Fairchild Controls, a business unit of EADS North America, has completed a 40-year production run of its TP-85-1 air turbine drives utilized on Boeing 747 jetliners, and is now preparing to provide systems for the next-generation of Boeing's super jumbo, the 747-8 aircraft.

Fairchild Controls has delivered more than 5,100 TP-85-1 air turbine drives to Boeing, capping a manufacturing program that has spanned more than 40 years.  The new TP-85 "dash eight" is the successor to the previous configuration; the new system incorporates advanced technology and improved materials – providing substantially more power in approximately the same dimensional envelope.

The Fairchild Controls air turbine drive, installed on every Boeing 747 jetliner, supplies torque to a supplemental hydraulic pump during periods of high hydraulic power demand, such as the operation of the landing gear, wing slats and flaps.  Although previous versions of the 747 utilized two air turbine drives per aircraft, Boeing's latest 747-8 will be equipped with four.

"Boeing selected Fairchild Controls because of our proven expertise in mechanical design, pneumatics, and control system technology," said Scott Selle, the president of Fairchild Controls.  Fairchild Controls developed the TP-85-8 in a unique collaboration with Boeing and their partnering airframe structure suppliers.  The use of CATIA™ solid model engineering design software enabled Fairchild Controls engineers to work on virtual teams with Boeing engineers.

"The TP-85 air turbine drive is one of our longest-lived and most successful programs, and we look forward to continuing our relationship with Boeing," said Selle.