AIRBUS

Carbon Fibers

One-piece, one-shot, 17-meter wing spar for high-rate aircraft manufacture

GKN Aerospace has spent the last five years developing materials strategies and resin transfer molding (RTM) for an aircraft trailing edge wing spar for the Airbus Wing of Tomorrow program.

Jeff Sloan
Editor-in-Chief, CompositesWorld

Aerospace

Airbus releases 2022 full-year commercial aircraft orders, deliveries

The aerospace giant surpassed 2021 net orders, deliveries and aircraft in backlog covering all aircraft families.

Airbus reveals hydrogen-powered zero-emission engine

Fuel cell engine architecture will be tested onboard Airbus’ ZEROe demonstrator aircraft to determine feasibility of a 2035 entry-into-service.

Carbon Fibers

Airbus, ArianeGroup sign transition batch contract for Ariane 6 launch vehicles

Airbus will provide four primary lightweight carbon fibers structures for the next 14 vehicle launchers via state-of-the-art 4.0 industrial facility in Getafe, Spain.

Air Canada orders additional A220s, brings total to 60 aircraft

Fifteen additional A220s, featuring infused composite wings, brings Air Canada’s operational fleet to more than 125 Airbus aircraft.

Urban Air Mobility

Airbus, Hiratagakuen partner to develop AAM services in Japan

Agreement will tackle future eVTOL flight routes, concepts of operations and equipment for safe flights, all of which is crucial to launch commercial services with the composite CityAirbus NextGen.

Airbus-built European Service Module is ready for launch with Orion spacecraft

The European Space Module (ESM) will power NASA’s Orion spacecraft to and from its lunar orbit as part of the Artemis missions, featuring a web assembly of carbon fiber sheets and deployable CFRP rigid panels.

Marine

Carbon fiber in pressure vessels for hydrogen

The emerging H2 economy drives tank development for aircraft, ships and gas transport.

Ginger Gardiner
Senior Technical Editor, CompositesWorld

Airbus invests in clean hydrogen infrastructure investment fund

The largest in the world, Hy24’s investment fund is expected to provide financial capital to back large-scale green hydrogen infrastructure projects worldwide.

Aerospace

Airbus and CFM launch flight test demonstrator for advanced open fan architecture

Flight test demonstrator aims to mature and accelerate development of advanced propulsion technologies as part of CFM RISE program, with CFRP blades as key part of design.

Aerospace

Materials & Processes: Fabrication methods

There are numerous methods for fabricating composite components. Selection of a method for a particular part, therefore, will depend on the materials, the part design and end-use or application. Here's a guide to selection.

Aerospace

Airbus commits to A320 rate increase among persisting supply chain concerns

Intentions to increase rates to 75 aircraft per month over the next three years reflects Airbus’ confidence in its Q1 performance, commercial aircraft demand and the ability for the supply chain to manage the ramp up.

Urban Air Mobility

Airbus, ITA Airways partner to develop urban air mobility in Italy

Both companies will explore the creation of tailored UAM services, by identifying strategic use cases for emission-free mobility solutions, also catering to the launch of the CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL aircraft.

Processes

Hydrostatic membrane consolidation: Skin-stringer panels in 60 minutes

Airbus and Siempelkamp demonstrate press process as alternative to thermoplastic welding, aimed to enable rate 100 aircraft and future mobility manufacturing.

Automotive

Materials & Processes: Composites fibers and resins

Compared to legacy materials like steel, aluminum, iron and titanium, composites are still coming of age, and only just now are being better understood by design and manufacturing engineers. However, composites’ physical properties — combined with unbeatable light weight — make them undeniably attractive.

Jeff Sloan
Editor-in-Chief, CompositesWorld

Urban Air Mobility

Airbus partners with Spirit AeroSystems to develop the wings of CityAirbus NextGen

Spirit is responsible for developing and manufacturing the eVTOL’s wings at its Belfast, Northern Ireland facility, where the company has built years of composites manufacturing expertise.

Airbus discloses strong full-year 2021 results

Full-year 2021 reflected 771 gross commercial aircraft orders and 611 delivered, with revenue totaling €52.1 billion. Despite the pandemic, 2021 indicated Airbus’ strong operational performance.

Aerospace

Airbus anticipates Asia-Pacific region will need more than 17,600 new aircraft by 2040

Air freight is set to more than double in the Asia-Pacific region by 2040, with 30% of the new passenger and freighter aircraft to replace older, less fuel-efficient models.

Aerospace

Airbus C295 technology demonstrator makes maiden flight, proves novel design, manufacturing processes

C295 Flight Test Bed 2 (FTB2) tests OOA composite semi-morphing wing, flaps and flap tabs, as well as SatCom antenna for future turboprop aircraft.

Airbus seeks 6,000 new hires in first part of 2022

Worldwide search focuses on new skills to support long-term projects and ambition, notably in the fields of decarbonization, digital transformation and cyber technology, with one-third of recruitment allotted to new graduates.

Aerospace

Airbus achieves 2021 commercial aircraft delivery target

Airbus reports resilience and recovery, announcing 611 commercial aircraft delivered over the course of 2021, and a doubled gross order intake from 2020 across all programs and market segments.

Epoxies

Materials & Processes: Resin matrices for composites

The matrix binds the fiber reinforcement, gives the composite component its shape and determines its surface quality. A composite matrix may be a polymer, ceramic, metal or carbon. Here’s a guide to selection.

Staff

Airbus Atlantic, a new global player for aerostructures, is launched

The wholly owned subsidiary unifies the strengths, resources and skills of Airbus and STELIA Aerospace, establishes 500 direct and 1,500 indirect supplies.

Filament Winding

Composites end markets: Pressure vessels (2022)

Global goals to reach zero emissions by 2050 drive high growth in composite pressure vessels.

EU launches Clean Aviation partnership, targeting 75% of civil fleet replaced for zero emissions by 2050

Clean Aviation carries forward from Clean Sky to develop disruptive new technologies, flight demonstrated by 2029 for aircraft into service by 2035 and aviation climate neutrality by 2050.

Carbon Fibers

Composite ring frame improves safety, cost for workhorse helicopter

Airbus Helicopters replaces aluminum primary structure with CFRP using multi-piece preform and single-shot infusion.

ALC orders 111 Airbus aircraft, launches Sustainability Fund

The agreement covers all Airbus families, including the A220, A320, A330 and A350. Joint creation of a sustainability fund fosters industry decarbonization solutions.

Prepregs

Designing for automated composites manufacturing of low-volume aerostructures

The commercial aerospace industry is heavily focused on design for efficient high-rate manufacturing, but there is still need for automated, affordable fabrication of low-rate aerostructures.

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