Composite Fuselages: How They Changed the Airline Industry
upstart writes in with an IRC submission for Runaway1956_:
Composite Fuselages: How They Changed The Airline Industry:
From wood to metal, fuselages have gone through several developments over the last century. There is now a focus on the use of composites in this field, with some of the most popular plane manufacturers turning to these materials. As a result, the commercial aircraft industry has been going through a revolution.
[...] Composite materials are not as heavy as traditional structures such as aluminum. Moreover, they do not fatigue or corrode due to external factors.
[...] There are not only weight savings to be had. Another benefit is that composite structures can mold into any shape. Therefore, Boeing made the fuselage of the 787 as multiple barrel pieces, instead of several smaller aluminum panels that need to be eventually connected.
[...] CFRP components are initially more expensive to produce than standard metallic parts. However, they can save airlines expenditure on future maintenance. For instance, Airbus shares that an A350 requires 50% fewer structure maintenance tasks. Additionally, the threshold for airframe checks for the plane is at 12 years while the timeframe for the A380 is just eight.
Ultimately, along with the tougher and stronger fuselage, the reduction in weight helps airlines to carry more people on board while burning less fuel and flying father[sic]. In an age when every penny counts for carriers, there are considerable advantages with composite materials.
[Ed Note - The originally-linked story was a reprint of a story from the Simple Flying website. We have updated the source link accordingly. Thank you to MrGuy for pointing this out. - Fnord666]
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