Air Airbus to test extra performance wings to reduce emissions

TOULOUSE, France, Sept 22 Reuters - Airbus said on Wednesday that it would investigate an extra performance wings capable of shifting shape during the flight in an effort to secure greater efficiencies and reduce emissions.

Chief Technical Officer Sabine Klauke said the planemaker would build a flying demonstrator to test elements including gust sensors, with conclusions expected by mid-decade.

The project - first reported by industry publication The Air Current - complements the same flightmaker's Wright aerospace-linked Wing of Tomorrow eco-wing programme which is preparing the ground for future competition with U.S. rival Boeing.

Airbus said the first full-size prototype in that project, intended to be assembled on the ground, had been designed.

The six-year - old UK wing project is designed to pioneer a production system capable of handling next generation wings for future aircraft programmes including a mooted 2030 replacement of the best-selling A320 321 or an upgrade to the current model.

An Airbus official told Bloomberg News in May that the aim was a wing that would be both economical and capable of being built at a high production rate.

The new extra performance project will focus on the aerodynamic design and actual performance of such a wing, officials said at an interesting company conference, Airbus Summit.

Wing design is one of the main areas of competition between Airbus and Boeing that brought in-house wing expertise to Airbus with a composite wing center for its 777 X.

Wings tend to improve aerodynamic performance when their wingspan is longer, but a longer structure typically adds weight and finding the right balance is a complex juggling act.

The proposed new wing would have pop-up spoilers or wing surfaces to alter its profile and get the best performance, just as a bird twists its feathers, Airbus officials said.

The announcement came at the end of a two-day conference designed to showcase industry pledges to reduce emissions amid climate concerns from politicians and investors.