07/2011 | "Super Star" project team reinforced
The first measure taken was to strengthen the engineering team. Dr. Rainer Sebus, the new on-site engineer in charge, will ensure that all the engineering activities in Auburn, USA and Hamburg are coordinated and any resources still lacking are obtained. At the same time the phase in which every one of the numerous components has to be recorded and suitable shops found to repair or overhaul them is now beginning. To make this possible, a warehouse has been rented next to the hangar in Auburn to accommodate the state-of-the-art component management, also under the new, local direction of Manfred Rosenthal.
Production activities in the hangar will continue to be managed by Michael Austermeier, while project coordination in Germany remains in the capable hands of Dean Raineri. Andreas Gherman has left his post of Technical Operations Manager at Lufthansa Passage to take over responsibility for the project as a whole in Auburn as of 1 May.
Under the direction of this team the task is now to steam ahead with the work of processing all the known places where repairs are required, and also new ones. As Gherman explains: “Our Connie continues to surprise us with findings of corrosion and cracks on the fuselage and wings that have been concealed up to now and almost on a daily basis require a flexible response from everyone involved in the project.”
But a lot of good progress can also be reported. On the wings the work of dovetailing additional wing plank insertions has begun, i.e. of replacing the wing plank sections that have been damaged by corrosion. Production of further wing plank insertions is running according to plan. The connecting elements between wings and fuselage are defined and are currently being finished by the supplier. They will be available in time.
The most visible progress is to be found around the forward cargo door, where the newly fabricated frames have arrived and are being fitted at the moment. As soon as the remaining outstanding issues regarding approval of this change by the FAA have been resolved, the forward cargo door of N7316C will finally close for the last time when the new structure is covered over with appropriate panels. The original door frame in front of this area will then be prepared for installation of the door from the former D-ALOL, which has been overhauled in Hamburg.
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Production activities in the hangar will continue to be managed by Michael Austermeier, while project coordination in Germany remains in the capable hands of Dean Raineri. Andreas Gherman has left his post of Technical Operations Manager at Lufthansa Passage to take over responsibility for the project as a whole in Auburn as of 1 May.
Under the direction of this team the task is now to steam ahead with the work of processing all the known places where repairs are required, and also new ones. As Gherman explains: “Our Connie continues to surprise us with findings of corrosion and cracks on the fuselage and wings that have been concealed up to now and almost on a daily basis require a flexible response from everyone involved in the project.”
But a lot of good progress can also be reported. On the wings the work of dovetailing additional wing plank insertions has begun, i.e. of replacing the wing plank sections that have been damaged by corrosion. Production of further wing plank insertions is running according to plan. The connecting elements between wings and fuselage are defined and are currently being finished by the supplier. They will be available in time.
The most visible progress is to be found around the forward cargo door, where the newly fabricated frames have arrived and are being fitted at the moment. As soon as the remaining outstanding issues regarding approval of this change by the FAA have been resolved, the forward cargo door of N7316C will finally close for the last time when the new structure is covered over with appropriate panels. The original door frame in front of this area will then be prepared for installation of the door from the former D-ALOL, which has been overhauled in Hamburg.
Back to overview
