Circular metallic wing concepts for the next-generation sustainable aircraft.

Current wing architecture predominantly uses metallic aluminum structures for short-medium range, single-aisle aircraft (e.g., A320, B737) and composite covers for the recent long-range, twin-aisle aircraft (e.g., A350, B787 or B777X). Composite structure has recently expanded to single-aisle aircraft and business jets, such as the A220 and the Falcon 10X.

To meet stringent sustainability targets, future aircraft must minimize life-cycle CO₂ emissions. Metallic airframe structures offer significant advantages through near-complete recyclability, enabling closed-loop recovery of pre-consumer scrap and end-of-life material.

Today, R&T focus on next-generation short/mid-range aircraft with reduced carbon footprint by revisiting the entire airframe architecture, high production rates (>80 units/month), and optimized cost-performance balance.

Advanced alloys such as Airware®, an aluminium-lithium solution associated with innovative assembly technologies (friction stir welding, bonding) are key enablers for weight and cost reduction.

The “metallic wing of the future” project aims to validate these benefits through an experimental program progressing from coupon and panel tests to full-scale demonstrators, increasing technology readiness for integration into new airframe configurations.