David Poynter’s Post

Sharklets and winglets are aerodynamic devices found on the wingtips of aircraft, designed to improve efficiency and reduce drag. **Sharklets** are a type of winglet used by Airbus. They are upturned extensions at the wingtips that reduce drag by diminishing the vortex effect created by the difference in pressure above and below the wing. This leads to better fuel efficiency and lower emissions. **Winglets** are similar devices used by various aircraft manufacturers, including Boeing. They also extend from the wingtips and serve the same purpose of reducing drag and improving fuel efficiency. There are different designs of winglets, such as blended winglets and split scimitar winglets, each tailored for specific aerodynamic benefits. In essence, both sharklets and winglets serve the same fundamental purpose of enhancing aircraft performance by reducing drag, though they may differ in design and the specific aircraft they are used on.

🛫 Not just Boeing encountered major production setbacks, Airbus faces continued #supplychain pain as well and hasn't managed to get production fully up to speed yet nearly 4,5 years after the pandemic started. This story drags on the #aviation sector and particularly fleet renewal and fuel efficiency progress. Find out what's coming up in this #ING global outlook: https://lnkd.in/eqXTCQN5 https://lnkd.in/ei_udnw8

Airbus is said to be working on a revolutionary new aircraft and this is a great insight into what that could be https://lnkd.in/ewyX-RXa . As explained in this video, Airbus have a very strong order book and with Boeing's recent challenges this puts them in a potentially healthy position. However, their output has been slowing in recent years causing delays in deliveries. Although they delivered 735 aircraft in 2023, this was below their pre-pandemic peak of 863. These delays have apparently been causing some customers to select the Boeing 737 Max over the A320 neo, although that may shift back again. And as Leeham News points out here, if delays run to greater than 12 months, customers may be able to cancel their orders https://lnkd.in/eiuRYN-9 . The hints of a new aircraft, picked up by the Air Current https://lnkd.in/ex7dBEa9., indicate a greener design with more environmental focus. It appears to be similar in size to the A320 or Boeing 737Max. The interesting aspect is the implication that it would use the CFM RISE open fan engines https://lnkd.in/eTQrPr9J which are intended to be cleaner, quieter and more efficient than current engines. In addition, it seems to be moving towards high aspect ratio gull wings but without adopting the truss-braced approach that Boeing is exploring https://lnkd.in/e6H6e9ej. In both cases, the aircraft retain the engine placement on the wings and there's a lot to consider between that and rear placement https://lnkd.in/eUTUGNA2. The strut-braced approach also has implications here as it can mitigate some of the issues of the wing-bending moment that are reduced by engines on the wings. All of this development is still primarily focussed on the passenger market, so there's a lot of design in the safety and comfort of passengers involved. So while it certainly has potential to be more fuel efficient, it will still result in an aircraft that is designed for people and has to be converted for cargo. That in turn means that airfreight efficiency will be compromised. Although the investment in design and build of a new aircraft is significant, the potential of having an aircraft specifically designed for cargo presents a huge opportunity. #airbus #boeing #airfreight #CFMRISE #openfan #efficiency #logistics #trussbracedwings #strutbraced #Droneliner

It's great to see new thinking in aerospace focused on cleaner and more efficient aircraft. From the Airbus concept explored here https://lnkd.in/eA4UrSQV with the potential for using the open fan CFM RISE engine https://lnkd.in/eP6nz6ZP to the Boeing and Nasa experiments with truss-braced wings https://lnkd.in/efYYg56D. Airbus is in a strong position in terms of its order book, although challenged by delivery delays, and Boeing is embroiled in multiple issues with the 737 Max and with a number of its aircraft ceasing production. So neither company can rest on its laurels and they both need to ensure their future strategies support the global environmental objectives that see aerospace as a significant contributor to emissions. These future projections remain stuck in the world of passenger flight and that can inevitably bring additional weight, cost and fuel compromises to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers and crew. With airfreight increasing in importance and use, even more so as challenges with the Red Sea, Black Sea, Panama Canal and port congestion impact marine shipping, it presents an opportunity for the industry to invest more in the development of specifically designed cargo aircraft. Aircraft that are constructed with a focus on lightweight 20ft shipping containers, more akin to the efficient processes developed in marine shipping, and with much more weight devoted to the payload rather than passenger comfort. With unmanned, cargo focussed aircraft, the scope for more aerodynamic, lighter airframes, reducing fuel requirements for longer ranges become possible. And reduced fuel consumption per ton of cargo reduces costs and emissions supports the wider global environmental objectives across governments and corporations. #Airbus #Boeing #AircraftDesign #CFMRISE #Sustainability #Droneliner #Emissions

Airbus has risen from being a struggling outsider to outperforming Boeing for five consecutive years. The A320neo's fuel efficiency, bold business moves, innovative technology, and government subsidies have all contributed to Airbus's success. The 737 Max groundings further boosted Airbus's position. This success story showcases how strategic decisions and technological advancements can lead to industry dominance. #Airbus #Boeing #A320neo #aviation #businessstrategy

Tensions in the Aerospace supply chain industry and the postponement by Airbus of delivery targets highlight, on both sides of the Atlantic (and this even truer at Boeing than at Airbus), the excesses of abandoning vertical integration. What has become a crisis is not cyclical (Covid and post Covid recovery) but structural. This crisis is a good (and necessary) opportunity to think about the right level of subcontracting and challenges go beyond dual sourcing. Of course, not everything can or should be done in-house and Airbus is not going to start manufacturing engines for example. But  the time has come to rethink the make or buy strategy, choose carefuly the suppliers and work with them over the long term in a spirit of good partnership rather than in a supplier/contractor relationship. The good news is that the clock is ticking when it comes to market demand or to fleet renewal and decarbonization trajectory. From this point of view, the news surrounding Spirit AeroSystems brings all the necessary lessons and marks an interesting (and let’s hope) turning point. It’s not about resigning to relearning how to do more things in-house, it’s an opportunity to redevelop skills as part of a better integrated ecosystem approach. The transfer window has begun and work lies ahead ! #Manufacturing #Supply chain strategies #aerospace, Airbus, GIFAS - Groupement des Industries Françaises Aéronautiques et Spatiales,Sia Partners Air & Cosmos

Why is the Airbus A320 aircraft variants numbered differently from the other series, ie A318, A319, A320, A321 instead of A320-100, A320-200, A320-300, A320-400?

#Avgeekfriday time! And today we highlight the Airbus A320 again! Did you know that the A320 has two different wing-fairing options? Yep, that's right. And to know why we have to back to 2006 when Airbus we studying a performance improvement package for the A320 family. After 20 years of flying Airbus has learned about the day-to-day use of the A320 by operators and how the A320 performs. Engineers studied a way to make the aircraft 4-5% more efficient through a series of improvements. They called it, the "Enhanced" program. And the Airbus came with some radical changes, Like large winglets, or Sharklets, weight savings (by using more composite materials), A new aircraft cabin, engine improvements reducing fuel consumption by 1%, and some aerodynamical changes. Including the re-design of the wingfairing. These improvements we're slowly becoming the new standard on all A320s. during the end of the 2000s and beginning of 2010s, making the A320NEO the next step. This shows that small improvements can make big-differences! Now you know! #Avgeek #A320 #Airbus #TDA #TouchdownAviation

To pilots transitioning from a C172 to a C182, or those going from a Piper Archer to a Piper Turbo Arrow, their workplace aka the cockpit will have similarities. Watch this video to discover how far this goes for the big jet manufacturers. Being comfortable in your "kitchen" is not only important from an ergonomy and safety standpoint, it also has a very practical impact on time required to qualify/transition pilots from one type to another.

The challenges facing Airbus and rival Boeing Co. are caused not by slack demand for its products, but rather a supply chain that’s been severely stretched for years. Airbus has long warned of the issue after the pandemic first upended the global aviation industry and then left it unprepared once air travel came roaring back. What’s new is the breadth of the problem, with Chief Executive Officer Guillaume Faury saying that engine shortages are now coming up as the latest pinch point. Airbus CEO said in an interview earlier in June that any supply issues might persist for the next 2-3 years. Faury cautioned on Monday that economic and geopolitical challenges are contributing to the situation and are here to stay “for a while.” Airbus cites “complex and sophisticated products” that created development risks. As a result, Airbus said it will “evaluate all strategic options such as potential restructuring, cooperation models, portfolio review and M&A options.” #airlines #transportation #logistics #supplychainriskmanagement #supplychainplanning #businessstrategy #investmentstrategy