A team of aerospace engineers in Belfast have just won an award after developing an eco-friendly jet wing. This wing has been attached to a commercial A220 plane.
The impressive band of builders received the Royal Academy of Engineering’s MacRobert Award for designing a resin-infused advanced composite aircraft wing. The coveted prize also included a gold medal, £50 000 and was presented by the Princess Royal.
In order to win this highly competitive award the Belfast-based team had to beat out three other finalists. The other nominees included a self-healing cybersecurity system, a laser beam and a medical device that helps to keep a liver alive outside the body for 24 hours following a transplant.
This eco-friendly plane wing is lighter and burns less fuel than traditional aeroplane wings. This new wing is 10% lighter than the conventional metal wing. This new design makes aircrafts more environmentally friendly.
The chair of the judging panel Dr Dame Sue Ion commented that the “Bombardier’s composite wing reflects how excellence in aeronautical engineering benefits both society and the environment. At a time of uncertainty for Belfast’s engineering community, we hope this award helps them achieve the world-wide recognition they deserve.”
A spokesperson from the innovative company, Michael Ryan was reportedly thrilled to win the award:” He stated that “it’s a fantastic recognition of our highly-skilled workforce, who have created a unique, cutting-edge technology to produce composite wings in Belfast which fly on commercial aircraft around the world.”
The first MacRobert Award was presented 50 years ago . The award went to the team that first developed the Rolls Royce engine. This desirable and highly competitive award is awarded to those that demonstrate impressive innovation and skill.
