Contract for flying controls

Citation

(2000), "Contract for flying controls", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 72 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2000.12772eab.033

Contract for flying controls

Contract for flying controls

Keywords Bellhouse Hartwell & Co., Hampson Industries, BAe Systems

Aircraft parts manufacturer Bellhouse Hartwell & Company Limited, a Hampson Industries plc subsidiary, reports that it has gained prime supplier status from BAe Systems for the repair and manufacture of a number of flying controls for the mid-life update of the Panavia Tornado multi-role/interceptor aircraft. The parts include rudder-pedal assemblies and complex units for the control of pitch, roll and yaw. The company has been supplying BAe Systems with throttle control assemblies for some years.

A team of five specialist operators have been re-deployed from BAe Systems to the Bellhouse Hartwell site a few miles away and on to the company's payroll. Two Bellhouse staff were then trained to augment the team for the Tornado update work which is likely to continue for the remaining life of the aircraft which first flew in 1974 and took part in the Gulf and Balkan conflicts.

The company is responsible for the entire project management of the spares and repairs programme, including all component work sub-contracted to other qualified companies.

Operations director David Aspey commented: "While the set-up costs for this project were considerable, it made sense for both companies to keep the team together to avoid learning-curve costs during the transfer. Fortunately, the staff to be transferred from BAe Systems agreed to the re-deployment and they are a welcome addition to our workforce. We currently have 274 people at our Westhoughton, Lancashire plant".