Atkins, Europe’s largest multi-disciplinary consultancy, and Stirling Dynamics, the UK’s leading independent landing gear specialist, have been selected to supply engineering services for Airbus landing gear in the UK.

The Atkins/Stirling partnership, which will provide a broad range of engineering services to Airbus, was recently awarded a contract for Landing Gear Structures, having been also awarded the Landing Gear Systems contract earlier this year.

More specifically, Atkins/Stirling will be supporting the Design Integration and Research & Technology activities of the Airbus Landing Gear Centre of Competence, including:

• nose, fuselage and wing landing gear structures
• wheels, tyres & brakes
• braking, steering, extension/retraction & monitoring systems.

The initial contract will cover Airbus’ civil aircraft, including the A350 XWB, A380, A330/A340, and A320 families, as well as Research and Technology for the next generation of aircraft.

Neil Kirk, managing director of Atkins’ Aerospace business, said: “Atkins is well-placed to act landing gear engineering services because of our broad technical capability, our in-depth experience of Airbus aircraft and our partnership approach to working with clients.  The contract covers a broad range of aircraft – from those already in service, through those in development, to aircraft still in the research and technology phase – so developing a close working relationship with our client is central to overall success.”

Andrew Pfeil, technical director at Stirling Dynamics, added: "The recent award of the landing gear Structures package fully complements the existing Landing Gear Systems package and will permit Atkins and Stirling to provide a fully rounded support from concept and throughout programme lifecycles across multiple disciplines. It provides the mechanism for both Stirling and Atkins to each provide real added value and embraces their respective significant expertise and individual strengths in one support framework."

About Atkins

Atkins (www.atkinsglobal.com) is the UK’s largest engineering and design consultancy and the world’s 11^th largest design firm.  We have the depth and breadth of expertise to respond to the most technically challenging and time critical infrastructure projects and the urgent transition to a low-carbon economy. Whether it’s the concept for a new skyscraper, the upgrade of a rail network, the modelling of a flood defence system or the improvement of a management process, we plan, design and enable solutions.

Atkins has worked with Airbus for over ten years, supporting major aircraft development programmes including the A380, A350 XWB and the A400M.

Recent projects include:

• Major infrastructure works, such as the design and programme management of the civil works for the Dubai Metro red and green lines;
• High profile transport planning and urban design – our innovative scheme to deliver a diagonal crossing at London’s Oxford Circus has helped tackle the problem of pedestrian crowding;
• Key rail projects – providing architectural and engineering design services on London’s Crossrail, Europe’s biggest civil engineering project, and designing stations, tunnelling and track systems on Gautrain, South Africa’s first high speed line;
• Multidisciplinary building design – North Wood Primary School in Darlington is an exemplar project which raises standards for environmental design and community engagement;

• Vital water and environmental projects – as part of a joint venture, Atkins is providing technical assistance to the Water Supply and Sanitation Sector Reform Programme in Nigeria, which will benefit up to three million people.

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