Flight International — 22 August — 4 September 2017

AIR TRANSPORT

fiightglobal.com 22 August-4 September 2017 | Flight International | 17

Gripen deal waits

as Bulgaria reviews

selection

Defence P

S

ometime after mid-2019 Air-

bus will deliver an A320neo-

family aircraft to a customer,

equipped with the familiar row of

five composite spoiler panels on

each wing made by Spirit Aero-

Systems in Prestwick, Scotland.

But instead of the usual honey-

comb-sandwich composite mate-

rial, made of carbonfibre that is

pre-impregnated with an epoxy

resin and then cured inside an

autoclave, Airbus is two years

away from introducing a spoiler

made using a different kind of

composite material.

It will still come from Spirit’s

Prestwick factory, but it will be

fashioned using a dry, non-crimp

fabric loaded into a heated tool

outside of an autoclave and then

infused with the epoxy resin.

Aircraft structural technology

moves in tiny steps over many

years, and the A320neo’s new

spoiler material represents one of

the emerging manufacturing

breakthroughs: a low-cost com-

posite material sturdy enough to

handle aerodynamic loads, but

significantly cheaper than pre-

impregnated – or “pre-preg” –

carbonfibre tape costing $88/kg

($40/lb).

Spirit AeroSystems chief exec-

utive Tom Gentile revealed the

A320neo’s new feature in an

earnings call with financial ana-

lysts in early August, but gained

only unimpressed shrugs.

Jefferies analyst Howard Rubel

asked: “Have you had further

conversations with [Airbus] with

regard to aerostructure opportu-

nities other than just this mod-

est spoiler?”

Earlier this summer, Airbus se-

lected Spirit to transition to an

out-of-autoclave, resin-infusion

process developed over more

than 11 years by Prestwick-based

engineers. The “modest” spoiler

is only the first of what Spirit

hopes will be a panoply of out-of-

autoclave composite parts, says

John Pilla, Spirit’s chief technol-

ogy officer. “It could be offered on

any aerostructures,” he says.

After ramping up spoiler pro-

duction for the A320neo beyond

2019, Spirit plans to be ready to

deliver an out-of-autoclave com-

posite wing by the mid-2020s.

That is around the time that

Boeing has proposed introducing

its New Midsize Airplane, which

could prompt Airbus to respond

with an even larger version of the

A321neo featuring a new wing.

Spirit has produced a proto-

type wingbox that is about 1.5m

(5ft) wide and 3.6m long, Pilla

says. A prototype, Boeing 777-

sized wing cowl developed with

Rolls-Royce was manufactured a

few years ago, he adds.

The aerostructures specialist

has launched a separate project to

develop thermoplastic compos-

ites for aerospace applications,

says Pilla. Most composite parts

in aviation today are thermoset,

which are easier to damage and

harder to reuse.

By the mid-2020s, aerostruc-

tures companies could have three

composite materials for design-

ing parts: autoclave- and out-of-

autoclave-cured thermoset mate-

rials and thermoplastics.

“There’s just so much incredi-

ble creativity from companies,”

Pilla says, adding that each mate-

rial “will find its application”. ■

Although firm is starting with “modest” components, its ambition is to make whole wing via new process

AirTeamImages

U

kroboronprom, the parent

company of Antonov, says

the airframer will deliver 70 air-

craft over the next five years.

The defence conglomerate has

developed a comprehensive mar-

keting plan for Antonov, drawing

on independent expertise and

analysis, and taking account of the

company’s capabilities and its

current array of arrangements

with foreign partners.

“The global market will re-

quire around 900 medium-size

freighters by 2032,” says Ukrobo-

ronprom. “Within the next five

years, there is a niche for deliver-

ing up to 20 An-178 transports to

customers in the former Soviet

states, Asia and Africa.”

Ukroboronprom also notes An-

tonov’s “plan to return to the

competitive passenger aircraft

market” with An-148/158 and

An-140 regional models.

It sees potential demand for at

least 70 Ukrainian-built twinjets

and turboprops within the com-

ing five years.

To support its sales goals, An-

tonov intends to obtain US certi-

fication by 2020, a move which

will “significantly expand” the

market for its aircraft.

Antonov says its 2018-

strategy includes adapting its ac-

tivities to NATO standards, at-

tracting leasing companies, and

developing a support network for

operators of its aircraft. ■

TECHNOLOGY STEPHEN TRIMBLE WASHINGTON DC

Spoilers alert Spirit to material change

Aerostructures specialist says out-of-autoclave manufacturing of composite parts promises significant cost reductions

STRATEGY TOM ZAITSEV MOSCOW

Freighter requirements underpin Antonov’s plans