Airbus is stepping up the development of ground-breaking wing technology as it prepares for a potential replacement for its enormously successful A320 series. However, the esteemed aircraft manufacturer is expected to face challenges in controlling the costs of the new technology.
Tuesday saw the official opening of a wing technology facility in southwest England by British Industry Minister Nusrat Ghani. To encourage sustainable flying, the Airbus facility plans to create longer, lighter, slimmer wings fitted with foldable wingtips. according to Reuters.
According to Sue Partridge, director of the Airbus program, the Wing of Tomorrow initiative aims to develop technology for the company's upcoming aircraft line, regardless of their precise type. While Boeing is researching its idea, Transonic Truss-Braced Wings, focused on elongated and ultra-light designs, Airbus is making this step.
Long into the second half of this century, the choice of wing design and manufacturing techniques, together with engine technology developments, will significantly influence aircraft competitiveness.
Wing of Tomorrow Project Features Folding Wings
According to industry insiders, Airbus is spending "high hundreds of millions" on its Wing of Tomorrow initiative. Industry watchers expect a replacement for the single-aisle A320, which Airbus has hinted may be unveiled between 2035 and 2040, even though the research may be helpful for any project.
The adoption of carbon wings for single-aisle aircraft may need a massive industrial revolution to reach the production requirements, which are now 10 times greater than those for bigger jets-currently, autoclaves, which use a lot of space and energy, cure aerospace composites.
Although a new Russian jet is the sole aircraft to use this production technique to its fullest extent, Airbus is investigating producing wings without autoclaves. According to specialists, scaling up this method to the volume of Airbus or Boeing would need substantial investment and cost-cutting advancement.
To make parking gate compatibility easier as wings go longer, testing at the historic Filton facility, where a portion of the Anglo-French Concorde was created, involves adding folding wingtips, similar to the design of Boeing's 777X.
Other Projects for The Future
Partridge indicated that the technologies being evaluated are still being determined, but she emphasized the significance of longer and more slim wings for fuel economy. She highlighted, however, that Airbus is prepared to choose wisely for any new venture. According to analysts, developing a 2035 model would need to start by 2027-2028.
In addition to its Wing of Tomorrow initiative, Airbus is concentrating on creating the first commercial hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2035 with its ZEROe research and development program. By 2025, the aircraft manufacturer hopes to have a technology-ready hydrogen-combustion propulsion system, according to the company's website.
Something BIG has just sneaked out of our paint shop 😉- check out our latest (and last) #BelugaXL 🐳 as she gets ready to support outsized cargo operations! pic.twitter.com/GxPnMcdpPX
— Airbus (@Airbus) June 29, 2023
Additionally, based on the A330-200 platform, Airbus recently debuted its sixth and last Beluga XL freighter. In addition to the current fleet of five comparable aircraft, this new jet with a unique livery design will assist Airbus in maintaining manufacturing schedules at different sites around the globe, per Simple Flying.
The Beluga XL program was started to fulfill Airbus's changing logistical transport needs. This allowed for the carriage of more enormous wings and other components between its manufacturing and assembly facilities in Europe.
