The creation of a new £40 million Airbus Wing Integration Centre (
www.airbus.com) at Filton reached a crucial stage in mid-December — with the installation of the floor.
This involved pouring 3,500 tonnes of concrete in a 24hr period, using 240 lorry loads sourced from three plants in the area.
The ‘state of the art’ centre will accommodate aircraft wings (undergoing structural testing) in a space equivalent to two football pitches, along with 250 aerospace engineers and researchers, who will work on early-stage research and in-service aircraft improvements. It will contain a laboratory, 3-D printers and other high-tech equipment.
Built on Airbus land, the new centre is jointly funded by Airbus and the Government.
Steve Raynes, head of laboratories and test centres at Airbus, said: “The next major milestone will be the installation of the ‘strong wall’ next year; we aim to be fully operational by the end of 2018.
“When it’s completed, the new facility will enable Airbus to deliver the research, design, analysis and testing of the next generation of wings — the wings of tomorrow.”