Eurofighter Typhoon is ‘over the moon’

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Manufacturing News, Source : The Manufacturer
Published : 13 Mar 2007 9:26

ENGINEERING: £2.5m to overcome minute earth movements

The Eurofighter Typhoon hit the headlines recently, embroiled in the Serious Fraud Office’s investigation of BAE Systems and the Saudi Government over corruption charges.

You would think that building one of the world’s most advanced jet fighters was challenging enough, but workers at the BAE plant on the Lancashire coast have had to allow for the pull of the moon every time the build process begins.

So fine are the tolerances used to build the plane that even the 2mm movements in the ground caused by the pull of the moon and movement of the tides throw the tolerances out.

To solve the problem BAE has spent over £2.5 million putting in special automated alignment facilities. Each airframe is built on a three metre deep, 18 metre ‘floating’ concrete raft. All nine automated jacks and both laser trackers are positioned on one surface ensuring all movement is relative, achieving a near perfect alignment whatever the moon may be doing.