Juan Carlos Rosa – Head of Design – AED Madrid
David Nieto – Head of Stres Engineering – AED Madrid
It’s hard to believe that 25 years have already passed since the Madrid office first opened its doors.
What began as a small group with little experience but a great desire to learn has grown into a close-knit family and a highly skilled team.
We took our first steps in the year 2000, in a windowless office (Romero Girón) that we now remember with nostalgia for all we experienced there. Then came Llano Castellano, our first large office (1,000 m²), later Manoteras, and back to Llano Castellano, coinciding with the completion of the A350.
Finally, we settled on Vía de los Poblados, our current location, from where we will tackle the new projects that lie ahead.
Although the office was set up with the strategic aim of being close to Airbus-Getafe, ahead of the imminent launch of the A380, we took our first steps with the redesign of the CRJ700, leading to the CRJ900 and its subsequent certification phase. That was our baptism and acid test of the business and our immersion in the world of aeronautics, with its strict methodologies and regulations.
The first business trips soon followed. Very soon we had to send a team to Miñano to support the development of the ERJ-145 XR. Internationally, we travelled to the UK for the redesign of the ERJ-145’s thrust reverser, and to Montreal, where we worked on the competitive bidding phase for the C-Series and provided engineering support for the Tailcone.
With the development of the A380 S19, the office was completely transformed; we welcomed a new generation of young engineers and a few job shoppers, who brought their experience to the table, but above all, we began working with Airbus, now our main client and the company that brings out the best in us.
It was also a time of digital revolution. We adopted IMAN, made the leap from CAD to Windows with CATIA V5, and analytical calculations were gradually replaced by NASTRAN models. Following the acquisition of Internacional de Composites, SA (Toledo), the Madrid team was responsible for building bridges and leading the technical support for the development of the A380’s HTP (and we earned the nickname ‘the Galácticos’, which is still remembered today).
After helping to develop the A400M as part of the team based in Germany, the first large-scale deployment to Seattle took place. What began with the development of the LCF’s “Swing Zone” was the start of something bigger, thanks to the excellent work carried out. With the launch of the B787.
Aernnova became a key engineering partner, which led to the establishment of a veritable “Spanish colony” in Seattle between 2006 and 2013. The Madrid office played a vital role both in liaising with the B787 engineering team and in recruiting staff.
Almost at the same time (2008), Airbus launched the A350XWB. We secured the development and manufacture of the HTP, the Elevator and the main landing gear bay bulkhead. These projects gave the office the final boost, allowing us to grow in terms of staff and expertise, specialise in composite materials and integrate the mechanical and electrical systems areas.
This project undoubtedly prepared us to lead new development projects, notably the design of the Beluga XL’s Dorsal Fin and Fish Tail, the fairings and nose frame structure of the Talgo AVRIL locomotive, and various projects within the Cleansky I and II initiatives (Blade, Outcome, etc.).
In 2015, aircraft modification and repair activities were centralised in Madrid, and a team was set up operating under Aernnova’s DOA. This sustained effort has consolidated our position in this sector, working on projects such as the SIE A320 P2F, the cargo door of the A321 Dragon for SNC, and currently the A330 BDSF for IAI.
Although not all our projects have been successful, we have learned valuable lessons from each one. Our collaboration in Japan on the development of the MRJ100 was cut short by the pandemic, and we subsequently secured the contract for the design and manufacture of the wing, canards and Propulsion Mounting System of the Liliumjet Pegasus, but we never saw it fly.
Over the past 25 years, we have witnessed historic events: the 9/11 attack and the subsequent crisis, the 11 March attack, the global financial crisis of 2008 (paradoxically, a period of enormous workload), the pandemic (in just two days, we organised a coordinated remote working system) and the blackout.
But if there is one thing we are proud of, it is the people who are or have been part of this office.
We have trained hundreds of professionals, giving many their first opportunity, and some have spent their entire careers here. We have shared unique experiences through projects, trips and stays abroad. Friendships lasting 25 years have been established, couples who are still together today, and entire families. Symbolically, the children of the first employees are now starting to join us as interns. Many people took other paths, within or outside the group, but we still consider them colleagues, even those we now face as clients.
Celebrating these 25 years is a celebration of everything we have built together: a way of working based on commitment, collaboration and a positive working environment. Thank you to everyone who has been and continues to be part of this journey. The best, without a doubt, is yet to come.
