Hexcel Corporation congratulates Airbus on the first delivery of the A320neo (new engine option) to Lufthansa on January 20, 2016.
This significant milestone is being celebrated by Hexcel, a major supplier of composite materials for the A320neo airframe and for both engine options, CFM International’s LEAP-1A and the PurePower PW1100G-JM from Pratt & Whitney that powered the aircraft delivered yesterday.
The Airbus A320neo single aisle aircraft is a more efficient re-engined version of the highly successful Airbus A320. Both engine choices incorporate significant quantities of weight-saving, performance-enhancing composite materials from Hexcel.
For the Pure Power PW1100G-JM engine Hexcel supplies HexPly® 8552 woven and UD carbon prepreg for the fan cowl doors and nacelle IFS (inner fixed structure). Hexcel also supplies engineered core components for the IFS and the fan case.
For the LEAP-1A Hexcel supplies HexTow® IM7 carbon fiber for all the fan blades and containment cases, in addition to supplying HexPly® carbon prepreg for the nacelles and engineered core for the inner trans cowl.
In addition to the new engines, the A320neo benefits from fuel-saving Sharklet wingtip devices that are manufactured using Hexcel’s HexPly® M21 and M21E carbon fiber/epoxy prepreg. The Sharklets reduce fuel burn, increase payload range and improve take-off performance.