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Competition and pressure to keep costs low are no strangers to modern aircraft manufacture, especially against the backdrop of the weak US dollar. Nevertheless safety and technical reliability are still top priority. Requirements for efficiency and environmental considerations for wide-bodied aircraft demand research and innovation from every conceivable field. A Bavarian scientific and industrial consortium is breaking the mould in the construction of aircraft doors and emergency opening systems.

Weight minimisation is a particular challenge in the construction of jets. Aircraft doors are a critical factor in this weight balance. The safety-sensitive classified emergency opening systems are an area where highly specific weights and costs are demanded.

This is where the ambitious research project PYROTAK comes in. It is a collaboration of research projects from Bavarian businesses and universities which is already a success. The participating businesses and universities under the direction of consortium leader Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH, Donauwörth are developing a new door actuator which in an emergency opens the doors of wide-bodied aircraft.