Leading aircraft manufacturer Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has been awarded the contract to design, build and supply the Pratt and Whitney (PW) Nacelle Fan Cowl for the bestselling narrow-body A320Neo Aircraft.
According to a statement released by the firm, the A320Neo family of German-French joint venture Airbus has two engine options, for which TAI will supply the Fan Cowls for PW1100G-JM engines functioning to protect the jet engine from external impacts and completing the aircraft's aerodynamic integrity. The contract signed with Airbus stipulates that TAI design and manufacture A320Neo PW Nacelle Fan Cowls as the sole source throughout the entire program lifetime.
The PW Fan Cowls will be designed and built at the state-of-the-art TAI Ankara Kahramankazan premises in Turkey where the company is already contracted to design, build and supply Airbus A350 XWB Ailerons, build and supply Airbus A330 Rudders, Airbus A320 Section 19 Barrel and Airbus A320 Section 18 Shells along with the supplies of fuselage sections and control surfaces of various commercial/military aircraft platforms.
TAI was restructured in 2005 just before the 25-year period came to an end with the acquisition of foreign shares by Turkish shareholders. Along with this restructuring, TAI and TUSAS merged under the roof of Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) and broadened its activities. Today, TAI has become Turkey's center of technology in design, development, modernization, manufacturing, integration and life cycle support for integrated aerospace systems, from fixed and rotary wing air platforms to UAVs and satellites. According to the current shareholder structure, 54.49 percent of the company belongs to the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation and 45.5 percent belongs to the Undersecretariat of Defense Industries, while 0.06 percent goes to the Turkish Aeronautical Association. The company also designs and builds domestic defense products such as the T129 ATAK attack and tactical reconnaissance helicopter, training aircraft HÜRKUŞ and medium altitude long endurance unmanned armed vehicle (UAV) ANKA.