FORT ATKINSON, Wisc., - Composites are everywhere on today's aircraft and enter new areas as the technology grows. At its most basic, a composite material is one that’s made from two components that when put together result in a stronger material than when separate, Walker Jaroch writes for Aircraft Maintenance Technology. Continue reading original article.
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
21 March 2023 - One of the driving factors behind composites increasing usage is that technological advances are allowing for composite material to enter areas of the aircraft where before they would have been destroyed if utilized. For example, ceramic composites are now being used in aircraft engines thanks to their ability to withstand high heat.
“Newer engines such as the one seen on the A320neo and on the 737 MAX, you will see guide veins that are made from ceramic composites. So in this case, we will use a ceramic fiber and a ceramic matrix together to make a very efficient and highly thermally stable and highly thermally resistant composite, which helps lighten the weight of the plane while delivering the same performance as a metallic airplane,” explained Max Thouin, VP sales and business development, Aerodine Composites..
“I think adoption will continue to increase. It will forever be a multi-material solution. I don’t think we’ll ever come to a point where we have an airplane that’s run 100 percent composites because there are still some applications where metals are either more efficient or either more performant or sometimes just more efficient to put together. So yes, I think we’re going to continue to see adoption throughout the next decade,” Thouin said.
Related: Toray selected by Overair to provide materials for its Butterfly eVTOL
Jamie Whitney, Associate Editor
Military + Aerospace Electronics
