Airbus completes A350F freight horizontal stabilizer in Spain
Like other parts of the large cargo aircraft, the HTP is composite, to be fitted to the first A350F aircraft for 2026-2027 flight tests.
Source | Airbus
Airbus (Toulouse, France) has completed manufacturing the first horizontal stabilizer (HTP) for the A350F freighter at its plants in Spain. The Cádiz facility manufactured the HTP parts, which were sent to the Getafe facility for assembly and outfitting.
The A350F is derived from the A350, which is a highly composites-intensive aircraft, largely made of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) materials. This includes the A350F’s wings (Airbus completed its first wingset) and the HTP. In a June 2024 Aernnova Composites plant tour, CW’s Ginger Gardiner reports how “Aernnova Illescas … uses automated tape laying (ATL) and fiber placement (AFP) to produce the CFRP leading edge (LE) and other components for the Airbus A350 horizontal tail plane.”
The completed A350F HTP will be shipped to the Airbus Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Toulouse in the coming weeks to be joined with the fuselage of the first test aircraft. Airbus is manufacturing two A350F aircraft for flight testing in 2026 and 2027.
The A350F HTP can be manufactured in the same production line as the passenger version, delivering operational and industrial advantages and improvements.
“The A350F will offer a clean sheet, specifically designed solution for air freight transport, bringing more efficiency and versatility to the cargo market,” says Ricardo Rojas, president of Airbus’ Commercial Aircraft business in Spain. “With more than 1,400 orders for the A350, including 66 A350Fs, Spain plays a key role in this program that presents the future in air cargo transportation.”
All in all, the HTP, rear fuselage (section 19) and lower wing covers for both the A350 and A350F are manufactured in Spain. In addition, the A350F's main deck cargo door, said to be the largest in the industry, will also be manufactured in Spain. Made from composites, it has a 4.3-meter opening, making loading and unloading easier, faster and safer.
Related Content
-
Plant tour: Airbus, Illescas, Spain
Airbus’ Illescas facility, featuring highly automated composites processes for the A350 lower wing cover and one-piece Section 19 fuselage barrels, works toward production ramp-ups and next-generation aircraft.
-
Welding is not bonding
Discussion of the issues in our understanding of thermoplastic composite welded structures and certification of the latest materials and welding technologies for future airframes.
-
Plant tour: Aernnova Composites, Toledo and Illescas, Spain
RTM and ATL/AFP high-rate production sites feature this composites and engineering leader’s continued push for excellence and innovation for future airframes.
