Yesterday, FACC has delivered the first translating sleeves as part of a contract with Goodrich (NYSE: GR) to design, develop and manufacture these engine nacelle components for the Airbus A350 XWB aircraft. This first shipment will be used as engine development units and will run through numerous tests on engine test benches at Rolls-Royce's facility in Derby, England. First flight of the A350 XWB is scheduled for 2012.

The contract was awarded by Goodrich's Aerostructures business unit, located in Chula Vista, Calif., in July 2009. Goodrich Aerostructures was chosen by Airbus for the development and production of the nacelle and thrust reverser systems for the new Rolls-Royce engine Trent XWB, which is offered by Airbus to power the new long-range aircraft. The contract calls for FACC to develop and manufacture the translating sleeve, including the thrust reverser components and the moveable blocker doors. These components are already in series production by FACC for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

"For years we have been working successfully with Goodrich Aerostructures and jointly we have come up with innovative technology and products that increase the efficiency, fuel economy and environmental standards of modern aircraft," said Walter Stephan, CEO of FACC AG. "With the delivery of the first translating sleeves for the A350 XWB, FACC and Goodrich celebrate another milestone in their cooperation. We consider it a great sign of trust that Goodrich had chosen FACC for the engine casings of the new A350 XWB. We shall focus all our efforts and shall use our top technological competence to develop and manufacture a leading-edge high-tech product for the new Airbus family."

Work will be performed at the Facility 4 in Reichersberg (Upper Austria) that started operation in 2007. The facility is one of the most modern production sites for lightweight composite components in the world and is aligned for the greatest possible efficiency and productivity. A high degree of automation by the employment of new processes in the surface treatment before the bonding and innovative manufacturing technologies for high- performance acoustic panels ensure cost-efficient production in Austria as the place of production.

FACC's content on the A350 XWB also includes the spoilers, the housing, bins and spacers of the overhead stowage bin, all composite parts of the Trent XWB engine. The customers are Airbus, Goodrich, Rolls-Royce and Diehl Aircabin.

Environmentally Friendly Thanks to Reduced Noise Emissions and Lower Weight

The system supplied by FACC will consist of the visible surface of the thrust reverser, the moveable blocker doors, the acoustically treated inner duct and the mechanical connection that is needed to operate the thrust reverser doors. The components will be mainly made of composite material and be supplied to Goodrich as a ready-to-install system. A new double-degree acoustic surface developed by FACC achieves a substantial reduction of noise emissions. In this process, a wider frequency band is covered by including two noise reduction ranges and the noise additionally is reduced by two steps. The application of newly developed materials and processes will make the improved noise insulation, as well as further weight reduction and a longer lifespan, possible.