Innovations With its different Business Units, Fokker Technologies has the ambition to rank among the top specialists on the market. Each Business Unit has a well-defined and recognised specialisation. Fokker Aerostructures thus produced two of the five great innovations in the field of weight saving for the Airbus A380 aircraft: Glare® Fuselage Panels and the Thermoplastic Composite Fixed Leading Edge (J-nose).The Glare parts are produced at the site in Papendrecht and the J-nose in Hoogeveen. Programme manager Annemarie Hoogendijk: “Since the Thermoplastic J-nose for the A340 we have made great progress in welding structural parts, such as those for Gulfstream and Dassault.” Head of R&D Arnt Offringa: “We’re now working on the next generation of products in the TAPAS 2 programme, the TAPAS team represents the entire value chain.” Hook In Helmond, Fokker Landing Gear produces the hook which ensures that the F-35 fighter aircraft can land safely on an aircraft carrier. The device must be able to slow down an F-35 which is approaching an aircraft-carrier at full speed to a standstill. The violent forces thus generated demand the utmost from the material. Fokker Landing Gear has been active in the field of landing gear and related systems for many years. The company develops, produces and assembles complete landing systems, but also repairs and overhauls systems already in use. FLG landing gear is found under the F-16, the Apache fighter helicopter and the NH90. But a company like Bombardier also purchases parts from Helmond.
TH E EXPERTISE OF EXCELLEN CE
Orders It’s clear that the Dutch company has a leading position worldwide from the fact that Lockheed Martin, the producer of the F-35, came to FLG for the arrester hook under the F-35-C. This carrier variety of the American fighter plane must be able to land on an aircraft carrier under all circumstances. In fact landing gear consists of a shock absorber, frame and wheel. FLG works with around ten suppliers. These include many small and medium-sized companies. Fokker Technologies supports its customers with higher availability, better affordability and lower capital requirement in the development and operation of aircraft. With nearly 4,700 employees worldwide, in 2013 Fokker Technologies achieved a turnover of €762 million. The head office is established in Papendrecht. Fokker operates from branches in the Netherlands, Romania, Turkey, Canada, Mexico, the United States, Singapore and China.
www.fokker.com
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