MICHAEL PHELAN / NANTES
Airbus is due to deliver the first A380 centre wing box from its manufacturing facility in Nantes, France, by 20 August, making it the first large subassembly to be completed for flight test aircraft 001. The largely composite centre box measures about 7 x 7 x 2.35m (23 x 23 x 7.7ft) and will weigh 11,600kg (25,550lb) when fully equipped.
The centre box will be delivered by barge from Nantes to Airbus's St Nazaire plant located at the mouth of the Loire river. There it will be mated with the centre fuselage section and transferred to Toulouse early next year.
The centre wing box is made of carbonfibre composite, with aluminium ribs, wing interfaces and forward and aft bulkhead stiffeners. On the freighter and subsequent A380 versions, the centre section can be used to accommodate an additional 30,000 litres (7,915 USgal) of fuel.
Source: Flight International
