Airbus has produced the first new-build A320 with Sharklets. Depicted here at its roll-out in Toulouse, MSN 5098 will be one of several A320 Family aircraft in the certification flight-test campaign starting in May this year and lasting around 600 flight hours. These Sharklet tests follow the successful ‘early flight-test’ campaign with Airbus’ A320 MSN 001 test aircraft.

Current gearbox technology utilizes metallic gears due to the high strength and thermal capabilities. While metal is an excellent choice for these conditions, it is also heavy and prone to corrosion. Gear rotation and the resulting meshing of gear teeth generate vibration that results in noise. For these reasons, a hybrid metal-composite design was identified to provide weight and noise reduction benefits, due to the reduced density and improved damping of composite materials.