Aciturri completes 3rd delivery of BelugaXL

Aciturri Aerostructures has completed the integration of the extension of the horizontal stabilizer box (HTP) of BelugaXL, the super transporter that Airbus use for moving aircrafts main components between its production centres.

Our team, relocated to the company´s FAL in Toulouse for this milestone, has also made the delivery of the auxiliary fin and the leading edges that complement this structure of the aircraft; which will be integrated by an Airbus’ in-house team.

Numbering this one, there are three the deliveries made by Aciturri within the Beluga’s 230 work package, in which we are also responsible for the design and manufacture of the ventral fin (stabilizers located in the lower part of the tail cone of the fuselage), whose 3rd delivery is scheduled for next July.

Aciturri participates in this program since 2015, when we started working at the Toulouse FAL in close collaboration with Airbus, with responsibility for design, calculation, manufacturing engineering, detail parts manufacturing, assembly of deliverable components and integration of the HTP extension box.

This exercise has meant an important advance in our level of competition, not only because of the areas involved -in this program take part our division of product definition, process engineering, metallic and composites manufacturing, tooling engineering, assembly and certification- but also with regard to the transfer between our plants and with suppliers.

The Aerostructures facilities in Tres Cantos (Madrid) has been responsible for the development of composite parts; metal components have been subcontracted to our Supply Chain; and some of the final processes have been carried out at our plant in Ayuelas.

Aciturri Assembly Sevilla centralizes the assembly works of detail parts and final arrays, as well as the final integration of the extension box in FAL in Toulouse, with the support of Assembly Engineering and Product Definition.

The first BelugaXL began its flight test campaign in July 2018, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2019. In parallel, the certification tests for the second aircraft (the first that will go into service) are being carried out. A process in which Aciturri's design and calculation areas are also participating.

Until the end of 2021, Airbus will produce another three aircraft within this program, -recently it has expanded the forecast of 5 to 6 units- that will go into service progressively until mid-2022.