Aircraft need fuel to fly. The heavier the plane, the more fuel it takes to make it fly. So making planes lighter helps them use less fuel. Modern lighter materials that are very strong and durable can do this well. Aerospace companies are using them more and more to cut fuel costs.
What Materials Make Planes Lighter?
Twenty years ago, the majority of planes were made mostly from aluminum and steel. But metals can be heavy. New super light and strong materials are now used instead in many planes. These include special plastics reinforced with fibers. They are called composites. Aerospace composite manufacturing companies like Aerodine Composites make these materials into plane parts.
The most common composites used in planes are reinforced with carbon fibers. The carbon makes the plastic much stronger and stiffer while still being light. Other fibers like glass and aramid can also reinforce the plastics. But carbon fiber composites are the strongest and lightest. So they work best to reduce plane weight.
How Much Lighter Are Composite Planes?
Composite materials can make planes over 20% lighter compared to using metals. For a large plane carrying 300 passengers, this can mean reducing weight by 9,000 to 27,000 pounds. Lighter planes allow airlines to put in more seats and carry more passengers while using less fuel.
Recent examples are the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 jets. They both contain over 50% composites by weight. Their lighter composite designs make them 20% more fuel efficient than older jets made mainly from metals. That is a huge saving in fuel costs for airlines.
Other Benefits of Composites
Besides being lighter, composites also resist fatigue and corrosion better than metals. This allows building more durable planes with longer lifespans. Composites can also be formed into complex shapes easily. This helps make planes more aerodynamic for less drag and better fuel savings.
Challenges With Composite Planes
While composites have significant advantages, they also pose some new challenges. The major one is their behavior in crashes. Metals bend and deform to absorb crash forces. But composites shatter on big impacts. This makes their crashworthiness complex compared to metal planes.
Aerospace engineers must design composite planes to crush in ways that protect passengers while meeting strict safety regulations. This requires advanced simulation and testing methods. But the effort is well worth the safety and fuel savings from lighter planes.
The Future of Composites in Planes
The use of composites in planes will only grow further. Carbon fiber composites already make up half the weight of new state-of-the-art planes like the Boeing 787. Engineers predict this could rise to 70-80% in future plane models.
Besides airframe structures, composites will see wider use in other components. These include the wings, tails, doors, floors, seats and more. The ongoing goal is building lighter and more fuel-efficient planes. This saves airlines vast amounts in fuel over the lifespan of aircraft.
Research even looks at radical plane designs using advanced composites. New shapes may enable further gains in efficiency. An example concept is the blended wing-body design. It does away with the conventional tube and wing structure for a blended lifting surface shape. Such innovating shaping with composites can wring out the maximum fuel savings.
Conclusion
Modern composite materials are transforming aircraft design. Aerospace composite manufacturing companies are enabling lighter planes that sharply reduce fuel use and costs. Airlines stand to save billions long term by utilizing advanced composites in their fleets. So despite the challenges, composites will continue seeing high demand in aerospace for building lighter and more efficient aircraft. Their expanded role will be key for cutting future aviation fuel usage.
