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2009 Issues Archive
19 August 2009
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£340m loan finances radical Airbus wing construction plan
A government loan of £340 million will help Airbus produce a composite wing that is radically different from existing aircraft structures.
The money will go towards the design and manufacture of reinforced carbon fibre wings for the Airbus A350 XWB wide-body jetliner, due to enter service in 2013. The wings are being designed and built at its factories in Bristol and North Wales.
Airbus said the increased use of advanced composite materials meant the A350 XWB would be lighter, delivering significant environmental benefits, including around 15% reductions in CO2 emissions.
Tom Enders, Airbus president and chief executive, said “It will be the most advanced, innovative and eco-efficient aircraft in its market segment.”
The A350 XWB is a family of three large civil aircraft ranging in capacity from 270-350 passengers. It is being supported by four partner nations – the UK, France, Germany and Spain.
The wing will be built primarily from carbon composite materials, and optimised through the use of computational fluid dynamics and wind tunnel testing for a fast cruise speed of Mach 0.85.
Each A350 XWB plane has a 64.7-metre wingspan, a total area of 442 sq metres, and high swept leading edge. In addition the internal wing structure will be scaled to meet the specific requirements of each aircraft variant.
Composites will make up 60% of the aircraft’s total weight of 248 tonnes.
Professor Paul Hogg, executive director of the North West Composites Centre, said it was unlikely aircraft manufacturers would go above the levels of composites used in the A350.
“The A350 and Boeing Dreamliner are probably about the maximum. You’ll never get 100% and you wouldn’t want it.
“The material isn’t right for all the applications. There are considerations of temperature, durability and shape that mean you will always need metals like titanium and aluminium. The fuselage has to be durable enough to withstand a lot of damage.”
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© PE Publishing, 19 August 2009
