- 7 July 2008 -
Spirit Europe wins A350 XWB wing contract

THE EUROPEAN division of US aircraft component supplier Spirit AeroSystems Inc has signed a contract with Airbus to design and produce the wing leading edge structure of the new A350 XWB (Xtra Wide-Body) aircraft.

Spirit Aerosystems (Europe) Ltd will design and assemble the 32 m long structure, which will be about 50% carbon fibre composite content, primarily at its European facility in Prestwick, Scotland. The composite front spar will be built at Spirit’s new facility in Kinston, North Carolina, USA, on which construction will start later this year; composite sub-assemblies will be manufactured at the Spirit Malaysia facility at Subang, near Kuala Lumpur.

Spirit has already announced that it will design and build the A350 XWB's composite centre fuselage section in the North Carolina factory.

The A350 XWB passenger aircraft is expected to be over 50% reinforced plastic and will be available from 2013.

Spirit AeroSystems; www.spiritaero.com

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