Exel Composites has inaugurated a new production area at its Joensuu plant in Finland dedicated to Flying Whales’ LCA60T programme, the 200-metre cargo airship designed to carry up to 60 tonnes. The opening of the new lines on 30 September marks the move into the process validation phase.
The LCA60T frame will use around 80 kilometres of pull-wound carbon fibre tubes, combining low weight, mechanical performance and continuous manufacturing. The new production area includes several dedicated pull-winding lines and additional space for manufacturing very long tubes.
Particular attention has been paid to environmental control, including tighter management of temperature, humidity and air cleanliness, all essential parameters for achieving the repeatability required in aerospace applications.
The Exel–Flying Whales collaboration began with development and prototyping work and has progressively moved closer to industrial production. During validation, Exel will demonstrate that equipment, process parameters and materials can consistently deliver the required quality and tight tolerances before production begins for the first complete airship structure.
Pull-winding combines the continuity of automated manufacturing with greater flexibility in fibre orientation, enabling lightweight, high-performance tubes to be produced with high repeatability and industrial efficiency.
The new Joensuu capability therefore represents an important step in the industrialisation of the LCA60T and, more broadly, in the use of large continuous composite structures for next-generation aerospace platforms.
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01 October 2026
