HP Science Lectures at HP Labs Bristol

Iain Gilmour Gray
Designing and building the world's largest commercial aircraft - the Airbus A380

Abstract
The Airbus A380 will be the world’s largest commercial aircraft when it enters into service in the first half of 2006.  The A380 is a full length double deck aircraft seating 550 passengers.  The lecture will review the progress of this exciting new product development as it approaches first flight in early 2005. In particular, the lecture will review the innovation and technology in the design and manufacture of the wings carried out within the Airbus facilities in the UK. 

Iain Gray, Managing Director, General Manager and Head of the A380 Wing at Airbus, will discuss the challenges behind this important aerospace engineering project.

Biography
Iain Gray joined British Aerospace at Filton in 1979 following his Engineering Science degree at Aberdeen University.  

Working  on Airbus wing development programmes, he was involved in the structural fatigue and damage tolerance aspects of design and certification of the Airbus A310, A320 and A330/A340 aircraft programmes. 

In 1989, Iain gained an M.Phil at Southampton University and took over responsibility for the Aircraft Loads Department. In 1991 he was appointed Assistant Chief Aerodynamicist.  

As Project Manager - International Collaboration within Business Development, from 1993, he had responsibility for project and partner co-operation studies in both the new generation large subsonic aircraft and the next generation supersonic commercial transport programme. In this capacity he was an Executive member of the International Study Group between the major airframe manufacturers around the globe. 

Iain took over the position of Product Executive – FLA in March 1996, where he assumed overall British Aerospace responsibility for their part in the Future Large Aircraft (FLA) military transport programme (now A400M). 

In October 1997, he was appointed Director Future Programmes with additional responsibilities for both the A3XX programme and the Legal and Commercial function. Following the merger of British Aerospace and Marconi Electronic Systems, he was appointed BAE SYSTEMS Airbus, Director Strategy & External Affairs.

In 2000, as BAE SYSTEMS prepared for the new integrated Airbus organisation, Iain took up the position of Engineering Director of BAE SYSTEMS Airbus UK.  In 2001, with the formation of the 'stand-alone' Airbus company, Iain was appointed Vice President Engineering Integration Centre, Airbus UK.

  He was appointed Managing Director & General Manager Airbus UK/Head of A380 Wing ACMT in 2004 and also a Member of the Executive Committee of Airbus.

Iain is a Chartered Engineer and a Society of British Aerospace Companies Council member and Council member and President of the Bristol branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He is married with four children and his interests include football, walking, music and collecting aeronautical ephemera.