Update: Lower wing skin, Wing of Tomorrow
Airbus is evaluating several advanced composites technologies as part of its Wing of Tomorrow program. Among these is liquid resin infusion of the lower wing skin, being developed by Spirit AeroSystems.
Jeff Sloan
Editor-in-Chief, CompositesWorld
MS-21 begins engine water protection tests
The test is meant to confirm that water does not disrupt any of the MS-21’s existing systems, equipment or structural elements.
Irkut Corp. completes construction of fourth MS-21-300 flight test aircraft
Russian jetliner with OOA infused wing steps nearer to certification. See CW’s historical timeline of the MS-21.
Composites 2020: A Multitude of Markets
The manufacturing world likes to think of composites fabrication as a single, global entity that operates to serve its customers’ needs with a variety of highly engineered parts and structures.
MS-21 completes third flight test for EASA certification
Single-aisle jetliner with first out of autoclave composite wing steps closer to certification.
Irkut Corp. presents MS-21 to the public for the first time
The MS-21 passenger aircraft, featuring the world’s largest infused, out-of-autoclave composite wings, is on display at the Moscow International Aviation and Space Salon 2019.
Large, high-volume, infused composite structures on the aerospace horizon
Infused carbon fiber composite structures are not new, but they have never been built at the rates anticipated for next-generation, single-aisle aircraft. It is a daunting prospect — but a feasible one.
MS-21 completes fourth flight test for EASA certification
Single-aisle jetliner with out of autoclave composite wing steps closer to certification.
Hannah Mason
Associate Editor, CompositesWorld
Opportunities, challenges for composites in future aircraft
As the commercial aerospace sector prepares for a new round of major program launches, the question of where and how composites will be applied weighs heavily on the supply chain.
What does the future hold for Bombardier Belfast?
Bombardier Belfast, fabricator of the infused composite wings for the Airbus A220 single-aisle aircraft, is for sale. The ownership under which this facility lands may say a lot about the future of infusion in large aerostructures.
Third MC-21-300 joins flight test program
The maiden flight of the third MC-21-300 test aircraft took place on March 16 at the airfield of Irkutsk Aviation Plant.
MC-21 airliner faces one-year delay due to U.S. sanctions
The Russian airliner schedule will reportedly be delayed until 2021 as U.S. sanctions have interrupted the supply of composite materials for the aircraft.
EASA completes first flight session of MC-21-300 certification program
During the certification tests, the behavior of MC-21-300 aircraft was evaluated in various modes, including high angles of attack and stalling.
Irkut Corp. completes construction of third MC-21 test aircraft
The Russian company’s third infused carbon fiber composite wing aircraft will soon join flight certification testing program.
Advancing thermoplastic composites and RTM for Clean Sky 2 in Spain
EURECAT leads projects for TPC keel beam, window frames and thermoset RTM fuselage frames with TPC shear ties for next-gen aircraft.
Ginger Gardiner
Senior Editor, CompositesWorld
Infused wing sheds light on aerocomposites future
In the Irkut MS-21 infused and co-cured wings, the aerocomposites industry gets a glimpse of how out-of-autoclave technologies might be applied to primary aircraft structures.
Second MC-21 test aircraft completes successful flight
Irkut Corp.’s infused carbon fiber composite wing aircraft reaches a milestone with a successful six-hour test flight.
Composite aircraft interiors market to exceed US$1.8 billion by 2023
According to Stratview Research, the aircraft cabin is one of the most discussed subjects in the airline industry today.
SAMPE 2018 keynote looks to the composites future
The SAMPE 2018 general session featured the announcement of the top three papers presented at the conference, and a keynote by Carmelo Lo Faro, president, Solvay Composite Materials (Alpharetta, FA, US).
JEC Innovation Awards: A look at this year's winners
Eleven winning innovations were chosen, out of the thirty finalists that had been previously selected from more than 100 applications from all over the world.
Live from 2017 Carbon Fiber conference
Automation, 3D printing and thermoplastics herald a new future for carbon fiber composites.
The markets: Aerospace (2020)
With the 737 MAX grounded, the global aerospace supply chain was thrown into disarray in 2019. Still, several new programs on the horizon portend increasing composites use in commercial aerostructures for coming decades.
Jeff Sloan
Editor-in-Chief, CompositesWorld
Irkut MC-21 flight-testing continues
Irkut’s MC-21-300 test aircraft, featuring an out-of-autoclave carbon fiber wing box, flew 4,500 km from Irkukst, Russia to Moscow.
Some predictions for 2017
We will see even greater progress in 2017 than we saw in 2016, some surprising, some long awaited.
Is the market ready for another widebody aircraft?
This past week, the Airshow China 2016 event was held, from November 1 – 6 in Zhuhai, China. A notable outcome from the show, reported in several media outlets, was that Russia’s United Aircraft Corp. (UAC) and the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) have advanced their plans for their collaborative twin-aisle widebody aircraft.
2016 Farnborough International Airshow Report
Composites are not the novelty in aerospace that they once were, but there was still much to see at Farnborough this year.
MS-21 OOA wing and wing box near first flight
Irkut Corp. rolled out the MS-21 single-aisle commercial aircraft on June 8, and we were reminded of its remarkable novelty: It features the first out-of-autoclave composite wing and wing box.
Cost-effective aerocomposites: Dry fiber AFP and resin infusion
Aurora Flight Sciences and NONA Composites aim to improve toughness, repeatable aerospace quality and affordability for large-scale NASA structures.