Composites Use in Aerospace

The advantages of building aircraft structures with composites, compared to metal, include light weight, high specific strength, superior fatigue properties, damage tolerance and the absence of corrosion.

Carbeon C/C-SiC ceramic matrix composites without fiber coating
Ceramic Matrix Composites

Carbeon C/C-SiC ceramic matrix composites without fiber coating

Dutch startup Arceon is working with leaders in space, hypersonics and industry to test its Carbeon CMC, validating near-net-shape parts with <3% porosity and performance at 1600ºC, targeting UHTCMC and a presence in the U.S. in 2025.

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Compsoite and Metallic tooling, parts, assemblies
Park Aerospace Corp.

Latest Aerospace Articles

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Aerospace

Daher confirms long-term lease agreement for Stuart, Florida, aerostructures facility

Extended lease duration at Witham Field will enable additional enhancements and business growth at the Daher site including intentions to create a final assembly line.

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Aerospace

Spirit confirms sale of Fiber Materials Inc. business

Tex-Tech Industries, provider of high-temperature, high-performance specialty material and coatings, has completed the transaction for FMI.

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Aerospace

VIDEO: Collins Aerospace optimizes thermoplastics for aircraft parts

Collins Aerospace explains how thermoplastics are integral to the company’s efforts to improve propulsion and reduce costs in aircraft manufacturing. Featured is a nacelle system that will help meet production demand of 80 aircraft per month.

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Aerospace

Xenia collaborates with Politecnico di Milano team on competitive composite drone production

Xenia’s supply of reinforced 3D printing materials to the university’s student aerospace association, Fly Mi - Euroavia Milano, contributed to the team’s ability to meet the project’s demanding performance standards.

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Pressure Vessels

Functionalizing surfaces for sustainability

Riblets reduce drag, fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and noise while boosting power output, flow rates, speed and efficiency.

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Pressure Vessels

Development of a composite liquid hydrogen tank for commercial aircraft

Netherlands consortium advances cryogenic composites testing, tank designs and manufacturing including AFP, hybrid winding, welding of tank components and integrated SHM and H2 sensors for demonstrators in 2025. 

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Knowledge Centers

CW Tech Days: Sustainability
CW Tech Days: Sustainability

This CW Tech Days event will explore the technologies, materials, and strategies that can help composites manufacturers become more sustainable.

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Composites in Infrastructure and Construction
Composites in Infrastructure and Construction

CompositesWorld’s CW Tech Days: Infrastructure event offers a series of expert presentations on composite materials, processes and applications that should and will be considered for use in the infrastructure and construction markets.

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Automated Composites
Automated Composites

In the Automated Composites knowledge center, CGTech brings you vital information about all things automated composites, from the manufacturing processes to the vendors and necessary tools.

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PRO-SET Laminating Epoxies
High-Density Urethane (HDU) boards
Wickert Hydraulic Presses
Composites One - distributor
Composites One - distributor

Latest Aerospace News And Updates

Aerospace

Daher inaugurates third technology center, Fly’in

Adding to its logistics and composite aerostructures facilities, Fly’in is equipped to advance Daher’s aerospace activities while fostering the emergence of eco-friendly technologies.

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Aerospace

AAMMC aerospace tech hub earns $50 million in funding

Federal funding, as well as industry and private commitments will establish a test bed for aerospace composite materials in the Pacific Northwest with industry partners like Boeing, NASA, Collins Aerospace, Toray, Syensqo and more.

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Aerospace

Airbus reports 766 commercial aircraft deliveries in 2024

Full-year 2024 look demonstrates continued momentum for Airbus’ widebody orderbook, complementing its position in the single-aisle market.

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Composites 4.0

Siemens software chosen for JetZero BWB aircraft concept, launches Xcelerator updates

Aviation startup will use the Xcelerator platform to achieve its aircraft vision. Other Siemens collaborations deliver software additions to deliver, democratize industrial AI for small companies, startups.

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Aerospace

Leonardo unveils Proteus uncrewed rotorcraft demonstrator design

In the development of this fast-moving program, Leonardo is using a digital twin for synthetic development, more than 40 composite components and the use of AI in its control software.

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Aerospace

GKN opens $55 million aeroengine repair facility in North America

Enhanced support is now available for next-gen engine components and legacy systems, including GE LEAP and Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan models.

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Collier Aerospace's HyperX Users Conference 2025
American Elements
Composites One - distributor
Large Scale Additive Manufacturing
High-Density Urethane (HDU) boards

Featured Posts

Carbon Fibers

Carbon fiber/flax landing gear achieves 54% weight reduction via tailored layup optimization

Fuko’s Biogear showcases how strategic composite material distribution and natural fiber damping properties can lightweight and enhance critical aerospace structure performance.

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Schrödinger advances materials informatics for faster development of next-gen composites

Cutting time to market by multiple orders of magnitude, machine learning and physics-based approaches are combined to open new possibilities for innovations in biomaterials, fire-resistant composites, space applications, hydrogen tanks and more.

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Hydrogen Storage

Braided thermoplastic composite H2 tanks with co-consolidated molded boss areas to fit EV battery space

BRYSON project demonstrates possible designs, automated manufacturing and low permeability concepts, including EVOH liner and novel PPA matrix.

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Aerospace

Composites business growth through diversification, innovation

San Diego-based 2024 Top Shops qualifier Rock West Composites gives an overview of its relentless commitment to improvement, including its composite capabilities and its role as a trusted player in the space market.

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Aerospace

Natilus challenges the Boeing-Airbus duopoly

CW interviews CEO Aleksey Matyushev about composites, certification and the airlines’ needs for increased narrowbody production and decarbonization that aren’t being met.

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RTM

VIDEO: High-rate composites production for aerospace

Westlake Epoxy’s process on display at CAMX 2024 reduces cycle time from hours to just 15 minutes.

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Webinar UV Powder Coatings for Composite & AM
Real Time Resin Degassing Measurement
Airtech
HEATCON Composite Systems
American Elements

FAQ: Aerospace

How are composites used in aerospace structures?

Since the 1950s*, composites have been growing in use in commercial and defense aircraft, ranging from struts and tail components, to wing skins and fuselages, to engine components and propeller blades.

One of the largest challenges to adoption of composites by the aerospace industry is stringent standards especially for safety critical structures, necessitating time- and labor-intensive processes to qualify new materials for use on passenger aircraft.

Qualified and well-tested autoclave-cured carbon fiber and thermoset-based prepregs are most often used for many structures, though other materials and formats, including thermoplastic tapes, are also in development or use.

Source: The FAA: Keeping up with aerocomposites evolution

*In the 1950s, Boeing began using fiberglass in its 707 passenger jets, and at the time the material made up about 2% of the overall aircraft by weight. Since then, Boeing, Airbus and other aircraft manufacturers have continued to increase this percentage with successive aircraft models. Today’s twin-aisle commercial aircraft such as the Boeing 787, first launched in 2009, and the Airbus A350 comprise approximately 50% composites by weight, largely carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP).

How are composites used in space structures?

At the time the Apollo capsule, which landed on the moon in 1969, was built by NASA, composites industry was still in its infancy and the materials were not yet in widespread use, though the Apollo capsule used early composite technology in the form of an ablative heat shield made from Avcoat, an epoxy novolac resin with silica fibers in a fiberglass-phenolic honeycomb matrix. A fiberglass honeycomb was bonded to the primary structure and the paste-like material was injected into each cell individually.

Since Apollo, advanced composites have evolved by leaps and bounds, and have played a significant role in space programs with use in launch vehicles, the space shuttle, satellites, space telescopes and the International Space Station.

Source: Composites in the race to space

release agents, purging compounds, process chemical specialties
CompositesWorld Top Shop Survey
CompositesWorld Top Shop Survey