Top airshow showcase for city aero firms

Wolverhampton companies working on the biggest defence contract of all time will be showing off their latest technologies at one of the most important aerospace events in the world this week.

The combined airshow and exhibition at Farnborough is one of the biggest events on the global aviation industry's calender this year.

And for the first time pride of place will go to a display from the Lockheed-Martin F-35B Lightning – the brand new stealth jet that will equip both the RAF and the Royal Navy's brace of aircraft carriers, currently under construction.

Both the Moog and UTC Aerospace Systems factories in Wolverhampton are playing a key role in the production of the state-of-the-art combat jet, which currently has a programme price tag £300 billion.

The UTC team, based on Stafford Road, have developed a weapons bay door system which operates fast enough to avoid spoiling the aircraft's stealthy radar signature.

Stafford Road also makes the auxiliary air inlet and lower lift fan actuators, which assist the aircraft during short take off and vertical landing. There's also a device which releases the aft engine door panels, allowing the engine thrust nozzle to move into the vertical position, again to assist in vertical landing or short take off. And they also make the actuator that controls the door to the in-flight refuelling probe.

Around the corner, on the i54 site, engineers at the Moog factory have also developed key components that enable the F-35B to hover.

The F-35B's vertical lift comes from the Rolls-Royce Liftsystem, connected to the aircraft's Pratt & Whitney F135 engine. The system combines a thrust vectoring nozzle that directs main engine exhaust downward to generate vertical lift at the back of the plane, and a centrally mounted lift fan to counterbalance it.

Moog supplies the lift system primary actuation, which includes the system to operate the three-bearing swivel nozzle – which redirects the main engine thrust downwards to provide rear vertical lift – the lift fan's variable area nozzle and the inlet guide vanes which control airflow through the forward lift fan.

Both companies also make a wide range of parts for civil aviation projects, with clients including Boeing and Airbus, both of which are expected to unveil major deals at Farnborough this week. Also at the show are UK aviation giants BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce, both heavily involved making major components and assemblies for the F-35 project as well as a host of other aviation programmes.

There is also a stand organised by the Midlands Aerospace Alliance, which works with aviation engineering companies across the region.

Among the companies features on the MAA stand at the Farnborough trade exhibition will be Alloy Heat Treatment and MJ Sections from Dudley, Alloy Wire from Brierley Hill, Aluminium Special Products from Kingswinford, Electro Discharge from Netherton, Jonathan Lee Recruitment from Stourbridge, and Valbruna from West Bromwich.

Andrew Mair, chief executive of the MAA, said: "As usual, the Midlands aerospace cluster will be well represented at this year's Farnborough Airshow.

"The Midlands Aerospace Alliance is hosting more than 20 companies exhibiting, many of them promoting new technologies for the aircraft of the future and looking forward to a week of business meetings. It's great that we can promote the key contribution the aerospace industry makes to the Midlands Engine."