According to Airbus, the A380, which will "take off" in 2006, will be "the largest, most advanced and efficient commercial airliner ever conceived". This will be the world’s only twin-deck, four-aisle airliner and it will seat 555 passengers in a typical three-class interior layout. It is also said to be "more fuel-efficient than your car". (see www.airbus.com)

The wings of this huge aircraft will consequently be very large and during manufacture they have to be moved from main assembly to final assembly. The wing is lifted out of the assembly rigs onto the Solving Mover by overhead cranes. The Mover raises the wing off the floor when it moves and allows the wing to be positioned to accurate levels on special landing pads, at the start and finish of the transfer.

This was the best solution for the wing transfer since it was impossible to use overhead cranes. The floor remains smooth, flat and clear, free of any trip hazards since no rails are laid. Using air-film technology the weight is also well distributed, which minimises the point loading on the floor.

The system is partly IR-guided, which means that it follows a painted line in the floor. It can also partly be navigated using a remote control system. With the Solving Mover system, the wings can now easily and safely be moved and it only takes one operator to move a 35-tonne, 40-metre wing to within millimetres.

The Solving system was developed in co-operation with Morson Projects, experts familiar with wing handling. For Solving it has been a pleasure to co-operate with the Airbus team in developing a safe, efficient and cost-effective solution for moving these impressive wings!