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Top 5 Reinforced Plastics news stories of 2012The following five news articles published in 2012 were the most popular with visitors to the Reinforced Plastics website during the year.

1. Mecca clock tower features Gurit composites

The 600 m high clock tower at the centre of the Abraj-Al Arab

development in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, features over 40 000 m² of

composite cladding, including the largest clock faces in the world at

43 m in diameter with 23 m long minute hands (www.reinforcedplastics.

com/view/23390/mecca-clock-tower-features-gurit-composites).

Premier Composites Technologies (PCT) of Dubai, UAE, fabricated and installed the composite cladding, clock face, clock hands and crescent of the Dokaae Clock tower in Mecca.

2. First Airbus A350 XWB aft fuselage built

In March, Airbus announced that the structural assembly of the first

A350 XWB aft fuselage (destined for the first flying A350 XWB aircraft)

had been completed in Germany. The aft fuselage is a 20 m long

carbon composite part (www.reinforcedplastics.com/view/24550/

first-airbus-a350-xwb-aft-fuselage-built).

3. Vestas Sailrocket 2 – the world’s fastest wind-powered craft

In November, the sail-powered boat Vestas Sailrocket 2 broke the 500 m

world speed sailing record. Designed and built at wind power company

Vestas’ R&D facilities on the Isle of Wight, UK, the boat’s main structure is

sandwich construction based on carbon fibre prepreg and a Nomex

honeycomb core (www.reinforcedplastics.com/view/29509/vestas-sailrocket-

2-the-world-s-fastest-wind-powered-craft). (A picture of the Vestas

Sailrocket 2 is available on page 7.)

4. Adastra superyacht launched

In April, after four years in build, McConaghy Boats in China announced

the launch of the 42.5 m luxury yacht Adastra. Designed by John

Shuttleworth Yacht Designs Ltd, the superstructure is constructed in

carbon fibre composite with Nomex honeycomb core and the hull is a

glass/Kevlar foam sandwich (www.reinforcedplastics.com/view/25127/

adastra-superyacht-launched).

Adastra is reported to have cost $15 million.

5. First A350 XWB parts arrive at Toulouse final assembly line

Airbus delivered the first major airframe section to the A350 XWB Final

Assembly Line in Toulouse, France, in December 2011. The 21 m long

front fuselage section was destined to become part of the A350 XWB

static test airframe (www.reinforcedplastics.com/view/22925/first-a350-xwb-

parts-arrive-at-toulouse-final-assembly-line).

The A350 XWB arrives in the Toulouse Final Assembly Line. (Picture © Airbus S.A.S. 2011.)

First ‘flyable’ A350 XWB structurally completeAIRBUS COMPLETED the main

structural assembly and system

connection of the fi rst fl ight-test

A350 XWB aircraft (known as

MSN1) in December.

Afer testing the hydraulic system,

followed by the full electric and

hydraulic power-on of the

aircraft, MSN1 will go through a

series of production and certifi -

cation/development tests, be

painted and have its engines

installed. It will then be

delivered to the fl ight-line and

be readied for its fi rst fl ight in

mid-2013.

The A350 XWB structure is 53%

composite-based, including

major elements such as wings

and fuselage. It is scheduled to

enter service in the second half

of 2014.MSN1 makes its fi rst journey on wheels at the fi nal assembly line in Toulouse. (Picture © Airbus S.A.S 2012. Photo by P. Masclet.)

RP0113_appsNews 6 10-01-13 16:22:05