Airbus Skarlet A320 unveils

Airbus has unveiled its first A320 aircraft equipped with Sharklet wing tips, designated as MSN 5098, at its facility in Toulouse, France, which is one of seven newly-built A320 Family aircraft powered by both CFM56 and V2500 engine types.

All seven aircraft, scheduled to join several other A320 Family aircraft during the 600 hour certification flight-test campaign beginning next month, will test the production-standard Sharklets.

The current flight-test campaign, whose results will prologue to the certification of the company’s fuel-saving devices on each combination of aircraft and engine selection, follows the completion of an early flight-test with the A320 MSN 001 test aircraft.

Airbus will launch the first member of the family, CFM56-powered A320 aircraft, featuring Sharklets from the fourth quarter of this year.

The company also has plans to incorporate Sharklets in all of its Neo or new engine option aircraft of its single aisle family from late 2015.

According to Airbus, Sharklets, equipped on the A320 aircraft family, will reduce fuel burn by 3.5% and further reduce the annual CO2 reduction of around 700t per aircraft, equivalent to the amount of CO2 produced by around 200 cars yearly.

The Sharklets will further enhance the aircraft’s takeoff performance and increase its payload by 500kg, which will allow for additional range or more passenger capacity.

Airbus A320 aircraft, which can accommodate about 150 passengers in a typical two-class arrangement, and about 180 with high-density seating arrangement, can cruise to a range of 3,300nm / 6,150km.

The A320’s fly-by-wire controls technology enables total flight envelope and airframe structural protection further enhancing safety and reduced pilot workload, along with improved flight smoothness and stability, and reduced mechanical parts.

The aircraft’s operational flexibility is claimed to be mainly dependant on navigation technology, which includes required navigation performance (RNP) capability, global position (GPS) landing system, microwave landing system (MLS) and future air navigation system (FANS).

 

Image: Airbus unveils its first Sharklet equipped A320 aircraft at its facility in France. Photo: Airbus.