0:00:07 > 0:00:08Of course it's a gamble.
0:00:08 > 0:00:12Every time you launch a new commercial aerospace programme,
0:00:12 > 0:00:15you're betting the farm that it's going to be successful.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22This isn't just a beautiful wing.
0:00:22 > 0:00:27Inside this wing are the fuel tanks and a very complex fuel system.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36You're working on something so different compared to anyone else.
0:00:36 > 0:00:41Some of my friends are working down ASDA, and I get to work on the A380.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47As this wing unfolds, you'll see how big it is.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50You'll see what a massive task it is to take it out.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54You're standing there and you've got 29 tonne in the air.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59There are so many different parts,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02and you've got to know exactly, like the ailerons and the AGS.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06If you don't know what they mean, you're lost with what to order.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14This year, we're building four wings like this per month.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16Next year, we'll ramp up to six per month.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20It's a tough job for the whole team, but we'll get there.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Every single component has to be right.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30We joke that when the paperwork is heavier than the aeroplane,
0:01:30 > 0:01:32you're about close to getting it right.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49Nestled among farmland in North Wales,
0:01:49 > 0:01:52this is the Airbus factory in Broughton.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56It's the biggest manufacturing site now in the UK, over 6,000 employees.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59We're enormous, we actually did a sponsored run around the site and
0:01:59 > 0:02:01I think it was something like
0:02:01 > 0:02:06five and a half miles to run around the site.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09And the people that help build the world's biggest passenger jet
0:02:09 > 0:02:11are arriving for the morning shift.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20Factory boss Paul McKinlay starts each day walking the factory floor,
0:02:20 > 0:02:24keen to see for himself that things are running smoothly,
0:02:24 > 0:02:26and no detail goes unnoticed.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32It's so much more expensive to dispose of contaminated waste.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35So we need to make sure that we segregate in the right way.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38That's one of the things I do during process confirmation -
0:02:38 > 0:02:40go and have a look in the bins.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43When the A380 factory was opened in 2003,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46it was the largest to be built in Britain for 20 years.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50But for the people who work here, it's more than just a workplace.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54The community feel is important, lots of guys live locally to the factory.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57People are excited by aircraft and love working with aircraft.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00I think that's what makes a lot of us stay.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05The Airbus A380 Superjumbo was launched in 2007,
0:03:05 > 0:03:10and today there are 53 already working the skies.
0:03:10 > 0:03:15Having spent an estimated £10 billion developing this plane,
0:03:15 > 0:03:19the company needs to make as many sales as they can.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25But building planes on this scale is a monumental task.
0:03:25 > 0:03:30Aviation history is littered with failed attempts to go this big.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37Like any big passenger jet, the A380 is first
0:03:37 > 0:03:40manufactured in smaller sections, with the fuselage,
0:03:40 > 0:03:46nose section and tail fin made in different sites across Europe.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50However, the greatest technical innovation on this plane
0:03:50 > 0:03:54are its enormous wings, and they're made right here in the UK.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59Broughton has a 70-year history of making wings,
0:03:59 > 0:04:03so Airbus decided to manufacture its A380 wings here too.
0:04:05 > 0:04:10Demand for the Superjumbo is high, with well over 200 now on order.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14And so the major task that Paul and his team of engineers face is
0:04:14 > 0:04:17how to build all those wings on time and on budget.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21The production flow is critical. On A380, we're ramping up.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25This year, we're building four wings like this per month.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Next year, we'll ramp up to six per month.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Our aim is to try and make six wings a month with the same
0:04:31 > 0:04:35number of operators that today make four wings a month.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38With an increased order book, it's critical that the workforce
0:04:38 > 0:04:42hit delivery times. If they succeed, they'll secure
0:04:42 > 0:04:46thousands of highly-skilled British jobs for years to come.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50But, any delays in production could have serious consequences.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53It's a tough job for the whole team in the factory, but we'll get there.
0:04:53 > 0:04:54We've got a great team.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58The attitude of all of our people is to try and succeed on challenges,
0:04:58 > 0:05:00so I'm convinced we'll get there.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Each set of wings begin life as a collection of raw materials
0:05:07 > 0:05:10and arrive from all over the world,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13with some big enough to stop traffic.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33This cargo of 33 metre-long blocks of aluminium is
0:05:33 > 0:05:36bound for the panel-forming area of the factory, where
0:05:36 > 0:05:40manufacturing manager Mark Farrell is arriving for his shift.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Everything about the wings is on a monumental scale,
0:05:48 > 0:05:51and the aluminium plates are loaded
0:05:51 > 0:05:53onto Europe's largest milling machine.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55Right, this is the start of the journey.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58We're starting to mill it now, and this is where it starts
0:05:58 > 0:06:01its long road, ends up on an aircraft.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04When we see it flying over, you get an appreciation
0:06:04 > 0:06:06that that started here at Broughton.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Over a period of 72 hours, the panel,
0:06:11 > 0:06:16with all its intricate features, is carefully sculpted out of the metal.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22By the time they're finished,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25there's more aluminium in waste than the panel itself.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27But it's all recycled.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35The next stage for the perfectly-carved panel is to shape it
0:06:35 > 0:06:39to the precise aerodynamic contours demanded by the designers.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43So, it's sucked onto a specially-moulded bed.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48The panel's now been moved onto the transfer, it's now getting
0:06:48 > 0:06:52the actual shuttle moving across to line it up now to go into the oven.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58It is the biggest oven in the country.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01When the oven was actually brought in to Broughton,
0:07:01 > 0:07:03we had to have British Telecom working with us,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06because all the telegraph lines had to be removed
0:07:06 > 0:07:08while it travelled through,
0:07:08 > 0:07:11and then, when they finished, the lines had to go back up.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15Heating the panel to 160 degrees in this massive oven
0:07:15 > 0:07:18locks the aerodynamic curve in place.
0:07:19 > 0:07:24The A380's wings can lift 560 tonnes of Superjumbo to
0:07:24 > 0:07:29an altitude of 12,000 metres, and fly the world's longest routes.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33It's an amazing feat of engineering.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37The reason it's possible lies in the shape of an aircraft's wings.
0:07:37 > 0:07:42Wings are curved on top and flatter on the bottom.
0:07:42 > 0:07:47This shape makes air flow over the top faster than underneath.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50This means the air pressure is lower on top than below,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53causing the wing and the plane to lift up.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00The A380's wings are also more fuel efficient per passenger
0:08:00 > 0:08:04than an average family car, making them the greenest in the skies.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15This is the LCM treatment facility in Broughton.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18This is the biggest surface treatment plant in Europe.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Once they've been heat treated,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31the enormous panels go through 12 treatment baths
0:08:31 > 0:08:32to clean and protect them.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Europe's biggest surface treatment plant is
0:08:37 > 0:08:39a fully automated facility, operating 24/7.
0:08:39 > 0:08:44This is critical to the process, the one thing you don't want is
0:08:44 > 0:08:47contamination going into the fuel systems.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51It's an old saying, but there's no hard shoulder at 35,000 feet.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Of the 6,000 employees at Broughton, 300 are apprentices,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02and one of them, Hollie McCreadie,
0:09:02 > 0:09:06is arriving for day one of a new wing build.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Me and the girls went on holiday last year, and people were asking,
0:09:09 > 0:09:12"Where do you work,?" and I told them I work at Airbus
0:09:12 > 0:09:15as a Higher Engineering Apprentice, and I get the, "No, you don't."
0:09:15 > 0:09:18More and more girls are getting involved in it, it's just
0:09:18 > 0:09:21a lot of people don't believe you work here when you say you do.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25And if they do, it's, "Oh, are you a secretary, then?" And I'm not!
0:09:28 > 0:09:30How long does it take to come down then, usually?
0:09:30 > 0:09:33It takes four and a half, five minutes for it to come down.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35It's not that quick.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Hollie is learning the ropes with the Heavy Gang,
0:09:37 > 0:09:42the team that work the 12 massive cranes that span the whole factory.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46Today, a delivery of major components has just arrived,
0:09:46 > 0:09:47and needs unloading.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51So, as we're coming down slow now, I'm sort of keeping an eye on
0:09:51 > 0:09:54the silver beam underneath in relation to where it's going to sit.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58I'm quite lucky really, because they're all lovely fellers.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01It's a nice environment to work in, strangely.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03You wouldn't think so, but it is.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07The job of ensuring that components from all over the world are all
0:10:07 > 0:10:10delivered on time for the build falls to the people in logistics,
0:10:10 > 0:10:15and it's what Hollie has decided she wants to make her specialty.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Logistics is pretty much what makes everything run in Airbus.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21On each part that you see, all the nuts and bolts,
0:10:21 > 0:10:23they're all come through logistics,
0:10:23 > 0:10:27as well as all the large parts from all different suppliers.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Hundreds of suppliers work for Airbus all round the world,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33so it pretty much keeps everything happening.
0:10:33 > 0:10:34Without it, nothing would get built.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36I wanted to be a hairdresser.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38Did you?
0:10:38 > 0:10:39Yeah, I did.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41There's nothing wrong with that.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45There's so many different parts.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47It's hard getting to grips,
0:10:47 > 0:10:51and you've got to know exactly, like the ailerons and AGS, because if you don't know
0:10:51 > 0:10:55what they're talking about, like butt straps and things like that,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58you're lost with what to order. You really need it.
0:11:00 > 0:11:04The A380 has around four million individual components,
0:11:04 > 0:11:09with the wings themselves containing nearly half a million alone.
0:11:11 > 0:11:16That's not surprising, given they're brimming with technical systems.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21They carry most of the aircraft's fuel,
0:11:21 > 0:11:24including a complex system of tanks and pumps.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33There's 37 kilometres of wiring, piping and ducting
0:11:33 > 0:11:36that drive all the flight control surfaces.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45And the wings have to carry four massive jet engines,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48which weigh over six tonnes each.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54And finally, there's landing gear.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58Capable of withstanding an impact weight of 560 tonnes,
0:11:58 > 0:12:02and landing at speeds greater than a Formula One racing car.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11The wing is now ready to be assembled, like a giant Meccano kit,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14from the rows of parts that are ready and waiting.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19To do this, each wing needs to go into a massive construction frame,
0:12:19 > 0:12:22known as a jig, and these are the biggest
0:12:22 > 0:12:24the aviation industry have ever used.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27This is the main assembly jig, the heartbeat of the factory,
0:12:27 > 0:12:30where the wing starts coming together.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33The jig is now being prepared to start its production cycle,
0:12:33 > 0:12:37so, as you can see, the guys are just checking all the location fixtures,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40all the locations pins, oiling
0:12:40 > 0:12:42and greasing ready for the next set of components.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46The Heavy Gang get to work.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51First in are the rear spars,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54three long sections that form the spine of the wing.
0:12:59 > 0:13:04These spars are fixed firmly in place to the 45 locating pins
0:13:04 > 0:13:07and will bear the whole weight of the wing,
0:13:07 > 0:13:09that'll rise up lengthways in the jig.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13Over the next five days, the team load all the 49 ribs that
0:13:13 > 0:13:15run across the wing.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19The ribs are made from aluminium and carbon-fibre composites,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22materials both known for their strength and lightness.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Finally, the frame of the wing is fully assembled,
0:13:31 > 0:13:34and the skeleton is ready to be covered with the huge
0:13:34 > 0:13:37aluminium panels that form its skin.
0:13:37 > 0:13:42Giant automated machines drill holes in the panels.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44A total of a quarter of a million per wing set.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48And the panels are lifted into position.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15After 25 days, the main body of the wing is complete,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18and it's ready to come out of the jig.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20But it weighs nearly 30 tonnes,
0:14:20 > 0:14:24and is four storeys high, just lying on its side.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26This is definitely a job for the Heavy Gang.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29The Heavy Gang is the lifting team.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32We do all the heavy work.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34It's not Heavy Gang cos we're all big fat and old -
0:14:34 > 0:14:37it's Heavy Gang cos we lift heavy things!
0:14:37 > 0:14:41Only the most skilled and experienced crane operators
0:14:41 > 0:14:44can handle a job like this, and Al Burley is the Gang leader.
0:14:44 > 0:14:50Al has the unenviable task of getting the wing out through
0:14:50 > 0:14:52a gap with only a metre to spare either side.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55We're going to take the wing out.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Put it on the turnover jig and lay it down. Safely, we hope.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01I must have been involved in about 70 to 80 wings.
0:15:03 > 0:15:04Down a bit, please, Jerry.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08Eight years ago, Al lifted the very first A380 wing out of its jig,
0:15:08 > 0:15:10but this one will be his last.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13I'm retiring tomorrow.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16So, hopefully... The cheque isn't in the bank yet.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18I want it to be in the bank before anything goes wrong!
0:15:18 > 0:15:21That'll do, John.
0:15:21 > 0:15:22Like a lot of people in Airbus,
0:15:22 > 0:15:26Al has worked at the company for many years.
0:15:26 > 0:15:3213 years, four months, two hours and 15 seconds.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35It's been a nice place to be, this side.
0:15:38 > 0:15:43See that sleeve hand, just ease that sleeve out.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46It's time to begin preparations for the big lift.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48OK, coming down.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51Despite its size, the wing is a very delicate object.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57- I'll the weight on that after. - The strongest points on the wing are
0:15:57 > 0:16:00where the two engines will be mounted.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03These titanium brackets will be sustaining the entire weight
0:16:03 > 0:16:07of the wing during the lift, but must remain perfectly intact after.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20As the jig is pulled back from the wing, the narrow gap it will
0:16:20 > 0:16:24have to pass through on its way out becomes obvious.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27Do you want someone on the top?
0:16:27 > 0:16:29I'm on it.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32The smallest dent would mean a serious delay, and with
0:16:32 > 0:16:36the rate of production increasing, there really is no time to spare.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42The Heavy Gang work as an orchestrated team to release
0:16:42 > 0:16:44the wing from its moorings.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Removing all the pins from the rear spar flags.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49If they're left in when we try to lift it,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52it'll either rip that part off the wing
0:16:52 > 0:16:54or it'll rip the jig bit out.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57So, it is important to get them all out.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02Massive, isn't it?
0:17:02 > 0:17:06You don't really appreciate how big it is until you stand here.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10Cos I'm here, and then I've got the rest of the wing, haven't I?
0:17:10 > 0:17:13It's unbelievable.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17And it's even more daunting when we take it to the ceiling.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21Cos you're actually standing there and you've got 29 tonne in the air.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24As this wing unfolds, you'll see how big it is.
0:17:24 > 0:17:29You'll see what a massive task it is to take it out.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35A final check that all the pins are out,
0:17:35 > 0:17:39and it's time to release the master pins, leaving
0:17:39 > 0:17:43nearly 30 tonnes of wing hanging from the crane at just two points.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47Right, Al, the last one out now.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51Right, the wing's free, I'll get the radio,
0:17:51 > 0:17:54and on my command, we'll get it out.
0:17:54 > 0:17:55We're ready.
0:17:57 > 0:17:58Right, take it up on the one.
0:18:02 > 0:18:0412, 8 on the inboard.
0:18:04 > 0:18:066, 9 on the outboard.
0:18:06 > 0:18:07Hang on, hold it there.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11Jimmy, stop. Jim, stop.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17That's got to come over.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20Chris, loosen yours off, tighten yours up a touch, Jim.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24'Right, Al take it up again on both, please.'
0:18:27 > 0:18:2919, 8, 675.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35Hold it there. Right, Al, we're ready for you to come west.
0:18:38 > 0:18:43Take that chain off, mate, please. Cheers, Jim.
0:18:43 > 0:18:44Going up.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51Finally, the largest wing in commercial airliner history
0:18:51 > 0:18:53takes its first flight.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05Only now can the sheer scale of the A380 Superjumbo
0:19:05 > 0:19:07be truly appreciated.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16One of its tail planes alone is larger than the wing of an A320,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19the favourite carrier of budget airlines.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23And the wings themselves are a whole 50% bigger
0:19:23 > 0:19:25than those on a jumbo jet.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31In fact, this Superjumbo would be a tight fit in Wembley Stadium.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34The wings are over ten metres wider than a football pitch.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44But, covering an area of over 400 square metres,
0:19:44 > 0:19:48this enormous wing will, when it's finished, fly more efficiently
0:19:48 > 0:19:51and more quietly than any of its current commercial rivals.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32Crane's broke down.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37John, can you get us box one, please?
0:20:39 > 0:20:42Lock to latch it over?
0:20:42 > 0:20:45That's what I've got to do, got to take it back that way.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Otherwise I won't get it on.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49See, they're turning on.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51Try one at a time.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53That one, doesn't look....
0:21:01 > 0:21:05There we go, lads, we're in business.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08A momentary loss of signal with the crane is re-established,
0:21:08 > 0:21:10and they can finish the job off.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21After 30 years of operating heavy machinery,
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Al's ready to land his final wing.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44OK, that's the end, we're going home now.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48These lads here they're more than capable of looking after the job.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51We need a couple more, cos we're going to get busier and busier.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55But as long as we can get them out as good as this was,
0:21:55 > 0:21:57we won't have a problem, will we?
0:21:57 > 0:21:59OK, is that it? I've got to go.
0:21:59 > 0:22:00Thank you.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20With the wing now out of the jig, it's time to check whether this hand-built creation
0:22:20 > 0:22:22is actually the right shape.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26Right. I'll shoot the top point. Did you get that first point there?
0:22:26 > 0:22:28OK, good to go.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31Alex Jones has recently become a metrologist,
0:22:31 > 0:22:34an expert in precise measurement.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36It's his job to make sure
0:22:36 > 0:22:38the contours of the wing are exactly right.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42Precision is key in this job, it's got to be right first time.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44The laser is shot into the three mirrors
0:22:44 > 0:22:46on this corner cube reflector,
0:22:46 > 0:22:50and then bounced back to give us measurements all over the wing,
0:22:50 > 0:22:54so that we can make sure it's aerodynamic in flight.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58The shape of the wing has been painstakingly designed to
0:22:58 > 0:23:01have particular aerodynamic properties.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03They make it as efficient as possible.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06Cos each individual one is handmade, not made by robots,
0:23:06 > 0:23:11you get some slight variations that need to be sorted out or have
0:23:11 > 0:23:13the final finishing touches done to them.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17We've got set tolerances on each individual point,
0:23:17 > 0:23:21which can be down to hundredths or thousandths of millimetres.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24- OK, mate, yeah.- Next one.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26If anything is out of place,
0:23:26 > 0:23:30it could mean a costly delay to production while it's put right.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32What are the figures like, Dave?
0:23:32 > 0:23:36Yeah, just looking at the report, mate. They're all good.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39The team know they can't make a single mistake,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42and are immensely proud of the work they do.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45You're working on something so different compared to anyone else.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47Some of my friends, you know,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50working down ASDA, I get to work on the A380.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55And there are other benefits to working at Broughton.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59A couple of times a week, Alex and his dad Gary head for the gym,
0:23:59 > 0:24:03built with the rest of the factory in the 1930s.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17It's like a release from, obviously, the pressures of working here.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20Everything has got to be right.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23And then you can come here and let off a bit of steam.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25It's all good.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Fortunately for Alex, he's always been keen on planes.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Me Dad always used to bring home
0:24:34 > 0:24:36little models from Airbus that he'd get,
0:24:36 > 0:24:40and I knew I'd be working here one day.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42So here I am.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45I think Airbus at Broughton has had a history of families
0:24:45 > 0:24:48working at Broughton, fathers, sons, daughters, mothers.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50I've got a brother working here.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54I left school in mid-'70s, joined as an apprentice and served the four-year apprenticeship,
0:24:54 > 0:24:56and I've worked here ever since.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59It's a lot of years' service, 35.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03It's a long way off for me, personally, at the moment.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05But hopefully, I do enjoy working here,
0:25:05 > 0:25:09so one day I might be able to say I've worked here for 35 years.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Broughton has a long aviation history.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19During the war, Wellington bombers were made here,
0:25:19 > 0:25:21and at one point rolled off the production line
0:25:21 > 0:25:23at a rate of one a day.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27But another of Airbus's sites in Filton, near Bristol,
0:25:27 > 0:25:29has even longer aviation heritage.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34They've been building planes for over 100 years there,
0:25:34 > 0:25:38but are probably most famous for developing Concorde,
0:25:38 > 0:25:42which was designed and tested in its unique laboratories.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50And it's still the place where Airbus designs
0:25:50 > 0:25:53and tests their wings, sometimes to destruction.
0:25:53 > 0:25:58- 211.- Yes, look at the bend on that.
0:25:58 > 0:26:02You're looking for the last few percent of improvement
0:26:02 > 0:26:04on every aspect of the design.
0:26:04 > 0:26:09We have to look at every nut, bolt, washer, rivet,
0:26:09 > 0:26:11everything is brought down to
0:26:11 > 0:26:14the minimum weight that maintains the safety and integrity.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18It takes the world's best engineers over a long period of time to
0:26:18 > 0:26:21get to this level of performance and efficiency.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28Not many people realise that the UK has the second-largest
0:26:28 > 0:26:33aerospace industry in the world, beaten only by the United States,
0:26:33 > 0:26:36providing UK jobs for a quarter of a million people.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41It's a fiercely-competitive industry,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44and the battle for supremacy of the 21st-century skies is now
0:26:44 > 0:26:46all about efficiency.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49It's a race to reduce the weight of aircraft,
0:26:49 > 0:26:52making them cheaper on fuel and cleaner on the environment.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56And although in production with the A380, the team are always
0:26:56 > 0:26:59looking for improvements.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02In a unique facility on the Filton site, engineers are about to run
0:27:02 > 0:27:07a series of tests on a new, lighter landing-gear design.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Stuart Hazelwood is the man in charge.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15The tanks and manifolds are exactly as they would be on the aircraft.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Around the whole rig, all the pipe lengths
0:27:18 > 0:27:20and all the wire lengths are exactly the same
0:27:20 > 0:27:23as you would have on the aircraft's landing gear.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26When modifications are brought in, we are truly replicating
0:27:26 > 0:27:27what we'd see on the aircraft.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31The landing gear system is partly housed in the wing,
0:27:31 > 0:27:35and, just like the real thing, the test rig is able to raise
0:27:35 > 0:27:39and lower the 22 massive wheels of the A380.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41There's a lot of pride that goes on here.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45When you see the aircraft flying or hear good news about the aircraft,
0:27:45 > 0:27:48you think, "Oh, yeah, I've got something to do with that,"
0:27:48 > 0:27:50which is quite nice, actually.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54Even though the plane is now in service,
0:27:54 > 0:27:57testing for safety is a continuous process.
0:27:59 > 0:28:04Every tiny change to the design, no matter how small the component,
0:28:04 > 0:28:07means the whole system has to be thoroughly tested again.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11And it's going to be a busy day
0:28:11 > 0:28:15for chief landing gear designer Nigel Owen.
0:28:15 > 0:28:21The A380 has 16 braked wheels, four on the body landing gears
0:28:21 > 0:28:24and four on the wing landing gears.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28And we're currently developing a new brake,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31a reduced weight of brake and wheel.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35Overall, we'll save about the weight of a passenger,
0:28:35 > 0:28:39and this is the new brake which we intend to fit.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43Shaving the weight of one passenger from several hundred tonnes
0:28:43 > 0:28:49may not sound a lot, but multiply that over 20,000 flights
0:28:49 > 0:28:51and you're looking at big fuel savings.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56Today, they're testing for the worst-case scenario.
0:28:56 > 0:29:00They want to ensure that, even if the hydraulic system that powers
0:29:00 > 0:29:03the landing gear failed, it would still be deployed.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06It's called the emergency free fall test.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11The landing gear is designed in such a way that they can push open
0:29:11 > 0:29:15the doors and drop into position under their own weight alone.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19It's a situation most pilots would never encounter,
0:29:19 > 0:29:23but now the landing gear is lighter with their new brakes,
0:29:23 > 0:29:27Stuart and Nigel need to ensure that the procedure still works.
0:29:27 > 0:29:28We are here to find out
0:29:28 > 0:29:32if there would be any problems in certain scenarios.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35You want it to happen here rather than on an aircraft.
0:29:35 > 0:29:37You put lives at risk if that happens on an aircraft,
0:29:37 > 0:29:39so that's why we're here.
0:29:39 > 0:29:45Months of design work will stand or fall on the result of this test.
0:29:45 > 0:29:46I wouldn't say it's fun.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49It can be nerve racking, cos you don't want things going wrong.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52There's a lot that can go wrong as soon as you get
0:29:52 > 0:29:55big pieces of metal and rubber coming down.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59After one final check,
0:29:59 > 0:30:01they're ready to run the emergency landing simulation.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04There's always a slight tinge of apprehension
0:30:04 > 0:30:06when you're doing something for the first time.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09It's a major step on the development activities,
0:30:09 > 0:30:11successful completion of the test.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13So let's get on with it, I think,
0:30:13 > 0:30:15and demonstrate it all works as it should.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18- OK, ready to go.- OK, let's do it.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20Enable the pump system now.
0:30:27 > 0:30:29Should be 350 bars on green system,
0:30:29 > 0:30:33that's two pumps on the yellow system. 350 bar of yellow pressure.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36- Are you ready on the logger?- Ready.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47OK, happy? Ready for the free fall now.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52And starting emergency extension.
0:30:55 > 0:31:00Cut out valve selected. Vent valves selected.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08There's the doors.
0:31:08 > 0:31:09Doors have opened.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13Gears are still uplocked.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19And nose.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27Body.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32OK.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40Doors shut, that's complete.
0:31:40 > 0:31:41All down and locked.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44- All down, doors shut, no faults. - Great.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47That's a successful emergency extension.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51It's great when it goes well.
0:31:51 > 0:31:55You put a lot of effort into it and when it happens seamlessly,
0:31:55 > 0:31:57and when it goes like that, everyone is pleased.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01And you go home and look for the next problem to solve.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09Although the wings are made in the UK, Airbus has
0:32:09 > 0:32:10test facilities all over Europe.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15Chief engineer John Roberts is responsible for
0:32:15 > 0:32:18the ongoing development of the wing and is on his way to
0:32:18 > 0:32:20the German city of Dresden
0:32:20 > 0:32:23to visit one of his most important test sites.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26I've got probably the best job in the factory,
0:32:26 > 0:32:30it's a great job looking after this aeroplane.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33And they pay me for it, as well, which is good.
0:32:36 > 0:32:42The Dresden rig is a test structure so large it took two years to build.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49You always get a buzz and an excitement seeing the sheer scale
0:32:49 > 0:32:51of this test facility that we do here.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54If you don't get an excitement out of things like this,
0:32:54 > 0:32:56you're in the wrong business.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00Here we are, welcome to IABG in Dresden.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05What John's engineers are after is proof that the Superjumbo
0:33:05 > 0:33:10and its wings are strong enough to last a lifetime of flight.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14To find out, they've spent well over £100 million
0:33:14 > 0:33:17on the largest test rig of its kind ever built.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21Achtung...
0:33:25 > 0:33:27The rig is essentially a giant torture machine,
0:33:27 > 0:33:31to expose any weaknesses in the design of the plane's structure
0:33:31 > 0:33:34that might develop, by simulating the kind of stresses
0:33:34 > 0:33:39a real plane would experience in flight, over and over again.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47The most interesting part of this test is the bit which takes
0:33:47 > 0:33:50all the punishment.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54The aircraft, when it's flying, all its loading is being taken
0:33:54 > 0:33:57up on the wing, which you can see up there.
0:33:57 > 0:34:00So all the punishment is being driven into the wing structure,
0:34:00 > 0:34:03and this is a demonstration of what it looks like
0:34:03 > 0:34:06while it's actually in flight.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12A computer system drives a network of 180 hydraulic rams
0:34:12 > 0:34:14that bend and distort the wings.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19It bends, doesn't it?
0:34:19 > 0:34:22You can never fail to be impressed on seeing something like that.
0:34:22 > 0:34:28Computer modelling of real journeys means that, in this simulation,
0:34:28 > 0:34:31flight times can be reduced to only the bits of the journey where
0:34:31 > 0:34:35the plane is particularly stressed, like turbulence and landing.
0:34:39 > 0:34:44This would be a window which an ordinary passenger might be
0:34:44 > 0:34:47looking out along the wing, and in the test here
0:34:47 > 0:34:52the end of the wing is moving up by over four metres during normal flight cycles,
0:34:52 > 0:34:55and down, when it's on the ground, by nearly two metres.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59People always look out along the wing and see it bouncing up and down
0:34:59 > 0:35:03in turbulence and thinking is this something I should worry about?
0:35:03 > 0:35:07Well, we test it with the assumption it happens all the time and, no, you don't need to worry.
0:35:10 > 0:35:15And precise engineering ensures the wings bend in exactly the right way.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22The ability of the wing to take huge punishment is down to
0:35:22 > 0:35:24the design of its internal structure.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26It needs to be light but also very strong.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33The ribs and spars give strength, but also just the right amount
0:35:33 > 0:35:36of flexibility to cope with the enormous loads on them.
0:35:40 > 0:35:44This fatigue test is the pinnacle of a whole testing programme
0:35:44 > 0:35:48John is responsible for, to prove the plane is safe to fly.
0:35:48 > 0:35:52In terms of proving the aircraft is safe, you have to put together
0:35:52 > 0:35:57a portfolio that shows everything from the individual little valve
0:35:57 > 0:36:00that sits within the wings, through to the complete structure test.
0:36:00 > 0:36:05We always joke that when the paperwork is heavier than the aeroplane
0:36:05 > 0:36:07you're about close to getting it right.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12After five long years of continuous punishment,
0:36:12 > 0:36:1824 hours of the day, an amazing milestone has now been reached.
0:36:18 > 0:36:23An aircraft like this would do around 25 years of normal operation.
0:36:23 > 0:36:28We've demonstrated here the equivalent of 65 years of operation.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31And that basically confirms that the analysis that was done
0:36:31 > 0:36:36by all those clever engineers sweating over computers for years on end
0:36:36 > 0:36:38have been proved to be right.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40It's quite an achievement,
0:36:40 > 0:36:44but John's decided that even though the plane could carry on going,
0:36:44 > 0:36:47it's time for the test to finally come to an end.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49We'll basically cut out the bits that we want to keep
0:36:49 > 0:36:55for reference and the rest of it will be recycled as aluminium.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58So it will be appear in a Coca Cola can near you
0:36:58 > 0:37:00at some stage in the future.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16Back in Broughton, it's shift change at the factory
0:37:16 > 0:37:21and Janet Hardy is clocking on for the afternoon.
0:37:25 > 0:37:26Fuel for later.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34The wing is almost ready to be kitted out with all its flight systems.
0:37:34 > 0:37:39But before that can start, Janet has an important safety test to perform.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43As well as flying and steering the plane,
0:37:43 > 0:37:47the wings are also the enormous fuel tanks of the A380.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49The wing's made up of little sections,
0:37:49 > 0:37:51and each one is called a rib.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54And certain sections are sealed,
0:37:54 > 0:37:57and those are actually the fuel tanks.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00In between each fuel bay we have sealed ribs,
0:38:00 > 0:38:03and these are the ribs that we actually test to make sure
0:38:03 > 0:38:06that they are water tight or fuel tight, in this case.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12The test begins by sealing up the tank that's going to be tested,
0:38:12 > 0:38:15so it can then be filled with high pressure air.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19Can you pass me my overshoes, please?
0:38:19 > 0:38:23The only failsafe way to spot a leak is to get up as close as possible.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29I have to be a contortionist at times.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32It's not the easiest of places to get to.
0:38:36 > 0:38:37You have to be double jointed!
0:38:39 > 0:38:42Safely nestled in the next door tank,
0:38:42 > 0:38:45Janet applies a solution to the seal around the rib.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49I'm snooping the rib to see if I can detect any leaks.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53If there's any air trying to escape, it'll blow bubbles,
0:38:53 > 0:38:56like a bicycle with a puncture.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00It's looking pretty good so far, to be fair.
0:39:00 > 0:39:04As safety is the top priority, it's a necessary task,
0:39:04 > 0:39:06but Janet's job is not for the fainthearted.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10When you first join Airbus, you are tested to see
0:39:10 > 0:39:13if you've got any problems with confined spaces,
0:39:13 > 0:39:14so in the training school
0:39:14 > 0:39:18you actually go up head and shoulders inside a wing tank
0:39:18 > 0:39:21and they ask you to read some numbers off a card, and obviously if you've
0:39:21 > 0:39:25got your eyes shut and you're terrified, you can't read the numbers!
0:39:25 > 0:39:29I've got a bungalow, so maybe I'm more terrified of heights!
0:39:29 > 0:39:32SHE LAUGHS
0:39:32 > 0:39:37But anyway. OK, job done. Time to have a cool down.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40Very warm and very sweaty.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44I don't know why I did my hair this morning, I don't think there was much point!
0:39:46 > 0:39:51Janet finishes off by testing the outside of the wing for leaks.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54This time the tank is filled with helium.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57Any that escapes she'll detect with a sensor.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00Once all the fuel tanks have been tested,
0:40:00 > 0:40:06the wing and its matching partner can finally be equipped with all the systems they need to fly.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11The wiring, piping and ducting for the hydraulics
0:40:11 > 0:40:15that connect all the controls, and the fuel system are installed
0:40:15 > 0:40:19by 200 workers over 22 days.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30This is a vast undertaking, but the company has a full order book
0:40:30 > 0:40:34and so they'll need to constantly look for ways to make the process more efficient.
0:40:39 > 0:40:44Today, their fuel systems specialist, Lorraine McIlree,
0:40:44 > 0:40:46is visiting the factory.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50She's on a mission to see if they can build the wings any quicker.
0:40:54 > 0:40:59There's a lot of equipment in the wing, a lot of fuel equipment in the tanks.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01We've got 21 pumps,
0:41:01 > 0:41:04we've got 46 valves that are installed,
0:41:04 > 0:41:06and hundreds of pieces of sensing equipment
0:41:06 > 0:41:09all installed in the wing here, and we want to be able to see
0:41:09 > 0:41:12what improvements we can make to make that job easier along the way.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15The people here are doing this job every day
0:41:15 > 0:41:17and they are key to being able to give us
0:41:17 > 0:41:21pointers or suggestions on potential improvements.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23So it's really useful to talk to them.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30Today, she's looking at how the engine feed pumps are installed.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32Nightmare. They're like this all the time.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35It needs to be able to go in a bit easier, it's always like this.
0:41:35 > 0:41:40OK, that's quite easy to take on board, that's really useful to know.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44Making one pump easier and quicker to fit may seem fairly minor,
0:41:44 > 0:41:48but it's just the kind of thing that Lorraine wants to improve on
0:41:48 > 0:41:51to get the wings flowing out of the factory even faster.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56But for her, the wing is more than just the sum of its parts.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00I absolutely love the profile of that wing,
0:42:00 > 0:42:03and whenever I see a 380, one of the views
0:42:03 > 0:42:06I most enjoy is the back of a 380 and that sweeping wing shape.
0:42:06 > 0:42:11Absolutely stunning, really lovely, and I feel really proud when you see that as well.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18The sheer scale of the Superjumbo
0:42:18 > 0:42:21called for a new type of fuel system.
0:42:21 > 0:42:26Fully loaded, there's up to 118 tonnes of fuel in each wing.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28With a conventional fuel system,
0:42:28 > 0:42:31that weight would put huge stress on them.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35So the designers created a dynamic system that could constantly
0:42:35 > 0:42:38distribute fuel around 11 separate tanks,
0:42:38 > 0:42:40to ensure the weight was where it was needed.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46On the ground, fuel is loaded towards the centre
0:42:46 > 0:42:50of the craft to prevent the wings from bending down too much.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53But during flight, fuel has to be pumped out to the tips,
0:42:53 > 0:42:55to stop them being forced up.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59Tanks are also located in the tail, and fuel is pumped
0:42:59 > 0:43:04forward during flight to maintain the perfect centre of gravity.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08This weight reducing fuel system has helped the A380 become
0:43:08 > 0:43:11the most fuel efficient airliner in the skies.
0:43:11 > 0:43:15But going so large could mean the plane taking too long
0:43:15 > 0:43:17to prepare for flight, losing money for the airlines.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20If you stand next to it you can actually, you know,
0:43:20 > 0:43:24put that into perspective as to quite how big that tank
0:43:24 > 0:43:28of fuel actually is, that's a lot of fuel that can fit into that wing.
0:43:28 > 0:43:34Fortunately, the fuel system has another trick up its sleeve.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37If you were to take your 380 to your local petrol station to try
0:43:37 > 0:43:41and fill it up with fuel, it could take up to six days to fill up.
0:43:41 > 0:43:47On 380, we have a complex refuel system which will enable us
0:43:47 > 0:43:52to potentially fill the aircraft, ready for dispatch, in 45 minutes.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58Airlines are always keen to reduce the amount
0:43:58 > 0:43:59they spend on expensive fuel,
0:43:59 > 0:44:03making fuel efficiency a constant subject of competition
0:44:03 > 0:44:05in the aircraft industry.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10So, although the A380 wing is the most fuel efficient there is,
0:44:10 > 0:44:14the company has been redesigning it to make it even lighter.
0:44:19 > 0:44:24It's been Chris Bennion's job for the last two years to implement
0:44:24 > 0:44:27all those design changes into the production line.
0:44:27 > 0:44:30It might seem quite small to maybe reduce this,
0:44:30 > 0:44:33this web thickness by a mil, but when you do so across
0:44:33 > 0:44:36the length of an aircraft, you know, then things soon add up
0:44:36 > 0:44:39and they soon start to impact on the overall weight of the wing.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42We changed a lot of parts, and when that came together,
0:44:42 > 0:44:48then you start talking about substantial, hundreds upon hundreds of kilograms saving.
0:44:50 > 0:44:53If they've got their sums right, all of this should add up
0:44:53 > 0:44:56to about 350kg per wing.
0:44:56 > 0:44:58Enough to save several million pounds
0:44:58 > 0:45:02when calculated in fuel savings over the lifetime of the aircraft.
0:45:02 > 0:45:07And there's only one way to find out if all the hard work has paid off.
0:45:11 > 0:45:13It's two in the morning.
0:45:13 > 0:45:15But this factory never sleeps.
0:45:21 > 0:45:25A team has been assembled to perform a special task.
0:45:25 > 0:45:29The first wing with all the weight reduction modifications
0:45:29 > 0:45:32is about to come off the production line.
0:45:32 > 0:45:34It's time to prove whether it's as light as it should be.
0:45:37 > 0:45:42Stuart Sutton is a man with a very large set of weighing scales.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45This is a 20 tonne weighing cell.
0:45:45 > 0:45:47Use four of these on this weigh.
0:45:47 > 0:45:51Just attaching it into the lifting system.
0:45:54 > 0:45:58It's time to get started and the lifting beams are married up
0:45:58 > 0:46:03to the wing by four small sockets that will bear several tonnes each.
0:46:04 > 0:46:06OK there now.
0:46:06 > 0:46:106.3, Joe.
0:46:10 > 0:46:14Take it up on both to start with and we'll keep an eye on the plum lines.
0:46:16 > 0:46:20Hold it there, up on the outboard.
0:46:23 > 0:46:25Down on the inboard.
0:46:25 > 0:46:27Down a touch.
0:46:30 > 0:46:32That's fine.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34We'll take the figures on that.
0:46:37 > 0:46:42The predictions and calculations done by computers are now about to be put to the test.
0:46:42 > 0:46:44Bit of movement.
0:46:44 > 0:46:46Any movement in the crane system,
0:46:46 > 0:46:50so we've got a bit of a bounce to settle now.
0:46:56 > 0:46:58First impression, that's good.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01It is the 350kgs lighter that we were expecting.
0:47:01 > 0:47:05I think they'll be happy with the results once they get them.
0:47:06 > 0:47:11Two years of hard work by hundreds of people has finally been vindicated.
0:47:11 > 0:47:14The wing is lighter and greener
0:47:14 > 0:47:16whilst safely maintaining its strength.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19It's gone smoothly, good team effort.
0:47:34 > 0:47:36Factory boss Paul McKinley is in a good mood.
0:47:36 > 0:47:40Another wing is about to roll off the production line,
0:47:40 > 0:47:45but also, the company's football team, Airbus UK, is on the verge
0:47:45 > 0:47:49of breaking through to the semi-finals of the Welsh Premier League.
0:47:49 > 0:47:51WHISTLE
0:47:55 > 0:47:58There's been a football club on the site since 1946.
0:48:03 > 0:48:07I do wear two hats, proper job is head of the plant here at Broughton.
0:48:07 > 0:48:11My fun hat is being chairman of the football club
0:48:11 > 0:48:15and you can see from the crowd we've got here tonight, there's probably
0:48:15 > 0:48:16400 here from the local community.
0:48:16 > 0:48:20The football club and the company plays a big, big part in this community.
0:48:20 > 0:48:23You know, you come here on Friday night after a tough week in work.
0:48:23 > 0:48:27It's a good way to relieve some stress as well from the work place.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29Go on, Shed, you're in!
0:48:29 > 0:48:31Go on, Shed!
0:48:34 > 0:48:36Yeah!
0:48:36 > 0:48:40APPLAUSE AND CHEERING
0:48:48 > 0:48:49WHISTLE
0:48:52 > 0:48:55Penalty, it's a penalty to the other team.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00What a save that was!
0:49:00 > 0:49:02Eh, Reg, you couldn't have done that!
0:49:04 > 0:49:06You'd have held it!
0:49:08 > 0:49:10I like winning in everything I do.
0:49:10 > 0:49:15We always say in football there's no such thing as a friendly, you play to win.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19And I do everything that I do, you give your best.
0:49:19 > 0:49:22You want to win and be competitive.
0:49:22 > 0:49:24People have different strengths in the workplace,
0:49:24 > 0:49:28and part of having a team is bringing the different strengths
0:49:28 > 0:49:31and competencies of that team together.
0:49:31 > 0:49:34Go on, Shed, you can get in, you've got the pace.
0:49:40 > 0:49:41Keep hold of the ball.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43Oh, no!
0:49:47 > 0:49:49FINAL WHISTLE
0:49:50 > 0:49:52Point's OK.
0:49:52 > 0:49:55Could have been none, and we needed a point tonight.
0:49:55 > 0:49:57So, you take it and you move on.
0:50:02 > 0:50:05Morning, and a set of wings are ready to leave the factory.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10Each wing is shrink-wrapped to protect it from the elements
0:50:10 > 0:50:13on its 28-day journey to Toulouse in France,
0:50:13 > 0:50:16where it will be joined up to the rest of the plane.
0:50:16 > 0:50:20The first leg is by river, but the barge is a mile away,
0:50:20 > 0:50:24so first it'll have to negotiate a country lane.
0:50:24 > 0:50:30Not easy for something 39 metres long, so it's one wing at a time.
0:50:30 > 0:50:31Take this wing out now.
0:50:31 > 0:50:35Our main thoughts are to make sure we actually don't hit anything,
0:50:35 > 0:50:38because that would be embarrassing.
0:50:56 > 0:50:59The wing inches along.
0:51:00 > 0:51:04And an hour later departs for the coast on the River Dee.
0:51:12 > 0:51:16Both wings are then loaded onto a specially built ferry,
0:51:16 > 0:51:18ready for their journey to France.
0:51:20 > 0:51:24At the same time, fuselage sections are starting their journey
0:51:24 > 0:51:25from Germany.
0:51:30 > 0:51:35And in Spain, the tail section is loaded on to a Beluga,
0:51:35 > 0:51:39Airbus's specially built transport aircraft.
0:51:43 > 0:51:48Two weeks later, the wings dock in France.
0:51:48 > 0:51:52They're about to embark on the trickiest part of their journey.
0:51:56 > 0:52:00They've been joined by all the other major sections of the plane.
0:52:00 > 0:52:05And the convoy heads off on a 240km journey through rural France.
0:52:09 > 0:52:12It's the middle of the night, and the whole convoy needs to
0:52:12 > 0:52:15drive through the medieval village of Levignac.
0:52:18 > 0:52:22The street is so narrow that Airbus had to redesign the balconies
0:52:22 > 0:52:25to make room for the wings.
0:52:28 > 0:52:33It's dawn, and the convoy arrives at the final assembly line in Toulouse.
0:52:56 > 0:52:58Paul McKenzie, Broughton's overseas manager,
0:52:58 > 0:53:02is on his way to greet the wings.
0:53:03 > 0:53:06When I was growing up, the one thing I always loved, we used to go
0:53:06 > 0:53:09every Sunday to Liverpool Airport to watch the aircraft.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12I always wanted to work in the aircraft industry.
0:53:20 > 0:53:22It's the day of the marry up,
0:53:22 > 0:53:24when all the parts of the plane that have been
0:53:24 > 0:53:29worked on for months in different countries finally come together.
0:53:29 > 0:53:33I think this without doubt, in terms of the A380,
0:53:33 > 0:53:35is the most critical point.
0:53:35 > 0:53:39Everything has to be absolutely right, everything has to be
0:53:39 > 0:53:40absolutely spot on.
0:53:40 > 0:53:42BEEPING
0:53:42 > 0:53:46It's a fantastic feat of co-ordination
0:53:46 > 0:53:49as the whole operation will take under an hour.
0:53:50 > 0:53:56It's rather like a ballet of sorts, you have five teams choreographed
0:53:56 > 0:53:59so everybody knows exactly what everybody else is doing.
0:53:59 > 0:54:01All the major components are simultaneously being
0:54:01 > 0:54:03moved into position.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06And ultimately everything is moved into the jig,
0:54:06 > 0:54:11and then we begin with the assembly of yet another A380.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16With the marry up under way,
0:54:16 > 0:54:21everything is coming together at once in a clockwork manoeuvre.
0:54:29 > 0:54:31It's an incredible sight to see,
0:54:31 > 0:54:32never fails to amaze.
0:54:32 > 0:54:35It's a privilege to have been involved in the project
0:54:35 > 0:54:41and I think it goes without saying that all the many thousands of people that have contributed to this,
0:54:41 > 0:54:45I think it's credit to all those guys for the efforts they put into it, the determination,
0:54:45 > 0:54:48the commitment put in to get the product to this stage.
0:54:52 > 0:54:55The moment is approaching
0:54:55 > 0:54:59when the wings will finally become part of an aircraft.
0:55:05 > 0:55:08You can see the centre fuselage ahead of us and that area,
0:55:08 > 0:55:10just behind the jack,
0:55:10 > 0:55:13is the actual area that the wing will be married up to.
0:55:13 > 0:55:15It looks like the guys are ready to start moving
0:55:15 > 0:55:18the wings into the fuselage, so I think we'd better move on.
0:55:20 > 0:55:25The wings are finally joined to the plane with hair-width precision.
0:55:25 > 0:55:27And secured in place with 4,000 bolts.
0:55:31 > 0:55:35Over the next 14 days, the sections are joined together,
0:55:35 > 0:55:38and other parts, like the landing gear, are attached.
0:55:47 > 0:55:51Next, four enormous engines are attached
0:55:51 > 0:55:55that can produce 300,000 pounds of thrust.
0:55:59 > 0:56:02It's put through Europe's largest paint shop,
0:56:02 > 0:56:05where they apply half a tonne of paint.
0:56:16 > 0:56:18And finally, the work is done,
0:56:18 > 0:56:20and the Superjumbo is ready to leave the factory.
0:56:29 > 0:56:31It's always a proud moment to see one leave.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34Every one of the team is devoted to this aircraft
0:56:34 > 0:56:39and making sure that it is the best aircraft, best quality,
0:56:39 > 0:56:41quality that the customers deserve.
0:56:41 > 0:56:45It's now a complete aircraft, and ready for its maiden flight.
0:56:45 > 0:56:49The latest addition to a fleet that the company hopes
0:56:49 > 0:56:53will grow and grow over the next 25 years.
0:56:53 > 0:56:57But back in Broughton, it's just another working day.
0:56:57 > 0:56:59Morning, Joan, are you all right?
0:56:59 > 0:57:00Yeah, fine, you?
0:57:02 > 0:57:06The number of wings coming off the line is now up by 50%,
0:57:06 > 0:57:10and these new orders will help secure jobs for the company.
0:57:11 > 0:57:15We're changing the face of commercial aerospace industry.
0:57:15 > 0:57:17Passengers want to fly on A380.
0:57:17 > 0:57:19And when you see it in production,
0:57:19 > 0:57:23when you see the complete aircraft, I think you understand why.
0:57:23 > 0:57:26It's absolutely fantastic. Yeah, the A380's an icon.
0:57:31 > 0:57:34It's still only four years since its launch,
0:57:34 > 0:57:38but it seems that Airbus's big gamble might just have paid off.
0:58:02 > 0:58:07In the next programme, we go to iconic British company McLaren
0:58:07 > 0:58:10and discover how to build a supercar.
0:58:13 > 0:58:18From sketch to structure, see how designs come to life by visiting:
0:58:18 > 0:58:23Follow the links to the Open University.
0:58:49 > 0:58:51Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:51 > 0:58:53E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk