Ducommun AeroStructures Inc., a subsidiary of aerospace/defense contractor Ducommun Inc., earned a supply contract from GE Aviation’s Middle River Aircraft Systems unit to produce 747-8 thrust reverser aft cowl skins, pressure door frames, and cowl straps for the plane's engines.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ 747-8 is a wide-body commercial jet, the third generation of Boeing’s 747. It will be powered by GE’s GEnx advanced dual-rotor, axial flow, high bypass turbofan jet engine, now in development. The design features intended to save weight, reduce fuel consumption, and minimize maintenance needs.
The contract’s initial period runs through 2013 and is valued at $8 million. According to DAS, a longer-term, structured contract will follow.
Ducommun AeroStructures produces large, complex structural components and assemblies in aluminum, titanium and other specialty alloys, metal bond and composites for various military and commercial aerospace applications.
Five-axis machine work will be performed at Ducommun’s Parsons, Kan., "Titanium Center of Excellence." The plant was selected for the work based on its competitive cost structure, product quality, and readiness. First deliveries are planned for this month.
Ducommun president and CEO Anthony J. Reardon stated: "We are excited by this new working relationship with Middle River Aircraft Systems, particularly on such an important Boeing platform. This contract reaffirms a growing awareness in the aerospace marketplace of Ducommun's ability to provide increasingly complex assemblies for its key customers, strengthening our partnerships on critical titanium applications such as these."
