CASE STUDY: THE WORLD’S LARGEST

AIRCRAFT MODEL

Design and Fabrication

of the

1:3 Scale Airbus A380 Jumbo Jet

for Emirates Airways

Heathrow Airport, London UK

10611 Acacia Street Rancho Cucamonga CA 91730 909.466.1555 Office 909.466.1565 Fax www.Penwal.com www.PenwalPrototypes.com staff@penwal.com

Penwal’s in-house design and engineering team determines that a 1:3 Scale is the appropriate size, and generates renderings and drawings for approval by Emirates Airways. Penwal replicates the A380’s design in every detail.

1:3 SCALE A380 Emirates Airways leases the roundabout at the northern entrance to London’s Heathrow Airport, and

decides to place a replica of its Airbus A380 in the space as an iconic billboard.

The Mission: Design and engineer as large an aircraft model as possible to commemorate the scheduled landing of the first Emirates Airways A380 at Heathrow.

Penwal completes engineering of the structure and begins its fabrication. Penwal boasts a fully functional set of in-house fabrication capabilities, including metal cutting, forming and welding; fiberglass and polymer mixing and application; paint mixing and application; and craftsman assembly. Our ability to keep all fabrication and assembly in-house, as well as our self-performing design, engineering, procurement and project management capabilities, allows us to control quality and timeframes very tightly.

1:3 SCALE A380 With the design approved, Penwal’s engineering team designs the structure and begins fabrication.

The Mission: Structure and fabricate a gigantic model aircraft to withstand extreme weather conditions and last for 20+ years.

The A380 is transported on the world’s largest cargo aircraft, the Antonov (see image, right). Penwal specialists oversee the meticulous installation process at Heathrow Airport. The completed 1:3 Scale Airbus A380 is the size of an actual Boeing 737 jet. You can view a video about the fabrication and installation of the 1:3 Scale Airbus A380 on our website: www.Penwal.com.

1:3 SCALE A380 The giant replica is shipped to the site and awaits installation. Once completed, it is certified by Guinness and the Smithsonian as the Largest Aircraft Model ever built! The Mission: Transport and install the A380 to fulfill the project’s design intent.

Penwal’s unique blend of expertise and experience was instrumental in bringing this project to the light of day:

• High detail design and artistic fabrication capabilities,

using metal, polymer and natural materials. • 61,000sf facility with abundant experience fabricating

and handling large scale elements. • Self-performing procurement and project management

capabilities to keep complex jobs on track. • Unrivaled engineering experience for the design of

large, complex and fully kinetic structures. • A 30-year history serving various industries, allowing

us to engineer and fabricate elements in ways that haven’t been thought of by your industry. We can cut right through seeming design obstacles!

• Unmatched quality of workmanship and performance of

the finished element.

PROJECT SUMMARY