Airbus to start testing new high-tech folding wings

The extensions for the A321 Neo aircraft will be assembled in Filton near Bristol

Airbus is planning to test the performance of new folding wings that it has been developing at its base in Filton near Bristol.

The long-span wings have been designed as part of the aerospace giant’s major research and technology programme, ‘Wing of Tomorrow’, and will be used on its next-generation single-aisle aircraft.

The extensions, which will be assembled in Filton and flight tested in Toulouse in France, measure several metres but are made of light but strong materials and offer the promise of energy savings for Airbus.

The Wing of Tomorrow programme is centred around creating longer, lighter and more slender wings to maximise aerodynamic efficiency and reduce fuel burn.

They will be tested over the next three years and will be installed on an A321 neo plane – the company’s best-selling aircraft. During the evaluation period, Airbus will look at how the different wing geometries perform in real flight conditions.

During the testing process, the wings will be fitted with equipment to capture behaviour in flight and evaluate how the longer wingspan impacts aircraft handling.

Sue Partridge, Airbus Head of Wing of Tomorrow programme, said: “Importantly, the wing is one of the biggest levers we have to improve flight efficiency, which is why the Wing of Tomorrow is so critical for our next generation single aisle aircraft.

“This flight-test campaign will allow us to safely challenge traditional design limits and explore the benefits of longer wings.”

Airbus is currently using advanced digital modelling and wind tunnel testing to finalise the designs of the wing extensions before they are tested in a representative flying environment.

Airbus has already built three 17-metre (ground based) wing demonstrators to explore the advantages of increased wingspan.

The announcement by Airbus comes as plane makers race to develop new technologies that can be used to shape future commercial aircraft.

Airbus rival Boeing has already installed extended wings on its two-aisle 777X plane, but the tech has not been used on any single-aisle plane before.