How Europe’s Most Advanced Fighter Jet is Built

The Eurofighter is a multi-national twin-engine supersonic multi-role jet fighter. During the final phase of the Cold War, it started out as an air superiority fighter optimized for air-to-air combat. It’s currently managed by the Euro Fighter Consortium, which includes Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo.

The Eurofighter Typhoon

With progressive upgrades, its capabilities were also extended to include air-to-ground and more recently, an electronic attack variant being developed. Over 700 aircraft have been built so far with principal users being Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK.

Behind the Scenes

Chris from Military Aviation History walks us on an exclusive tour of the Eurofighter Typhoon’s Final Assembly Line at Airbus Manching, a place usually out of bounds for cameras. The Eurofighter is a large adult-sized puzzle, and parts from different suppliers are built into the actual aircraft at Maching.

When assembling the Eurofighter, the aircraft goes through three stages. During the first stage, the aircraft’s front, middle, and rear sections are connected and wired. The wings, fins, canards, and hydraulics are added during the second stage. In the final third stage, the electrical wiring is tested. Once completed, the aircraft is moved to another section for final touches to the onboard systems.

This video gives us an amazing look behind the scenes in modern aircraft production. The Eurofighter is indeed an impressive aircraft, from inside and out! A big thumbs up to Airbus for making it happen.