Spirit AeroSystems shipped the first production leading edge spar component, an outer spar, for the Airbus A350 XWB program from its Kinston, N.C., facility today.
A leading edge spar component is part of the wing and has six major sections — the inner, mid and outer for each wing.
The outer spar that shipped is the first of the group to be produced by Spirit. The components are made of carbon fiber material. The other five spar sections will be shipped in the coming months, the company said.
The shipment marks the first component of any kind shipped from Spirit’s new Kinston facility, the company said. It was built using automated composite fabrication technology.
Each set of spars will be shipped from the Kinston facility to Spirit’s plant in Prestwick, Scotland, where it will be integrated into the fixed leading edge. From there, it will be delivered to the Airbus plant in Broughton, Wales, for integration into the wing box.
