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  1. Why the Airbus A321XLR Is A Game-Changer

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    A look at the best-selling commercial jets illustrates what airliners care about today: aircraft range and carrying capacity. These are the two variables that move the needle. Which is why the launch of the Airbus A321XLR was easily among the most important happenings at the 2019 Paris Air Show.

    The Airbus A321XLR 

    Put simply, nothing can hold a candle to the XLR when it comes to range and seating capacity.

    Airbus A321XLR range

    With a range of 4,700 nautical miles, the Airbus A321XLR “Extra Long Range” is an even longer-range variant of the A321LR. It can fly from Rome to New York or Tokyo to Melbourne. 

    The longer range comes thanks to an enlarged fuel tank and strengthened landing gears that can handle an increased maximum takeoff weight. In terms of bells and whistles, the XLR comes with programmable LED-lighting and overhead bins that are 40% larger than previous designs.

    The XLR’s 30 percent decrease in fuel burn per seat also helps airliners meet eco-friendly initiatives, albeit at the cost of slightly longer travel times. United, for example, has committed to reduce its carbon footprint by 50 percent between 2005 and 2050.

    Why it’s a Game-Changer

    The trend in commercial aviation is away from the traditional hub-and-spoke business model toward point-to-point, non-stop flights. The Airbus A321XLR is perfectly designed to meet this need.

    Airlines utilizing the XLR along with wide-body aircraft will have the flexibility to link new cities or add additional flights on existing routes, such as using an XLR on a short connecting flight before a trans-Atlantic trip. 

    Boeing, needing a competitor in the long-range, narrow-body market, recently announced a joint venture with Embraer in which it paid $4.2 billion for an 80% stake of Embraer’s production of commercial jets with fewer than 150 seats. 

    American Airlines will replace its aging fleet of Boeing 757s with 50 XLRs. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2023 as XLRs begin rolling off the assembly line in Mobile, Alabama and Hamburg, Germany. JetBlue Airways, Iberia and Saudi Arabian Airways have also ordered the plan or converted old A321s to the new variant.

    Airbus A321 Doubters

    While Henry Harteveldt, founder of Atmosphere Research Group, sees “a significant number, perhaps a majority of trans-Atlantic and other long-haul routes being operated by narrow-body, long-range airplanes” like the XLR, others aren’t so sure.

    The Lufthansa CEO has commented that the XLR may end up more of a “niche” aircraft, losing market share to more comfortable widebody jets, especially if commercial airliners end up prioritizing deliveries over long range.

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    Photo credit Seeking Alpha: Boeing Does Not Have An Answer To The Airbus A220 Yet

  2. Is This the Future of Aircraft Assembly?

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    When Airbus was looking to increase their production capacity for their A320 final assembly line (FAL) in a new 4th line in Hamburg, they couldn’t simply replicate the system already in place at their other aircraft assembly site in Hamburg — or at those in Mobile, Tianjin and Toulouse.

    Why? 

    For one, the new FAL needed to be up and running quickly. It also had to fit into a hangar that was divided in half by a giant partition wall, each side of which was just wide enough to pass a fuselage through. 

    While these constraints may seem like a burden — Airbus treated them like an opportunity. 

    A320 FAL had been basically unchanged since the 1980s. It necessitated heavy foundations and hard iron jigs that simply could not keep up with modern production rates. Now, at the new FAL, there was a chance to significantly reduce the moving and positioning of parts — an incredibly time-consuming aspect of aircraft assembly. 

    Eckart Frankenberger, vice-president of manufacturing strategy at Airbus, compared the new approach to the ergonomic work environment of a surgeon: Every tool, every piece of material, every consumable and every aircraft part, is delivered straight to the point of use in a 3 meter radius of the operator when they need it. 

    By getting the positioning of everything right the first time around, the need for manual adjustments and rework down the line are greatly reduced. In short, the new approach provides a vast improvement over the trial-and-error, test-and-adjust methodology that has defined aircraft assembly from the beginning. 

    For a closer look at the future of aircraft assembly, check out this article from Aerospace Manufacturing Magazine: Like aircraft assembly but a bit more Zen

    About Aerospace Manufacturing

    Aerospace Manufacturing is a AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited, QSLM approved manufacturer of high strength, close tolerance aerospace fasteners that’s trusted by OEMs like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, NAVICP, Sikorsky, Bombardier and General Electric.

    Our strategic location next to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) means same-day shipment is available on stock items and very short lead-times of one to four weeks can be met on most fasteners.

    We are a Philips Screw licensee that specializes in both large and small runs. Whether our customers need a prototype or large runs for their assembly line, they know they can rely on AMI for rapid delivery and short lead-times.

    Search our Inventory or Launch Your Custom Quote today!

  3. The Biggest Aerospace Deals from the Paris Air Show

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    The Paris Air Show is the largest event of its kind. It’s the place to see the most beautiful aircraft and the newest, most high-tech innovations in the industry. But it’s also where the biggest aerospace deals in the world get done.

    Here are the most important industry developments from PAS 2019.

    Boeing

    Things started slowly for Boeing, which made its first sale since March —  twenty 787-9 and 787-10 Dreamliners — to Korean Air on the second day of the Paris Air Show. 

    Boeing’s big moment came when IAG, owner of British Airways, agreed to buy 200 737 Max planes, likely at a discount due to its current safety concerns. 

    Other deals included: 

    – China Airlines and Qatar Airways each bought several 777 freighter models

    – GECAS placed an order for ten 737-800 converted freighters 

    – Air Lease Corporation committed to purchase 5 wide body 787 Dreamliners

    Airbus

    To kick of the show, Airbus announced the launch of the A321XLR, a widely anticipated single-aisle plane that will allow airlines to serve long distances between smaller cities. 

    Airbus sold 27 XLRs to Air Lease Corporation, 50 to American Airlines and 32 to Indigo Partners, as well as smaller orders to four smaller airliners.

    With the 14 wide-body A330neos sold to Virgin Atlantic, Airbus cashed in for an estimated $35 billion in total sales. 

    Embraer

    Brazilian firm Embraer reached a deal with Dutch airline KLM to sell 15 of its E195 E2 regional jets. KLM will use the plans on its sister airline KLM Cityhopper, and has the option to buy 20 more jets. 

    Embraer cleaned up quite nicely at the Paris Air Show, taking orders for 78 planes worth $4.6 billion. 

    Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation 

    Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation revealed that it was in talks with an unnamed U.S. airline over the sale of its SpaceJet M100, a narrow-body regional jet that will be ready for market in 2023.

    As a smaller, U.S. clause compliant version of Mitsubishi’s MRJ90 regional jet, the M100 is tailored specifically for the U.S. market and designed to help Mitsubishi compete with Embraer as the dominant supplier to regional airlines like JetBlue and SkyWest.

    The SpaceJet M100 cabin — which comes in a 65-76 seat, three-class cabin configuration or with 88 seats in a single class — was presented on the exhibition floor at the Paris Air Show. 

    About Aerospace Manufacturing

    Aerospace Manufacturing is a AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited, QSLM approved manufacturer of high strength, close tolerance aerospace fasteners that’s trusted by OEMs like Lockheed Martin, Boeing, NAVICP, Sikorsky, Bombardier and General Electric.

    Our strategic location next to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) means same-day shipment is available on stock items and very short lead-times of one to four weeks can be met on most fasteners.

    We are a Philips Screw licensee that specializes in both large and small runs. Whether our customers need a prototype or large runs for their assembly line, they know they can rely on AMI for rapid delivery and short lead-times.

    Search our Inventory or Launch Your Custom Quote today!

  4. Dassault and Airbus to Collaborate on Next-Generation Combat Jet

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    Dassault Aviation and Airbus have been awarded the first-ever Joint Concept Study (JCS) contract for the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program by France and Germany. The two-year study kicked off February 20, just in time to have demonstrator programs ready for presentation at the Paris Air Show in June 2019.

    The goal of the joint study is to come up with different FCAS capabilities and pave the way for the design, industrialization and full operational capability of a next-generation manned fighter, new weapons systems, and unmanned drones that would be linked together by the cloud.

    FCAS is more than just a combat aircraft. It is a system of systems including a large array of interconnected and interoperable elements, from medium-altitude, long endurance drones to cruise missiles and drone swarms.  

    According to Dirk Hoke, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, “FCAS is one of the most ambitious European defense programs of the century.”

    Project completion is slated for 2040.

    Dassault Aviation, the architect and integrator of the combat system, is based in Paris and has its North American HQ just down the road from us in Teteboro. Airbus, based in Toulouse, has its North American HQ in Herndon, VA.

    Though currently only France and Germany have signed onto the project, Hoke thinks more European involvement will be necessary. “FCAS should be and is a European project that transcends national borders, bringing in involvement from countries such as Spain, Italy, Sweden, Belgium and more,” he said.

    AMI Exhibiting at the Paris Air Show

    We are very excited to announce that Aerospace Manufacturing was awarded a Small Business Association grant by the State of New Jersey to exhibit at the Paris Air Show at the Le Bourget Parc des Expositions from 17 to 23 June 2019.

    If you are planning on attending, schedule a time to chat with AMI!

    About Aerospace Manufacturing

    Aerospace Manufacturing is a AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited manufacturer of high strength, close tolerance aerospace fasteners.

    Our clientele includes industry leading OEMs like Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky, Bombardier, General Electric, DLA, NAVICP, NASA, and the U.S. Navy.

    Search our expansive inventory or launch your Custom Quote today!