Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the Bangalore-based firm which operates under the Ministry of Defence, has signed an agreement with Boeing to work together with the US plane maker for the production of flaperons for the Boeing’s 777 series commercial jetliner.
HAL will make the delivery in phases and Boeing will get the first batch of flaperons in a couple of years, according to the contract. With this, HAL has joined a select few global players who are working with Boeing on the flaperon contract for the 777 aircraft.
The 777 flaperon is a complex composite assembly that is instrumental in controlling the airplane’s maneuverability in flight. Referred to as a control surface, flaperons work both as a flap to control lift and an aileron to control roll.
While HAL declined comment on the value or the volume of the contract, it is understood that HAL will be supplying 300 pairs of flaperons over a period extending till 2019.
“HAL and Boeing share a special relationship and we are delighted that our strengths in composites are getting international recognition,” HAL Director (Corporate Planning & Marketing) Soundara Rajan said.
Boeing India President Dinesh Keskar added that the composite 777 flaperon that HAL will produce represents a significant leap forward in technological capability and supports Boeing’s strategy to work in partnership with the Indian aerospace industry for the long term.
