Daily Archives: Aug. 9, 2011

Airbus delivers first A350 wing box to St. Nazaire facility

Aug. 9, 20113:06 p.m.

Airbus has shipped its first A350 XWB center wing box from its plant in Nantes, France, to its site in St. Nazaire, France, where it will be assembled into the first A350 fuselage, the company said.

The center wing box is made from 40 percent carbon fiber reinforced plastic.

The wing box was loaded on a special transport jig and shipped by river barge down the Loire River to St. Nazaire.

Once it’s installed into the fuselage, the subassembly will be flown on a Beluga aircraft to Airbus’ new A350 final assembly line in Toulouse, France.

Spirit AeroSystems is building fuselage and wing components for the A350.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under Airbus, aviation industry, Spirit AeroSystems | Comments Off

Hawker Beechcraft launches AT-6 website; no word yet on Air Force contract

Aug. 9, 20112:05 p.m.

Hawker Beechcraft has rolled out a new website touting the benefits of its AT-6 light attack aircraft as it waits to hear whether it will beat Embraer for a U.S. Air Force Light Support contract.

The website was launched internally last week to employees but is intended for external use.

“It’s designed to tell the story of the AT-6,” said Hawker Beechcraft spokeswoman Nicole Alexander.

An Air Force decision on the contract was first expected in June, but now is expected this month or next.

Winning the award would help keep Hawker Beechcraft’s production line for T-6 military aircraft running. The AT-6 is up against Embraer’s Super Tucano military aircraft.

The initial contract is to supply 20 aircraft to two air bases in Afghanistan and another 15 to use in “building partner capacity,” the Air Force has said. That number could grow to 55 aircraft worth up to $950 million.

The Air Force has said deliveries will begin in April 2013.

The AT-6 is based on the company’s T-6 trainer used to train Air Force and Navy pilots under the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System contract. Other countries are also using the trainer.

The AT-6 is designed for counterinsurgency, close air support, armed overwatch and homeland defense and security.

Final deliveries of trainers to the U.S. Navy under the JPATS program are scheduled to take place in 2015.

Winning the Air Force contract would help sustain 1,400 jobs in 20 states, including 800 at Hawker Beechcraft in Wichita. That’s how many people currently work on the AT-6 and T-6 programs at the company and its U.S. suppliers and partners.


By Molly McMillin | Filed under aviation industry, Beechcraft Corp. | Comments Off

Photos of first 787 to roll out of paint hangar

Aug. 9, 201110:42 a.m.

It’s been a long time in the works, but in about a month, Boeing will deliver its first 787 to launch customer All Nippon Airways.

The plane rolled out of the paint hangar in Everett, Wash., over the weekend.

ANA plans to use its first 787 on charter international flights from Tokyo to Hong Kong.

“Our teams are making outstanding progress in completing the first airplane to be delivered and achieving certification of the 787,” Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program, said in a statement.

The first 787 to ANA features a short-haul international interior design with business and economy class cabins.

“Combined with ANA’s superior levels of service, passengers will enjoy a spacious interior, larger windows, comfortable seats and touch-panel in-flight entertainment screens,” said Mitsuo Morimoto, ANA senior executive vice president and member of the board of directors.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under airlines, Boeing | Comments Off