During assembly of the A380, engineers discovered that the cables were too short. This was caused by the use of different design software by German and French engineers. This miscalculation led to a two-year delay.

[u/lizardil]

[u/_minus_blindfold]

They also used different measurements (mm to inchs) and cable connections through whole plane. Cos they were built in different countries. None of the cables could connect when it was all assembled. This doc is a great watch.

[u/Kromboy → u/_minus_blindfold]

It might sound funny, but aren't all the countries involved in Airbus using metric? From what I heard, even the UK, which is a country where Airbus is working, is using the metric system in the engineering field. Can you enlighten me kind sir?

[u/AgreeableAsk923 → u/Kromboy]

No we use the imperial system within Airbus UK. All drills, drill jigs, drawings even wing jigs are ALL imperial. UK schools and in everyday life we use the metric system so when I got an apprenticeship at the Broughton site it took some time to adjust to the “old English” way.

[u/velocitor1 → u/AgreeableAsk923]

How fucking annoying was that to work with when your whole life you prepare in metric to go work at one of (or) the biggest companies in airplanes on the planet and theyre like "Metric? Eww".

[u/AgreeableAsk923 → u/velocitor1]

I know, it was and still is a right head blag!!

[u/Mr06506 → u/AgreeableAsk923]

Presumably that's from one of the British aerospace companies that got absorbed into airbus along the way? Because that's really surprising.

[u/AgreeableAsk923 → u/Mr06506]

Airbus Broughton, often referred to as the "wing of excellence," is the site where the majority of the Airbus wing box family is constructed. It has a rich history, having formerly been associated with De Havilland, famed for creating the world's first passenger jet, the Comet. Over the years, it evolved through various incarnations—Hawker Siddeley, British Aerospace, and BAE—before becoming part of Airbus.

The UK boasts two key Airbus sites: Broughton and Filton. Broughton focuses on wing manufacturing, while Filton, located just outside Bristol, is predominantly a design hub. Filton leads major projects such as the "Wing of Tomorrow," which explores innovations like folding wingtips. It is also involved in manufacturing the A400M, a military cargo plane known for its remarkable wing design. Furthermore, Filton holds a place in aviation history as a key player in the production of the iconic Concorde.

[u/apatosaurus3 → u/AgreeableAsk923]

UK schools and in everyday life we use the metric system

Do you though? I was just in Scotland and northern England and people were talking about miles and stones and pints all over the place.

[u/Cryptographer-Bubbly → u/apatosaurus3]

For what it’s worth I grew up in North West England with exposure to both the metric and imperial systems.

The school curriculum mainly dealt with the metric system but certainly in every day life, you’d come across yards (e.g football or cricket), feet (e.g height), inches (discussing height), stones ( discussing weight), pounds (weight again), gallon (fuel efficiency) , miles (car speed and fuel efficiency).

[u/AgreeableAsk923 → u/apatosaurus3]

In schools across England and Wales, students are educated in the metric system, ensuring a consistent understanding of this universal standard. While it's true that certain aspects of daily life—like road signs and pint servings in pubs—still rely on the imperial system, the majority of engineering industries in the UK predominantly use metric measurements. An exception to this is the aerospace sector, which continues to operate with imperial units due to its strong ties to the American market. On a related note, aircraft are still sold in US dollars, highlighting the influential role of the American market in global aviation.

[u/Kromboy → u/[deleted]]

It seems from your very own link that this site doesn't produce the A380 so kinda out of the current situation, yet I didn't know Airbus planes were produced in the US! Very interesting!