DBEA55AED16C0C92252A6554BC1553B2 Clicky DBEA55AED16C0C92252A6554BC1553B2 Clicky
November 2, 2024
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Airbus has ticked another box in its A350XWB development program with the arrival of the first wings for first aircraft, which will be used for static testing.  The A350 wing, which is manufactured in Broughton, England, is the largest single aerospace component made from composites,  105 feet long by nearly 20 feet wide.

800x600 1346760760 A350XWB wing 7

This is a positive step for the program, as just a few weeks ago difficulties in wing manufacturing had caused an additional three month delay for the program.  With this delivery, the wing manufacturing appears to be moving forward, and hopefully no longer the critical path item to production and certification.

800x600 1346760764 A350XWB wing 1

While only time will tell if the difficulties in wing manufacturing tooling have been solved, delivery of the wing will enable construction of the first airplane and initiation of the static testing needed for certification.  It will be interesting watching this gigantic composite wing as it bends during the testing process once the first aircraft is assembled.

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