Spirit AeroSystems has delivered its first A350 XWB composite centre fuselage section (Section 15) to Airbus in St-Nazaire. The assembly was manufactured at Spirit's Kinston, North Carolina, facility and shipped to the company's newest plant in France, where it was assembled and delivered to Airbus. (Picture © PRNewsFoto/Spirit AeroSystems Inc.)

The upper and forward lower shell (Section 15) composite fuselage panels were joined in Spirit's Saint-Nazaire, France, facility before being delivered to Airbus.

Spirit won a contract with Airbus in May 2008 to design and produce Section 15 of the A350 XWB's composite fuselage. The first centre fuselage panels were shipped from Spirit's North Carolina facility to Spirit's Saint-Nazaire facility in October 2011.

Spirit also designs and builds the composite front wing spar and fixed leading edge for the A350 XWB, which have already been delivered to Airbus in the UK.

The A350 XWB structure is 53% composite-based, including major elements such as wings and fuselage. The first A350 XWB is scheduled to enter service in the first half 2014.