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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. 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).

Carbeon C/C-SiC ceramic matrix composites are being developed and tested for rocket nozzles, onboard the International Space Station and in electric aviation, metal treatment and reactor applications.

A signed MOU covers multiple projects and work packages related to the H225M helicopter’s engineering, EWIS design and manufacturing, MRO, composites design and more.

Airbus says this year’s commercial aircraft deliveries will be lower than its ~700 target, but A320 rate objectives are still on track.

Airbus has been selected for eight collaborative projects, including EDOCC and ENGRT, the latter of which will study and define key technologies for future rotorcraft operations.

Safran has signed a NacelleLife agreement with Saudia and Tarmac Aerosave for Airbus fleet maintenance, including engineering services and availability of critical components.

More than 22,000 elements are begin integrated in parallel in Airbus’ Bremen cleanrooms for ESMs 3, 4 and 5, mission-critical structures for the Orion spacecraft.

The Hamburg-based equipment installation hangar for the aircraft’s rear fuselage offers enhanced modernization and digitalization to meet rates of 75/year in 2026.

New personnel and leadership appointments have been announced this past month by Johns Manville, Airbus, Aquapak Polymers, ZeroAvia, Daher, Velocity Composites and Fives.

Airbus will provide four primary lightweight carbon fibers structures for the next 14 vehicle launchers via state-of-the-art 4.0 industrial facility in Getafe, Spain.

In March 2023, the Tianjin-based final assembly facility commissioned a composites-intensive A321neo for Juneyao Air.