A high flyer: Allround Scaffolding for a supersonic aircraft

Site Seeing 228 | 2026

A high flyer: special scaffolding for a supersonic aircraft using the Layher Allround System

It’s quite an impressive sight for people driving along Germany’s A6 motorway: supersonic aircraft with their characteristic “droop snoots”, mounted on the roof of the Technical Museum at Sinsheim, are visible from far away. One of them, a Tupolev Tu-144, has been there for 25 years now. A team of experts are currently revamping up its outside paint scheme. An experienced scaffolding construction company – Fuchs Gerüstbau from Bühlertann – used flexible Allround Scaffolding to provide what was needed to do the work economically: work scaffolding optimally tailored to the aerodynamic silhouette and to local conditions.

Advance planning in 3D by Layher’s applications engineers using LayPLAN CAD – in close consultation with the client and with Ingenieurbüro Speer, a company specialising in structural analysis for scaffolding. That enabled exact matching to prevailing conditions – including a conflict check
Deriving dependable material lists from the 3D scaffolding model at the press of a button using LayPLAN MATERIAL MANAGER, and just-in-time delivery for each of the three assembly phases
Use of the 3D scaffolding model in the SIM2Field XR app for digital assistance during assembly and for quality control
Optimum adjustment to the geometry of the work scaffolding using flexible Allround Scaffolding, including integration of a pedestrian tunnel
Easy compliance with on-site requirements thanks to matching expansion parts, for example platform stairs for quicker and safer movement inside the scaffolding
Dependable transmission of the load, from around 100 tonnes of scaffolding, into the supports of the museum hall roof using the high-strength aluminium TwixBeam
High stability at around 30 metres up thanks to widening of the base and bracing at the nose area using system tension rods – without anchoring on the aircraft

For optimum scaffolding around the Tupolev TU-144, the Layher applications engineers first did a 3D laser scan. It was then possible to adapt the scaffolding structure exactly to the complex shape using LayPLAN CAD, to check for any possible conflicts, and to agree on functionality and structural analysis in close consultation with Wolfgang Fuchs as the client and with Speer, aided by the digital twin. The finalised 3D scaffolding model was in turn used by the scaffolding erectors for digital assistance during assembly. This was possible using the SIM2Field XR app from Layher. In this way, economical and punctual assembly without a hitch was assured later on.

Using Layher Allround Scaffolding, Fuchs was able not only to optimally adapt the required work scaffolding to the complex shape of the Tupolev, but also to comply with on-site requirements within the system – for example integration of a pedestrian walkway and of site accesses using platform stairs. That enabled faster and safer movement inside the scaffolding during repair work – even when carrying work materials.

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Since the museum roof was not strong enough to bear the loads from around 100 tonnes of scaffolding, they were selectively transmitted into the roof supports via the high-strength aluminium beams.

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No anchoring was allowed on the prestigious exhibit itself. Fuchs therefore decided to widen the scaffolding at its base to achieve stability around 30 metres up, and additionally to fix it to the hall roof using Layher tension rods at the aircraft’s nose.