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Spirit AeroSystems / Tulsa, OK
Our AeroStructures business units are located in Tulsa and McAlester, Oklahoma, and at Prestwick and Samlesbury in the UK.
Tulsa and McAlester, Oklahoma
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, we fabricate Boeing 737, 747, 777 and the 787 composite and metallic wing components as well as control surfaces and floor beams for the 777. The work is done primarily in support of commercial aircraft and an extensive variety of military programs. The capabilities of our AeroStructures operation include advanced composite technology, manufacturing and assembly integration. From our base in Tulsa, we provide world-class structures and service, primarily for Boeing aircraft, for customers across the globe.
Prestwick and Samlesbury
Our European AeroStructures operations are based in Prestwick, Scotland, and Samlesbury, England. Large wing structures for the Boeing 767 and 777 and the Airbus A320 and A380 make up a significant portion of UK product, along with other packages produced for the Raytheon Hawker 800XP Business Jet.
With the fixed leading edges for the 767 and 777 being made at our UK facilities, the Boeing product profile of our European operation perfectly complements that of our Tulsa unit.
Background
In 1962, the Tulsa facility first opened its doors as North American Aviation. The original mission was to build the Hound Dog Cruise Missile for the U.S. Air Force. Minuteman ICBM missiles and specialized AeroStructures were manufactured here through most of 1963.
In 1963, the facility also built parts of the Apollo spacecraft, including the crew's command module and the main fuselage structure for the service module. Later in the decade, major structural sections of the Saturn Rocket's second stage were manufactured here. And in 1966, the Tulsa operation began working on fixed-wing leading edges for the Boeing 747, and eventually, the mid-fuselage section of that airplane.
In 1967, North American Aviation and the Rockwell Standard Corporation of Pittsburgh merged and became known as Rockwell International. In the 1970s, development work on the Boeing supersonic transport began in Tulsa, but was canceled just in time for NASA's Space Shuttle program to come on board. The Shuttle's composite payload bay doors were designed and produced here.
In that same era, 757 fuselage sections were built, along with fuselages for the XV-15 (tilt-rotor aircraft); large cargo doors for the YC-14 cargo plane; and the RCA radar on AEGIS ships, which received several Navy awards for excellence.
During the 1980s, all portions of the B-1B weapons bay doors were made at the Tulsa site, plus wing flaps, slats and stabilizers, fuselage components assemblies, weapon launchers and fiberglass liners for the bomber's engine nacelles. More than 8,000 pounds of advanced composite structures were built each week.
In 1991, Boeing awarded the Tulsa operation a contract for the 777 wing leading-edge slats and composite floor beams. In 1994, contracts for the 737NG wing slats, outboard flaps and fixed leading-edge kits were earned in 1998.
In December 1996, Boeing bought the operation from Rockwell International, and it became Boeing Airplane Company, Tulsa Facility. During this time, the facility manufactured the 116-foot Tier II (Global Hawk) composite wing; fabricated orbital replacement units; integrated equipment assemblies and connection structure for the International Space Station electrical power and distribution systems; as well as continuing to perform work on Boeing 747, 737NG and 777.
In June of 2005, Onex Corporation acquired Boeing's Wichita and Tulsa facilities and formed Spirit AeroSystems, of which Tulsa is now a part of the AeroStructures Business Unit. From our Tulsa facility, we still perform successfully on the Boeing family products and are committed to growing our business to include other commercial transport and business jet manufacturers.
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