hours.
0:18:49 > 0:18:56'Its wheels lifted from the ground in exactly 24 hours and 48 minutes.'
0:18:56 > 0:18:59How on earth that thing got off the ground, I'll never know.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01I really don't.
0:19:01 > 0:19:02There we are. Yeah.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08Broughton has a long history of producing aeroplanes.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11In 1949, the Hornet took to the skies
0:19:11 > 0:19:14after De Havilland took over the site.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17The Heron was built in the 1950s and the Beaver
0:19:17 > 0:19:21and the Chipmunk were also built in Broughton.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Some aircraft became flying legends, like the Mosquito
0:19:24 > 0:19:26and the Comet Mark 4.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30This sleek, silver plane was the fastest airliner of its day
0:19:30 > 0:19:31to cross the Atlantic.
0:19:34 > 0:19:42Now, then, this is the most modern production area of wings... Yeah.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45'And I couldn't let Betty leave without a glimpse
0:19:45 > 0:19:49'of the latest wings.' Look at all of this here.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Just go to this barrier. You all right? Yeah.
0:19:54 > 0:19:55Wonderful.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58That is one big piece of material,
0:19:58 > 0:20:01it's not put together in any way, it's just made like one piece.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03And that is the bottom of a wing there.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06That's as big as a Wellington bomber would have been.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08It is. It is, yes. Gee!
0:20:09 > 0:20:13But there's no-one stitching fabric in here, Betty.
0:20:13 > 0:20:14Thank goodness!
0:20:14 > 0:20:16Ooh, what a job.
0:20:16 > 0:20:17Unbelievable.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24'I can't help but be astonished by Betty's story.'
0:20:24 > 0:20:27You can imagine all of those young girls, and men,
0:20:27 > 0:20:31learning these incredible new skills in this, you know,
0:20:31 > 0:20:38strange place, building bomber aircraft at a ridiculous rate.
0:20:38 > 0:20:39Quite incredible,
0:20:39 > 0:20:43but, you know, we should all be thankful that they did do it.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55A Welsh wing is beginning to take shape.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57With the top skin fixed on,
0:20:57 > 0:21:00it's time for the next phase of work to take place.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06And how things have changed from when I started out as an engineer.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10As a woman, I was a rare sight in a male-dominated world.
0:21:10 > 0:21:11But here at Broughton,
0:21:11 > 0:21:14I've seen more women engineers at work than ever before.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18One of them is Bridie Welsh,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21and she's the expert when it comes to the skeleton of the wing.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26Underneath, what you've got here is your spar, made of carbon fibre.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29And this goes the whole length of the wing?
0:21:29 > 0:21:32The whole length of the wing. Yep, to provide stability. Exactly.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34And then we've got our ribs in between.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36So, what's interesting about these
0:21:36 > 0:21:39is they're made from aluminium instead of carbon fibre,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42because the loads, the forces, are quite complicated.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44Bridie and her team
0:21:44 > 0:21:47design the complex internal structure of the wing.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49That's because these wings do more
0:21:49 > 0:21:52than just lift the plane off the ground.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55They're also the fuel tanks for the aircraft.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58The fuel tanks are right at the centre... Yeah.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01..and moves out to around about rib 28.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05And how much fuel do the wings take? It's just under 100,000 litres.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09Is it really? Yeah. That's massive, isn't it? It's a lot of fuel. Yeah.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11And when the bottom is on,
0:22:11 > 0:22:16the fuel is actually touching up against this, isn't it? It is.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20Against this aluminium. So, how does that operate?
0:22:20 > 0:22:22Do you have fuel pumps that take it through?
0:22:22 > 0:22:26What we have is baffles, holes within the ribs,
0:22:26 > 0:22:29which allow the fuel to move throughout the rib base.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33Without it just being one great big slosh, I suppose. Yes.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37So, you know when you go out on the town, do you go into Chester? I do.
0:22:37 > 0:22:38OK.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41And the lads chatting you up, beautiful young girl,
0:22:41 > 0:22:43and they're going, "What you do?"
0:22:43 > 0:22:45and you say, "I'm an engineer," what do they say?
0:22:45 > 0:22:47They do get a bit of a shock, yeah.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49THEY LAUGH
0:22:49 > 0:22:50I'm not surprised.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55Older commercial aircraft have up to eight fuel tanks.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58The A350 only has three.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01One tank is under the main body of the aircraft,
0:23:01 > 0:23:03while the other two are in the wings.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06Between them, they hold enough fuel
0:23:06 > 0:23:09to fly from London to New York and back again.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Oh...
0:23:12 > 0:23:15Just coming up through an inspection hatch.
0:23:15 > 0:23:20I'm inside the wing now, the big end, if you like, of the fuel tank.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24Lots and lots of ribs stretching a long way in that direction.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28You know, it's remarkable to think that this will be sealed
0:23:28 > 0:23:31and the fuel inside here
0:23:31 > 0:23:33will go through the pumps, and so on, into the engine,
0:23:33 > 0:23:37and no-one will ever come into here again.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39So many people working on this. Hello!
0:23:39 > 0:23:41MAN: Hello?
0:23:41 > 0:23:42CAROL LAUGHS
0:23:48 > 0:23:52Our wing is nearly complete but, first, it needs a good clean.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57It's transported to this huge hangar
0:23:57 > 0:23:59where they look for the tiniest bit of debris
0:23:59 > 0:24:02that may have been left behind during its manufacturing.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07I'm meeting local woman Beth Pickering,
0:24:07 > 0:24:09who's one of the youngest managers on the site.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17So, Beth, there are these FOD signs everywhere - foreign object debris.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20So, none of it's allowed through there.
0:24:20 > 0:24:21Nothing is allowed into there
0:24:21 > 0:24:24that isn't already accounted for on our sheets.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26So, I'm going to have to ask you
0:24:26 > 0:24:28to empty your pockets of any personal belongings.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32OK. Keys, phones. And put them all into this locker here.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34OK. So, anyone's working in this area,
0:24:34 > 0:24:36they've got to get rid of all this stuff? Yeah.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39So, anything that we don't need on the aircraft,
0:24:39 > 0:24:42we decant into what we call our FOD lockers. Yeah.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Any tooling that is needed we account for on the sheets,
0:24:44 > 0:24:46so it's signed in and it's signed back out,
0:24:46 > 0:24:48and this ensures the security.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50Brilliant. OK, am I allowed to go in? Yes.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52Now we can walk into the FOD area. Excellent.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01If I just pass you this wipe. Right.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03What we're going to do is just clean an area
0:25:03 > 0:25:06to make sure that the cleanliness... OK.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10So, if I wanted to clean under here, I can't actually see that. Yeah.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12So, this is why we use a mirror,
0:25:12 > 0:25:14just to make sure that we get a continued look
0:25:14 > 0:25:17around all of the product, so you can see every single...
0:25:17 > 0:25:20Yeah, I know, it's not like being at home, is it?
0:25:20 > 0:25:21Cos you can't sort of...
0:25:21 > 0:25:23You know, you're quite restricted in how you can move.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25It is, so the mirror's really important,
0:25:25 > 0:25:28to make sure that we don't miss any part of this bay
0:25:28 > 0:25:29when we're doing an inspection.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32Yeah. So you can see every angle. Yeah.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Oh, yeah, I can see it's picking up... So, how small...?
0:25:34 > 0:25:36Cos I've got quite a bit there already.
0:25:36 > 0:25:41How small an object would you be looking for?
0:25:41 > 0:25:44So, we're looking for the tiniest of fibres.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46So, when we're doing this clean and this inspection,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49we're looking for any of the residue from the manufacturing processes.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53Yeah. We were also doing trials and tests with our suppliers
0:25:53 > 0:25:55to get our wipes to be as low-linting as possible.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57So THEY don't leave fibres behind.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00So even the wipes you're cleaning with don't leave fibres. Wow.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03What are you like when you're cleaning your house?
0:26:03 > 0:26:05BETH CHUCKLES
0:26:05 > 0:26:09It's spotless. It's to the same standard. Right answer!
0:26:09 > 0:26:11It's ingrained in you when you've been on the shop floor. Yeah.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16So, after several months in production,
0:26:16 > 0:26:20the 32-metre wing sits on the factory floor.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Tomorrow morning, it will leave Wales
0:26:22 > 0:26:25and head towards the South of France.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29It's the end of shift, and I've heard from my new buddies
0:26:29 > 0:26:32there's a celebration around the corner in the social club.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36From the bygone days of Vickers-Armstrong
0:26:36 > 0:26:38to Havilland and British Aerospace,
0:26:38 > 0:26:41veterans and ex-workers are getting together
0:26:41 > 0:26:45to celebrate 75 years of aircraft production at Broughton.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47I've been invited along
0:26:47 > 0:26:50and there's no mistaking the pride still felt
0:26:50 > 0:26:52by the people here tonight.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Hello, boys.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58Everyone, in their own way, loved working here.
0:27:03 > 0:27:04We were sheet metal workers.
0:27:04 > 0:27:10And we were like a big family. Honestly. It was like a big family.
0:27:10 > 0:27:11I worked in the plan room,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14giving all the drawings out to the men when they came.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Members of your family have worked here? Oh, yes.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20My sister, my brother-in-law, my late husband. Daughter-in-law.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24Myself, my daughter-in-law. The whole family. Everybody.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27I've been admiring all these black-and-white photographs
0:27:27 > 0:27:28that are around.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31I know. Which are mine. Which are yours, I know.
0:27:31 > 0:27:3730 years, I was in charge. Were you? Sorting this lot out.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41I didn't realise you were a North Wales girls. I'm a North Wales girls.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43Born and bred.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46And our Betty's having a lovely time as well.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50MUSIC PLAYS
0:28:03 > 0:28:06An absolutely beautiful evening.
0:28:06 > 0:28:07But it's time to go to bed.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12I've got work again tomorrow. This site never rests.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Our wing is preparing to take its first flight.
0:28:22 > 0:28:23Today, it's leaving Broughton
0:28:23 > 0:28:27and is being transported to Toulouse in the South of France.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29And it's catching a lift
0:28:29 > 0:28:32on the strangest-looking aeroplane you will ever see.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39Oh, beautiful.
0:28:42 > 0:28:43SHE LAUGHS GLEEFULLY
0:28:45 > 0:28:46Whoa!
0:28:50 > 0:28:53This is called a Beluga,
0:28:53 > 0:28:56cos it's shaped like a whale, a beluga whale.
0:28:56 > 0:28:57Look at that high forehead.
0:28:57 > 0:29:01It's like a normal aircraft with this huge bit attached to it.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03It's absolutely stunning.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06The company's got five of them, and it's used
0:29:06 > 0:29:11to transport various pieces of a new aeroplane to Toulouse,
0:29:11 > 0:29:14where they assemble all the wings and the fuselage and everything -
0:29:14 > 0:29:16all goes to Toulouse.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18That is extraordinary.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Oh, what a privilege!
0:29:20 > 0:29:23MUSIC: Fly Away by Lenny Kravitz
0:29:35 > 0:29:39'The last and most critical job of loading a wing onto the Beluga
0:29:39 > 0:29:42'is down to the team, with a tiny bit of help from me.'
0:29:42 > 0:29:46Are you ready, boys? We're going forward.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49Just keep that on firmly, unless I shout "stop". Just let it go.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51They might have a fault with the aircraft.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53You spelt "forward" wrong.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02'And I've literally only got inches on each side to play with.'
0:30:02 > 0:30:06Do you see how close the edge of the wing is there to the aircraft
0:30:06 > 0:30:08and at the other end?
0:30:08 > 0:30:11This is the widest part of the wing, the root, you know,
0:30:11 > 0:30:14the bit that attaches to the fuselage.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17I just...!
0:30:19 > 0:30:22This is a big plane. It's the company's workhorse.
0:30:22 > 0:30:27But despite its size, it can only carry one A350 wing at a time.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31I've managed to squeeze on board to help deliver our wing.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35# I want to get away
0:30:35 > 0:30:39# I wanna fly away
0:30:39 > 0:30:44# Yeah, yeah, yeah
0:30:44 > 0:30:47# I want to get away
0:30:47 > 0:30:50# I wanna fly away... #
0:30:50 > 0:30:52After a two-hour flight,
0:30:52 > 0:30:55the Beluga touches down in Toulouse in the South of France.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02It's here that Airbus receives thousands of parts
0:31:02 > 0:31:04from suppliers in Spain and Germany
0:31:04 > 0:31:07and the construction of the aeroplane begins,
0:31:07 > 0:31:10just like a massive Meccano set.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Our wing is now carefully unloaded and transported
0:31:13 > 0:31:17ready to be attached to the fuselage of the A350.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32The site here in Toulouse is five times bigger than Broughton
0:31:32 > 0:31:35and about 25,000 people work here.
0:31:35 > 0:31:36But look at this.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40This is where they start to assemble this fantastic jigsaw puzzle.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44You've got the fuselage, the main body where we sit in an aircraft.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47Then you've got these beautiful wings all the way from Wales
0:31:47 > 0:31:48being attached.
0:31:48 > 0:31:53You can see the tailfin going in, the horizontal tailplane,
0:31:53 > 0:31:54the landing gear.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56It's all coming together.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58And it's all being done quite quickly.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04So, how many Welsh boys and girls are working in Toulouse?
0:32:04 > 0:32:07We've got about 50 altogether. Yeah?
0:32:07 > 0:32:11So, we've got design engineers, MAP engineers,
0:32:11 > 0:32:13also got production, operations, quality.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15It's exciting, isn't it?
0:32:15 > 0:32:19And you, a boy from Mold... I know. ..coming to work in Toulouse. Yes.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21Did you ever think you'd end up working in something like this?
0:32:21 > 0:32:23No, it's exciting times for me.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27I've been here for seven years now, my family, and I'm still excited.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29Really? I enjoy getting up for work. I know, yeah.
0:32:31 > 0:32:35See how beautifully that's milled there? Isn't that lovely?
0:32:35 > 0:32:36It's lovely work. It's excellent.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39'As Paul and I get to know each other,
0:32:39 > 0:32:42'we realise we share a surprising link.'
0:32:42 > 0:32:48I did a course once on milling and lathing in Wrexham Tec.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52Very good. Yeah. I've been there myself. You were at Wrexham Tec?
0:32:52 > 0:32:56Yeah, a long time ago. I bet mine was a bit further back than yours.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59Early '80s, I was there with Wrexham Football Club
0:32:59 > 0:33:02and they used to send us one or two days a week. Yeah.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06Cos it's only across the way, next to the Racecourse Ground, so...
0:33:06 > 0:33:10So, we operated in the same grease together, then, is that right? Yeah.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13It was quite dirty, then, though, wasn't it?
0:33:13 > 0:33:15You know, stuff spilling out everywhere.
0:33:15 > 0:33:17I think it's gone a lot more hi tech now. Yeah.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20There's a lot of inspecting to do, isn't there,
0:33:20 > 0:33:22from the time the wing arrives
0:33:22 > 0:33:24to when the fuselage comes and it's all fitted.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27Yeah. So, there are, what, five test planes built?
0:33:27 > 0:33:30There's five test aircraft... Yeah. ..which are on flight tests.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34So, they do all the different tests that they go through. Absolutely.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38It's a good feat, especially when the first one of these went up last year.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41Did you see it? Yeah, excellent, yeah. When it flew from here?
0:33:41 > 0:33:45Yeah, we were all outside. First test flight? First test flight. Oh-ho-ho!
0:33:45 > 0:33:48How exciting's that? Everyone was...pushing it up!
0:33:48 > 0:33:52Yeah, all peddling! No, it was a sense of achievement, really. Yeah.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57Until this point, the A350 had never flown.
0:33:57 > 0:33:58Three, two, one...
0:33:58 > 0:34:02So, imagine the pressure on the test pilots as the whole world looked on.
0:34:02 > 0:34:03100.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09CHEERING
0:34:14 > 0:34:16..Fine. Gear stays down.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31Getting the chance to step inside
0:34:31 > 0:34:34these extraordinary manufacturing sites
0:34:34 > 0:34:38makes me realise just how clever we humans can be.
0:34:38 > 0:34:43I've been told when the paperwork accompanying the aircraft
0:34:43 > 0:34:47is as heavy as the plane itself, they've got things right.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51So, when we jump onto an aeroplane to go on our holidays,
0:34:51 > 0:34:54most of us just take the whole thing for granted.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00This is my first look inside the fuselage.
0:35:03 > 0:35:04Oh, wow.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08That is stunning.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10I've never seen anything like this before.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14I mean, you can see the insulation, the different coloured installation.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16That's to keep us warm as passengers
0:35:16 > 0:35:19and to stop the noise from coming in as well.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21And then all the seats go in here.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24You can see some of the tracks already laid down.
0:35:24 > 0:35:29This is 67 metres long, the whole fuselage. Which is...
0:35:29 > 0:35:32If you take an Olympic-sized swimming pool,
0:35:32 > 0:35:35the length of that, and then you add on about 17 metres,
0:35:35 > 0:35:39about 50 feet, that's how long it is.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43And this flies over oceans. It's extraordinary.
0:35:43 > 0:35:44So, where are the wings?
0:35:44 > 0:35:48Well, they're fixed in between the doorways.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50So, you can see here...
0:35:52 > 0:35:53..at the front of this door.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57And...doors to manual.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00And the second set.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04So, anybody sitting here is sitting alongside the wings.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07And you can see them flex beautifully in flight.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11And the detail - I mean, everybody working on here -
0:36:11 > 0:36:13of the electronics, of the air...
0:36:13 > 0:36:17I mean, just everything, is actually quite extraordinary.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21But this, actually, first class or not, is the best seat of all.
0:36:21 > 0:36:22These...
0:36:22 > 0:36:24Hello! Bonjour.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27These people are working on the cockpit.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37Finally, our second wing has arrived from Wales
0:36:37 > 0:36:39and is being attached to the fuselage.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44To finish it off, there are a couple of very important pieces
0:36:44 > 0:36:47of French finesse to be added.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50And here they are. These are called winglets.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53They're like a French extension to our Welsh wings.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56They're made of the same material, carbon fibre,
0:36:56 > 0:37:00and they make the wings look distinctive, elegant, graceful,
0:37:00 > 0:37:02cool, if you like.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04That's not why they're fitted.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06You see, what happens when the aeroplane is flying,
0:37:06 > 0:37:10you have a much greater static pressure underneath the wing
0:37:10 > 0:37:12than you do on top.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15That's how you get lift, that's how the aeroplane rises.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18But the problem comes at the wing tip.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22Because when these two different pressures of air come together,
0:37:22 > 0:37:27they create mini-tornadoes behind the aircraft - vortices.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31That creates what's called drag, or air friction.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33And what that means when you're flying a plane
0:37:33 > 0:37:37is that you need more power to go at the same speed.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40And if you need more power, you need to use more fuel.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46To solve this problem, engineers turned to nature for the answers.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52This is a tawny Indian eagle.
0:37:53 > 0:37:58For millions of years, birds have been the perfect flying machines.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01Airbus employs engineers to study nature,
0:38:01 > 0:38:04to learn valuable lessons from animals and birds.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07It's called biomimicry engineering.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10By studying how this beautiful eagle flies,
0:38:10 > 0:38:15they have unlocked the secret to the problem of those vortices.
0:38:15 > 0:38:20Isn't he stunning? Yes, you. His wingspan is around two metres.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22And he is a bird of endurance,
0:38:22 > 0:38:24because he has to stay on the wing for hours on end
0:38:24 > 0:38:26looking for his prey.
0:38:26 > 0:38:31And he can only do that by using as little energy as possible.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34Now, the A350 engineers have been studying...
0:38:34 > 0:38:38effectively, the ruthless efficiency of his wings
0:38:38 > 0:38:42and using that natural technology,
0:38:42 > 0:38:46or elements of it, in the design of the aircraft.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50So, we're going to use... Yes, we are, and you're going to behave.
0:38:50 > 0:38:54..a slow-motion camera to record him flying
0:38:54 > 0:38:58and then play it back to you and you can see exactly what happens.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13Dr Norman Wood is an expert in aerodynamics.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16He's been studying the performance of this bird
0:39:16 > 0:39:19to improve wing design in new aircraft.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23It's magnificent. It's a beautiful bird, isn't it?
0:39:23 > 0:39:27Yes, a very good example of really perfect aerodynamics.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30So, an eagle, built for endurance,
0:39:30 > 0:39:34has to fly on the wing for very many hours.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37Doesn't want to use too much fuel. No.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39Its own energy, in effect. That's right.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41And it's exactly the same principle that replicated
0:39:41 > 0:39:43with the wings of the A350?
0:39:43 > 0:39:46Yes... Light, with the composite.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49It's the very light wing, it means we can adopt new strategies,
0:39:49 > 0:39:53because we're now using the carbon fibre. Yeah.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57And we couple that with this more detailed understanding
0:39:57 > 0:40:02of the specifics of the wing shape to get the minimum drag we can.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05What the eagle has managed to achieve is the perfect match
0:40:05 > 0:40:07between a very light, efficient structure
0:40:07 > 0:40:10and a very efficient aerodynamic shape,
0:40:10 > 0:40:13with the tips slightly turned up to reduce drag.
0:40:13 > 0:40:18Just as the A350 has the winglets. Just as we've done on the 350. Yeah.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20And you can see the similarity straightaway
0:40:20 > 0:40:24when you see the shots of the eagle as it comes towards us,
0:40:24 > 0:40:25how it mimics...
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Well, WE'RE mimicking its shape. Absolutely, yes.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30It's not mimicking the A350!
0:40:30 > 0:40:32They'd got it right several thousand years ago,
0:40:32 > 0:40:35and it's still with us, so it must be right. It must be right.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38And as we've evolved over 40 years of Airbus wings,
0:40:38 > 0:40:40you can see innovations coming in,
0:40:40 > 0:40:45not just in the way we've adapted the shape,
0:40:45 > 0:40:49but going beyond that to see how the bird actually controls that shape,
0:40:49 > 0:40:52how it controls itself in flight.
0:40:52 > 0:40:57And we're now adapting those things into the wings on the 350 as well,
0:40:57 > 0:40:59so it reacts to its environment.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02Maybe not quite as effectively as the eagle,
0:41:02 > 0:41:03but we're getting there.
0:41:03 > 0:41:07And it's coming in to land, flaps down. Flaps down, wheels out.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10Eyes on the target.
0:41:10 > 0:41:11THEY CHUCKLE
0:41:13 > 0:41:14There's a good boy.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18There's a good boy.
0:41:18 > 0:41:23The new design of the A350 wing reduces fuel burn by 25%.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25And over half of that saving
0:41:25 > 0:41:30is by adding these small, yet ingenious winglet devices.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32It has a huge impact on the environment.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36A greener and more efficient flight thanks to the eagle.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46It's remarkable to think that a whole A350 plane
0:41:46 > 0:41:48takes just months to build,
0:41:48 > 0:41:53from a jigsaw of individual parts, from factories all over Europe.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58And here it is - the first aircraft they've designed and built,
0:41:58 > 0:42:02which is more than half - 53%, in fact - carbon fibre.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05And I'm standing under one of the incredible wings
0:42:05 > 0:42:07all the way from Wales.
0:42:07 > 0:42:08And you think inside,
0:42:08 > 0:42:11the journey in terms of the story that that wing has made.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13You know, we've got the ribs in there,
0:42:13 > 0:42:15we have the spar, we have the stringers.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17It's just stunning.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19And, of course, right at the very end,
0:42:19 > 0:42:22the upturned wings of the eagle, the winglets,
0:42:22 > 0:42:26which make this aircraft so incredibly efficient.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36But one of the best things of all for me
0:42:36 > 0:42:39is that I get to be one of the very first passengers
0:42:39 > 0:42:40on board the prototype.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49This is one of the five A350 test planes to be built.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51And it's still being used by engineers
0:42:51 > 0:42:53to test the aircraft to its limits.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58And where better to go than straight to where I feel at home -
0:42:58 > 0:43:00the cockpit?
0:43:00 > 0:43:02Peter Chandler is the chief test pilot at Airbus.
0:43:02 > 0:43:04He was the brave man
0:43:04 > 0:43:07who took the very first A350 to the skies in 2014.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12Some impressive displays here, Peter.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15What are you testing in that first test flight?
0:43:15 > 0:43:18That first test flight... In fact, the first two flights,
0:43:18 > 0:43:20we were what we call opening a flight envelope.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22So, the normal flight envelope,
0:43:22 > 0:43:24that's from the low speed to the high speed
0:43:24 > 0:43:26and from low altitude up to high altitude.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28Just checking the handling of the aeroplane
0:43:28 > 0:43:30so that we can actually identify
0:43:30 > 0:43:33the natural characteristics of the aeroplane.
0:43:33 > 0:43:37What element of the wings has made the most significant difference,
0:43:37 > 0:43:38do you think, to the A350?
0:43:38 > 0:43:40I mean, the design of the wing
0:43:40 > 0:43:42is state-of-the-art in terms of the aerodynamics.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44And the fact that we have the ability
0:43:44 > 0:43:47just to very slightly extend flaps during cruise,
0:43:47 > 0:43:51so it's basically changing very slightly the camber of the wing,
0:43:51 > 0:43:55only by maybe one or two degrees' extension of the flaps.
0:43:55 > 0:43:57This is interesting, cos the control column is over to...
0:43:57 > 0:44:00Well, to the right here, to the left if you're the captain. Yes.
0:44:00 > 0:44:03Yes, since the mid-'80s, with the A320,
0:44:03 > 0:44:07we've had these sides sticks as the means of controlling the aeroplane.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10Do you like flying with them? I find it very comfortable.
0:44:10 > 0:44:14And it just cleans up the cockpit so much. You've got a nice, clear view.
0:44:14 > 0:44:16And, of course, the other advantage of having a side stick,
0:44:16 > 0:44:18if I could just show you... Yes.
0:44:18 > 0:44:22It allows us to have a table, which has two modes.
0:44:22 > 0:44:26We have a keyboard in there which is the interface
0:44:26 > 0:44:30which we can use for, for example, typing requests for weather.
0:44:30 > 0:44:31Perhaps the more important setting
0:44:31 > 0:44:35is that which allows you to eat very comfortably!
0:44:35 > 0:44:38Which is a major concern for all airline pilots.
0:44:38 > 0:44:42WOMAN: Ladies and gentlemen, in preparation for takeoff,
0:44:42 > 0:44:43please fold away your table,
0:44:43 > 0:44:46ensure your seat back is in the upright position.
0:44:46 > 0:44:48Thanks a lot for your attention.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50We're taxiing out to the runway now
0:44:50 > 0:44:55and the pilot, the captain, has changed the curvature of the wing.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58So, he's put this slats at the front down slightly,
0:44:58 > 0:45:01the flaps at the back down slightly.
0:45:01 > 0:45:07And that means that we can take off at a much lower ground speed
0:45:07 > 0:45:09than we would without this happening.
0:45:09 > 0:45:13And that's because it provides greater lift at a slower speed.
0:45:13 > 0:45:15So, now...
0:45:15 > 0:45:19Oh, here we go. Off we go. Full throttle.
0:45:19 > 0:45:22He needs to get to what's called the speed of rotation
0:45:22 > 0:45:25so that he can pull back on the stick,
0:45:25 > 0:45:29the wings will lift us into the air, which is going to be beautiful.
0:45:31 > 0:45:33A350.
0:45:33 > 0:45:34Welsh wings.
0:45:41 > 0:45:45So quiet! The engines... I'm sitting right next to the engine.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48And up we go. Isn't that beautiful?
0:46:01 > 0:46:04It's very quiet inside. I've got my decibel counter here.
0:46:04 > 0:46:08It's showing around about 75, 76 decibels, which is...
0:46:08 > 0:46:11Well, if you consider that a normal conversation
0:46:11 > 0:46:15is around about 70 decibels, that's not bad.
0:46:15 > 0:46:17But the beauty of the two engines here
0:46:17 > 0:46:20and the whole configuration of the aircraft
0:46:20 > 0:46:23is what's called the noise footprint outside.
0:46:23 > 0:46:26So, you know, when you're sitting at home and you live near an airport,
0:46:26 > 0:46:28how noisy is the aircraft when it's taking off,
0:46:28 > 0:46:31particularly when it's at full throttle?
0:46:31 > 0:46:33And generally, with this aircraft,
0:46:33 > 0:46:36it's so quiet that the noise footprint
0:46:36 > 0:46:41is held within the boundary of the airfield, which is astonishing.
0:46:42 > 0:46:44I'm not in the cockpit.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47I'm in front of what we call the flight engineer station.
0:46:47 > 0:46:52From that station, my job is to conduct the tests.
0:46:52 > 0:46:55So, of course, I'm not able to handle the aircraft. No.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58Because I have no stick, no thrust levers! Yeah.
0:46:58 > 0:47:02What kind of things would you be telling the pilot to do?
0:47:02 > 0:47:04So, the first test we have to do
0:47:04 > 0:47:07in the first month after the first flight
0:47:07 > 0:47:10is to do what we call stalls.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12We have to stall the aircraft,
0:47:12 > 0:47:16which means that we have to bring the aircraft to a given point
0:47:16 > 0:47:18where it does not fly any more. OK.
0:47:18 > 0:47:20A lot of people, when they hear "stall",
0:47:20 > 0:47:23they think of their engine in their car stalling.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25It's nothing to do with the engines. No.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27This is all to do with the wings. Exactly. Yes.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33Finding the aerodynamic stalling point
0:47:33 > 0:47:37is one of the most important safety characteristics of any aircraft.
0:47:37 > 0:47:41It's something every pilot has to learn to recover from.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44But, thankfully, Stephane isn't going to be doing it today.
0:47:47 > 0:47:50Setting the VORs and... Yeah. The needles.
0:47:50 > 0:47:54It's much more difficult. Yes, absolutely.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57Do you really like flying this plane? Oh, yes.
0:47:57 > 0:47:59Do you? Indeed.
0:47:59 > 0:48:03It's a very beautiful plane and it handles very well.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06All the pilots are delighted to fly it, yes. Yeah.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14This is where my story ends.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17It's been an experience full of surprises
0:48:17 > 0:48:20and unexpected discoveries.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22But my full appreciation
0:48:22 > 0:48:26of how much goes into building an aircraft has only just begun.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29MUSIC: Sky High by Terry Devine ft Elfed Hayes
0:48:40 > 0:48:41I'm back in Broughton.
0:48:41 > 0:48:45And, sadly, the time has come for me to book my own takeoff slot
0:48:45 > 0:48:47and fly off home.
0:48:47 > 0:48:49This airfield has been at the cutting edge
0:48:49 > 0:48:52of aeronautical engineering for 75 years.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55And it had a golden age back in the 1940s.
0:48:55 > 0:48:59But it seems to me as though it's now within a new golden era.
0:48:59 > 0:49:04It really is at the forefront of aircraft design on a global scale.
0:49:04 > 0:49:05And it's fantastic,
0:49:05 > 0:49:09cos it's where I grew up, in Flintshire in North Wales.
0:49:12 > 0:49:16# ..Take a ride on the wings of freedom with me now
0:49:16 > 0:49:18# High in the stratosphere
0:49:18 > 0:49:24# That's me making little white lines up in the air
0:49:25 > 0:49:30# I like to watch the world go round Yeah, baby, I'm a global overseer
0:49:30 > 0:49:32# And I...
0:49:32 > 0:49:35# Sky high, yeah, yeah
0:49:38 > 0:49:40# Sky high, yeah, yeah
0:49:40 > 0:49:44# Sky high, yeah, yeah
0:49:44 > 0:49:47# Sky high, yeah, yeah
0:49:47 > 0:49:50# Come on, fly with me, yeah
0:49:50 > 0:49:54# Sky high, yeah, yeah
0:49:54 > 0:49:56# Yeah, yeah, yeah. #
0:50:01 > 0:50:03We've challenged Radio Cymru's Aled Hughes