Airbus France's Nantes plant has delivered the first A380 centre wing box to the St Nazaire factory, where it will be incorporated into the centre fuselage section before delivery to the Toulouse final assembly line early next year. Forty per cent of the wingbox, which will weigh 11,600kg (25,550lb) when fully equipped, is constructed from carbonfibre composites, generating a weight saving of 1,500kg. Wing boxes are transported along the Loire river by barge from Nantes to St Nazaire. Construction of the first box took 18 months, but later items will be finished in 70 days.
Source: Flight International
