Airbus A350 Makes Quiet Progress Amid 787 Hoopla | Aviation International News

Airbus A350 Makes Quiet Progress Amid 787 Hoopla

While Boeing enjoyed its long-deferred moment of triumph in achieving f

By Charles Alcock • Managing Editor

December 21, 2009

While Boeing enjoyed its long-deferred moment of triumph in
achieving first flight of the 787, Airbus quietly moved forward with the initial manufacturing stages of the rival A350XWB. In early December, Airbus manufactured the first composite lay-up for the new widebody at its factory at Nantes, in western France. The panel for the center wing box (CWB) covers a surface area of just over 387 sq ft, making it the largest “monobloc” composite panel ever made at the plant using its new laying machine. Airbus has since delivered the CWB to the nearby Saint-Nazaire factory for integration with other parts of the airframe.

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