Airbus launches “Sharklet” large wingtip devices for A320 Family

[Mike P 0]

Well it is because D7 runs it on "economy cruise" mode. Most airlines can do it in less than 4½ hours.

 

Most airlines like what? This route is served by MH, D7, CI and BR... I took on MH B777 connecting to LAX. It took 4H50M.

[alberttky 0]

Nope - all routes are less than 4 hours.

 

 

Managed to find KUL - BLR is more than 4 hours on AK.

[Mike P 0]

Managed to find KUL - BLR is more than 4 hours on AK.

 

The flying time could be slightly longer or slightly shorter. Remember if the higher a plane could fly, the shortest time it could reach the destination. But the altitude is fully controlled by ATC to avoid planes flying on the same altitudes. Probably due to some reasons, the plane may fly at lower altitude and therefore requires longer time to reach.

[alberttky 0]

The flying time could be slightly longer or slightly shorter. Remember if the higher a plane could fly, the shortest time it could reach the destination. But the altitude is fully controlled by ATC to avoid planes flying on the same altitudes. Probably due to some reasons, the plane may fly at lower altitude and therefore requires longer time to reach.

 

Sure... every flight will be different. On paper that flight is 4 hours to and more than 4 hours back.

[flee 5]

Most airlines like what? This route is served by MH, D7, CI and BR... I took on MH B777 connecting to LAX. It took 4H50M.

From MH Reservation System:

 

Depart Segment

 

Flight

MH 94

From

KUL Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Terminal M

To

TPE Taipei - Taoyuan International Airport, Terminal 1

Number of stops

None

Depart

15:15 28 Nov 2011

Arrive

19:45 28 Nov 2011

Duration

4 hours and 30 minutes

Aircraft

Boeing 777-200

Catering

Provided

 

 

A similar route like SIN-TPE:

 

SQ876 Singapore Airlines (Airbus A330-300)

Departs Singapore (SIN) 08:30 (29 Nov)

Arrives Taipei (TPE) 13:05 (29 Nov)

Total travel time 4hrs 35mins

 

 

D7 has a slightly longer journey time to enable it to fly in economy mode and/or to give it a buffer for "on time" performance statistics.

[GeO 0]

copying Boeing's trademark winglet that can be found on Boeing 737NG.

[flee 5]

I don't think it is a Boeing trademark!

 

In fact, the winglets for the B737NG are designed by Aviation Partners and are also featured on other aircraft.

 

Airbus' A320 design involves some redesign of the wing (as well as a weight reduction programme for the whole aircraft) and that may mean not old aircraft cannot be modified to take the sharklets.

[flee 5]

 

Click here for large version

 

 

Click here for large version

[flee 5]

Airbus conducts first A320 'sharklet' flight

 

Airbus has completed the first flight of its A320 test aircraft equipped with 'sharklet' wing-tips.

 

The airframer modified the prototype of its narrowbody family (MSN001) with the approximately 2.5m (8.2ft) tall devices and has now begun the flight test programme for the certification and performance validation.

 

The first part of the campaign is directed at gathering data to fine-tune the aircraft's flight laws, which govern the flight control system.

 

Airbus expects that the sharklets will cut fuel burn by up to 3.5% over the current configuration with wing-tip fences and increase the maximum takeoff weight by up to 3t.

 

Starting next year, A320 wings will be manufactured with the required structural reinforcements to allow for the new wing-tip devices as an option.

 

The planned A320neo, which will enter service in 2015, is to be equipped with sharklets as a standard.

 

Source

[flee 5]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpIaXd-4QGU

[alberttky 0]

love the shark mouth!!

[BC Tam 2]

love the shark mouth!!

Reminds me of Bart Simpson for some reason I cannot work out

[flee 5]

First new-build Sharklet-equipped A320 completed in Toulouse

 

 

26 April 2012 -

Airbus has produced the first new-build A320 with Sharklets. Depicted here at its roll-out in Toulouse, MSN 5098 will be one of several A320 Family aircraft in the certification flight-test campaign starting in May this year and lasting around 600 flight hours. These Sharklet tests follow the successful ‘early flight-test’ campaign with Airbus’ A320 MSN 001 test aircraft.

 

 

In total, seven new-build A320 Family aircraft fitted with both CFM56 and V2500 engine types will test the production-standard Sharklets. The results of the tests will lead up to the certification of these fuel-saving devices on each combination of aircraft model and engine selection. The first member of the family to enter service with Sharklets will be the CFM56-powered A320, from the fourth quarter of 2012.

 

Sharklets, which have been specially designed for the Airbus A320 Family, will reduce fuel burn by up to 3.5 percent, giving an annual CO2 reduction of around 700 tonnes per aircraft. This is equivalent to the CO2 produced by around 200 cars annually. Sharklets are now offered as an option on new-build aircraft, and are standard on the A320neo Family.

 

Source: Airbus

[flee 5]

Etihad Airways selects fuel saving Sharklets for new Airbus A320 fleet

 

 

Airbus’ new large wingtip devices to enhance performance of Etihad Airways’ future A320s

 

6 June 2012

 

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has signed a contract with Airbus to equip 17 of its future A320s on order with Airbus’ fuel saving Sharklets. The new wingtip devices measure 2.5 metres tall, replace the aircraft’s current wingtip fence and will reduce fuel burn particularly over longer sectors.

 

 

Deliveries of the Sharklet-equipped A320s to Etihad Airways will begin in the third quarter of 2013.

 

The Abu Dhabi based carrier started taking delivery of its 20 A320s on order in the last quarter of 2011. Once in service, the A320s equipped with Sharklets will make Etihad Airways’single-aisle fleet one of the most modern and fuel efficient in the Middle East.

 

 

Etihad Airways President and Chief Executive Officer, James Hogan, said: “In today’s climate, our airline is fully focused on maximizing the environmental efficiency of the entire fleet.

 

 

“By growing our fleet with the modern, fuel efficient Sharklet-equipped A320, we’ll be able to reduce fuel burn which is central to our goal of growing profitability in the years ahead.”

 

 

Today, Etihad Airways’ fleet of Airbus aircraft comprises 50 Airbus passenger aircraft (17 A320 Family, 33 A330/A340 Family) and two A330-200 Freighter aircraft. The additional 43 aircraft to be delivered from existing orders, including 10 A380s, will grow Etihad Airways’ total Airbus fleet to 95 aircraft.

 

 

“We are very happy to see Etihad join the increasing number of carriers selecting our new fuel-saving Sharklets”, said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “The A320 already has the best economics and highest reliability of any single-aisle aircraft today. To further boost the aircraft’s productivity by adding the Sharklet, makes good business sense.”

 

 

Offered as an option on new-build aircraft from the end of 2012, the devices increase payload-range and improve take-off performance. The new wing tip devices will result in around 3.5 percent reduced fuel burn over longer sectors, corresponding to an annual CO2 reduction of around 1,000 tonnes per aircraft.

 

 

The A320 Family (A318, A319, A320 and A321) is recognised as the benchmark single-aisle aircraft family. Nearly 8,400 Airbus A320 Family aircraft have been ordered and more than 5,000 delivered to more than 360 customers and operators worldwide, making it the world’s best-selling commercial jetliner ever.

 

Source: Airbus

[BC Tam 2]

Nearly 8,400 Airbus A320 Family aircraft have been ordered and more than 5,000 delivered to more than 360 customers and operators worldwide, making it the world’s best-selling commercial jetliner ever.

 

Source: Airbus

Interesting to know how the PR spinners managed to wring that out ?

Last I checked, the rival product from manufacturer B had chalked up near to 10k orders with just over 7k delivered

[flee 5]

Interesting to know how the PR spinners managed to wring that out ?

Last I checked, the rival product from manufacturer B had chalked up near to 10k orders with just over 7k delivered

Technically Airbus are correct. All their models still belong to the A320 family. The A320NEO will be the first major change to the aircraft design - and even then, the airframe has not changed much.

 

Boeing's numbers derive from several upgrades and updates to their original 737-100 design. Its amazing that the aircraft has grown to more than double its original size over the years!

Edited June 8, 2012 by flee

[flee 5]

EASA starts certificating sharklet-equipped A320s

 

European regulators have certificated the Airbus A320 twinjet featuring sharklet wing-tips, initially for the CFM International CFM56-powered airframes.

 

Other members of the family - including those with International Aero Engines V2500 powerplants - are yet to secure approval.

 

The clearance has been granted by the European Aviation Safety Agency but Airbus says it expects to obtain US FAA certification "very soon".

 

All four of Airbus's final assembly lines for the A320 family - located at Toulouse, Hamburg, Tianjin and Mobile - will be building sharklet-equipped versions of the aircraft, says the airframer.

 

AirAsia is set to take the first sharklet-equipped A320 before the end of this year.

 

Airbus executive vice-president for programmes Tom Williams says the fuel savings achieved during test flights has been "better than we'd anticipated" at around 4% for long sectors.

 

Some 600h of airborne tests, lasting nine or 10 months, are being conducted for the sharklet certification. Airbus says the approval for the remaining aircraft and engine combinations will follow "in the coming months".

 

Source: http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/easa-starts-certificating-sharklet-equipped-a320s-379690/

[flee 5]

A320 Sharklet EASA certification paves the way for airlines to benefit from significant fuel savings potential

Certification of the other aircraft/engine variants with Sharklets to follow,
Fuel savings above expectations

3 DECEMBER 2012
Airbus has achieved on schedule certification for its new fuel-saving Sharklets for the A320 with CFM engines. This certification received from the European airworthiness authorities (EASA) will be followed very soon by the US FAA.

Tom Williams, Executive Vice President of Programmes at Airbus says: “The certification of Airbus’ Sharklets is a milestone which paves the way for airlines to benefit from savings in fuel of around four percent. That’s better than we’d anticipated.” He adds: “The annual greenhouse gas emission reduction per aircraft equipped with Sharklets will be approximately 1,000 tonnes of CO2 – that’s equivalent to taking 200 cars off the roads.”

For the flight test campaign, A320 Family aircraft with both CFM56 and V2500 engines have recently taken to the skies with Sharklets. When complete, this flight testing will represent approximately 600 flight-hours spread over 9-10 months. Certification of the remaining aircraft/engine variants with Sharklets will therefore follow in the coming months. By the end of 2012, Air Asia will become the first airline to take delivery of Sharklet-equipped A320s.

Due to the very strong customer demand for Sharklets, all Airbus’ single-aisle final assembly lines (FALs) will be engaged in building A320 Family aircraft with Sharklets. These FALs are located in Toulouse, Hamburg and Tianjin and will soon be followed by an additional A320 FAL in Alabama USA.

Sharklets are large devices made from composites and are 2.4 metres tall. Attached to the A320’s wing-tip during the assembly process, they reduce fuel burn and emissions by improving the aerodynamics of the aircraft. As well as cutting airlines fuel bills, Sharklets will add around 100nm range and also allow increased payload capability of up to 450kgs. Sharklets are an option on new-build aircraft, and are standard on the A320neo Family.

To date, more than 8,600 Airbus A320 Family aircraft have been sold and more than 5,300 delivered to more than 350 customers and operators worldwide, making it the world’s best selling commercial jetliner ever. The A320 Family has the lowest operating costs of any single-aisle aircraft. Headquartered in Toulouse, France, Airbus is an EADS company.

Source: Airbus

Edited December 4, 2012 by flee

[Amirul Mazlan 0]

Funny, Boeing and Airbus swapping each others wingtip 'design', enlarged it and give it a new name. For me it's pretty pathetic for Airbus to name it Sharklets. It has nothing to do with shark. Just another way of doing it for the European i guess.

[Mohd Suhaimi Fariz 2]

Funny, Boeing and Airbus swapping each others wingtip 'design', enlarged it and give it a new name. For me it's pretty pathetic for Airbus to name it Sharklets. It has nothing to do with shark. Just another way of doing it for the European i guess.

Airbus have been using the shark nomenclature since 1996 as witnessed here http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/cathay-takes-shark-skin-a340-10129/

 

[flee 5]

A321-211SL, Airbus Industrie, D-AZAK, VN-A651 (MSN 5295) with Sharklets

 

The first A321 with sharklets (used for tests and certification) is now going to VietJet Air - they ordered six A321s in 2013.

 

Photos: http://xfw-spotter.blogspot.com/2012/10/a321-211-airbus-industrie-d-azak-msn.html

 

VietJetAir to acquire up to 100 new A320 Family aircraft: http://www.airbus.com/newsevents/news-events-single/detail/vietjetair-to-acquire-up-to-100-new-a320-family-aircraft/

[Tom/PER 0]

Does AK have any plans to follow in the footsteps of other Oceanic based LCC's and begin retrofitted sharklets to their fleets?

 

3K/JQ and TR have been busy fitting the fuel savings devices to their A320 fleets.

[JuliusWong 0]

Does AK have any plans to follow in the footsteps of other Oceanic based LCC's and begin retrofitted sharklets to their fleets?

 

3K/JQ and TR have been busy fitting the fuel savings devices to their A320 fleets.

I think AirAsia is looking at retiring earlier non-Sharklets A320, not retrofitting them at all as they are trying to conserve cash. The huge A320 order book allows them to offload older A320 pretty fast.