Airbus’ North Wales factory at Broughton started its production of the A380 wings with the first metal cut on Thursday 12 December. These are the largest Airbus wings ever designed and built in the UK.

The first cut took place on a long bed milling machine in the main factory where A380 work has been in progress for many months, manufacturing test pieces in preparation for production to commence.

The first panel is being machined from a 35 metre long aluminium-alloy billet or casting, weighing nearly 4,500 kg. The machining process will remove over 70 per cent of the metal in order to form the finished panel.

The Broughton site is manufacturing 18 of the 20 panels forming the top and bottom surfaces of each pair of A380 wings, as well as assembling and delivering the complete wing box.

The bottom wing panel cut on Thursday 12 December is over 33 metres long and two metres wide and is one of the largest in the set of 18.

In photo at right, Brian Fleet, Senior Vice President Manufacturing, Airbus UK and Scott Coleman, Broughton's East Factory Launch Controller, celebrate the factory's first A380 production metal cut, which occurred on the long-bed milling machine with the first wing panel behind them.

The first set of A380 wings are due to be delivered from Broughton to the aircraft final assembly line in Toulouse, France in 2004.

FMI: www.airbus.com