Airbus has awarded the contract for the design and manufacture of the lower composite centre fuselage frame of its new A350 XWB aircraft to Spirit AeroSystems of Wichita, Kansas.
The deal is part of Airbus' plan to restructure its activities to focus on core activities. For the A350, for example, around 50 per cent of the aero-structures work will be outsourced to partners.
Spirit AeroSystems will produce the composite fuselage structure in a new facility to be built in North Carolina.
With a range of up to 8,300nm/15,400 km, the A350 XWB (Xtra Wide-Body) family is available in three basic passenger versions: the A350-800 accommodating 270 passengers, the A350-900 seating 314, and the A350-1000 for 350 passengers.
The A350 is powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines delivering each up to 92,000 pounds of thrust.
Comment: How engineering innovations are transforming washing machine accessibility
I wonder if Mr Sawhney has considered a sit-on version, with pedals?