Airbus has today signed an agreement with Spirit AeroSystems for the development of wings for the CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL aircraft. The wings will be developed and manufactured in Belfast, with a focus on minimizing weight while ensuring the highest levels of safety.
Today (March 9, 2022), Airbus announced that they have signed an agreement with Spirit AeroSystems through its subsidiary for the development of and manufacture of the wings for the CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL aircraft. Spirit AeroSystems will be responsible for developing and manufacturing the wings in Belfast, Northern Ireland, with a focus on minimizing weight while ensuring the highest levels of safety. The structural concept for the aircraft’s fixed wings will be able to transmit aerodynamic loads, while creating the right balance between hover and cruise efficiency. The distributed propulsion system of the CityAirbus NextGen will also contribute to reducing the influence of turbulence.
In Wednesday’s announcement, Airbus’ Head of Urban Air Mobility (UAM), Jörg Müller, said,
“The partnership with Spirit AeroSystems is an important step for the development of CityAirbus NextGen and its wings are key structural components for flight efficiency. To build this vehicle, we are proud to work with Spirit as a strategic partner who benefits from a proven track record in this field, and extensive experience in component quality and airworthiness.”
Spirit AeroSystems has a substantial UK footprint, primarily in Northern Ireland and Scotland and is one of the world’s leading suppliers of aerostructures. The company builds on years of manufacturing expertise in major aircraft components and architecture solutions. Spirit’s longstanding relationship with Airbus includes the provision of fully integrated wings and wing elements for multiple commercial aircraft models.
The fully-electric CityAirbus NextGen is an eVTOL prototype with fixed wings, a V-shaped tail, and eight propellers, as part of the aircraft’s distributed propulsion system. CityAirbus NextGen is being developed to fly a range of 80 km and to reach a cruise speed of up to 120 km/h, making it suitable for numerous missions. Airbus is developing the aircraft not only to provide a new mobility solution in urban areas and beyond, but also as part of the company’s quest to reduce aviation emissions across their entire product range.
Source: Airbus
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