GE Aviation, Hamble initiates production of Airbus A350-1000’s wing fixed trailing edge package

Production of the wing fixed trailing edge package for Airbus’ A350-1000 jetliner has begun at GE Aviation, Hamble, marking a new milestone in the largest design and manufacture contract awarded in the 78-year history of this GE Aviation Aerostructures business. The first element produced is a spoiler hinge bracket, which was manufactured on November 4th, in GE Aviation’s machining facility at Hamble-le-Rice, United Kingdom. GE Aviation, Hamble has full responsibility for designing and building the wing fixed trailing edge packages on the new A350-1000 variant and the in-production A350-900 version of Airbus’ twin-engine A350 XWB jetliner, comprising more than 3,000 deliverable components per aircraft – involving complex machined parts, structural composite panels and assemblies. The A350-1000’s strengthened, higher performance wing will experience additional loads in flight, necessitating a high level of technical change and integration to the GE Aviation, Hamble-supplied wing fixed trailing edge package. It also involved coordination throughout the supply chain, and with the A350 XWB engineering plateau established by Airbus at its Filton, UK facility to ensure close and timely collaboration with other risk-sharing partners and agreement on all technical interface requirements.