Airbus donation provides practical teaching tool
Students, alumni and visitors to North Carolina State University will be afforded a closer look at the materials used in modern aviation, thanks to a gift from Airbus Americas to the university’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE).
On Jan. 13, MAE students and faculty received an elevator from one of the company’s A330 commercial jets. The elevator, which controls the position of the nose of the aircraft and the angle of attack of the wing, was damaged and the company chose to donate it rather than make a repair.
“Airbus is proud to donate this A330 elevator to North Carolina State University’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering,” said Barry Eccleston, president of Airbus Americas. “Our partnership with NC State is an investment in our future and in the future of the aerospace industry in North Carolina.”
The 28-foot-long, 209-pound piece is valued at $750,000 if repaired. For NC State engineering students, it offers a look at the large scale and complexity in modern airframe components that can be achieved in aerospace manufacturing today through the use of composite materials, said Dr. Kara Peters, MAE professor and the primary faculty member who will be working with the elevator.
The elevator’s new home is a research lab in Engineering Building III, home of the MAE Department on NC State’s innovative Centennial Campus.
“We are extremely grateful to Airbus for their generous donation to the MAE department at NC State,” said Dr. Richard Gould, RJ Reynolds Professor and head of the MAE department. “These types of industry/academia partnerships provide our students important real-world exposure and experiences.”
U.S. Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) called the donation a positive example of business supporting academics.
“Rooted in its tradition as the birthplace of powered flight, North Carolina has a storied history of contributing to the evolution of manned and unmanned flight and progress within the aerospace industry,” Burr said. “Our top universities and community colleges are a powerhouse for talent, and public-private partnerships like this one help equip talented young men and women for careers in the aerospace industry.”
