The top 5 Reinforced Plastics news stories of 2012

1. Mecca clock tower features Gurit composites
   The 607 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.
    
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.
    
3. Vestas Sailrocket 2 – the world’s fastest wind-powered craft
   In November, the sail-powered Vestas Sailrocket 2  broke the 500 m world speed sailing record. The boat’s main structure is sandwich construction based on carbon fibre prepreg and a Nomex honeycomb core.
   
   
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.
    
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.
    

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The top 5 Reinforced Plastics features stories of 2012.