Future Airliners: More Comfortable, Resistant and Made of Plastic

It may take as little as ten years for the airplanes on long, international flights to be made more out of plastic than metal. The most modern aircrafts of today are made of aluminum, a light but strong material than can be easily obtained from natural compound.

The airliners of tomorrow will be made of advanced carbon-fiber composite materials, much stronger and lighter than the aluminum parts they replace.

An example for the use of this technology is the new twin-engined widebody 787 Boeing jet, programmed to enter active service in 2008. The fuselage of the new jet is made entirely of composites, the skin and spars also made of composite material, only the ribs that give it the shape and resistance structure of the wing being made of aluminum.

"We looked at how every part of the aircraft was [stress] loaded, and we chose the right part for every given application," said Tom Cogan, chief project engineer on the Boeing 787. They even replaced the old large fittings that join the wings to the fuselage with titanium ones, because "it's very light and it does very well in a highly loaded situation."

Another big player in the air transport industry, Airbus, has announced plans to make extensive use of the new composite materials. They actually were the first manufacturer to use composite materials for load-bearing parts and flight control surfaces in airliners.

Now, they announced a rival for the Boeing, the A350 XWB, which is announced to be more than 60 percent composite.

The obvious reason for replacing an old material that works pretty well is the fact that the new material works even better. Besides being very light and very strong, the composite plastics don't corrode and they aren't subjected to metal fatigue.

Thus, practical applications in the air transport industry are viewed as logical and profitable, since the new airliners will be stronger, much more comfortable for passengers to fly in, as well as more efficient and environmentally friendly.