We illustrate the application of composite material in aerospace industry. Composites are highly efficient to make the parts and structure of aircrafts. We found the characteristics of the composite material make it very suitable material for aerospace industry. Composites like carbon fiber, carbon epoxy, and glass epoxy are very light and high strength which is mostly used in aircraft industries. In addition, our study takes the first step to highlight the uses of composite material to manufacture the different parts of aircrafts.

1. APPLICATION OF COMPOSITE MATERIAL IN AEROSPACE INDUSTRY
University of Bridgeport
Spring 2015
Project Report
Application of Composite Material in Aerospace Industry
Submitted by
Kanchha Lama (0991904)
Parth Patel (0989754)
Pramith Varikoti (0988868)
Submitted to
Dr. Rupan Talukder
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2. APPLICATION OF COMPOSITE MATERIAL IN AEROSPACE INDUSTRY
Index
Item No. Description Page No.
Abstract ………………………………….. 3
1 Introduction ……………………………… 4
2
• 2.1
• 2.2
Application ……………………………….
• Civil aircrafts ………………….
• Military aircrafts ………………
4
5-8
8-9
3 Other miscellaneous application ………… 10
4 Future involvement ……………………… 10-11
5 Conclusion ………………………………. 11
References ……………………………….. 12
Abstract
Using the scholar data and researcher point of view on composite materials. We illustrate
the application of composite material in aerospace industry. Composites are highly efficient to
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3. APPLICATION OF COMPOSITE MATERIAL IN AEROSPACE INDUSTRY
make the parts and structure of aircrafts. We found the characteristics of the composite material
make it very suitable material for aerospace industry. Composites like carbon fiber, carbon epoxy,
and glass epoxy are very light and high strength which is mostly used in aircraft industries. In
addition, our study takes the first step to highlight the uses of composite material to manufacture
the different parts of aircrafts.
Keywords: composite materials; aerospace industry; aircrafts; carbon fiber; carbon epoxy; glass
epoxy
1. Introduction
Since 1903, Flyer made by Wright Brothers, the material used in airplane design
developing gradually. Today’s aircrafts are mostly made of a material like aluminum with iron
structure. In 1960’s, scientist started to develop new material for airspace industries called as
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composite material. These materials are made of one or more material having different physical
and chemical properties (National Aeronautics and Space Administration, n.d.). Composites have
different advantages such as high strength, low weight, high stiffness and low density. These
properties make composites vastly advantageous in primary and secondary structures of both
military and civilian aircraft (Daniel & Ishai, 2006, p3).
Nowadays, the composite material has become the extensively important material in
aerospace industry. The composite material gives the strength to aircraft structure with light
weight. The use of these materials has increased dramatically since last few decades. In this paper,
we are going to highlight some applications of the composite material in commercial and military
aircrafts and other application in aerospace.
2. Applications
Applications of composite material flourish and continue to develop in the aerospace
industry the main purpose of which is to reduce its weight. By using the low weight material we
actually increase the strength to weight ratio. The civil airliner and military airliner are the two
major parts of the aerospace industry. These industries use the composite material like fiber glass,
carbon fiber, carbon epoxy, boron and aramid fibers to manufacture different parts and structure
of aircrafts.
The following parts discuss about the different parts of aerospace industry in which the composite
materials are being used:
2.1 Commercial Aircrafts
These days composite materials are widely used in commercial aircrafts manufacturing.
According to Daniel and Ishai (2006), The Boeing 777 parts such as fairings, floorbeams, wing
trailing edge surface and the empennage are made of composite materials. Boeing 787
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“Dreamliner” showed the strongest approval of composite material in the commercial airliner.
Most of the fuselage and wings of Boeing 787 made of composites like such as carbon/epoxy and
graphite/titanium. Also, The Airbus A380 uses a significant amount of composites like a hybrid
glass/epoxy/aluminum laminate, which increase the advantages and make less the disadvantages
of metals and composites. Industry uses the composites like glass fabric/epoxy skins and PVC
form core to make the primary structure of small aircraft (p.3). Composites are widely used in
aerospace industry to manufacture luggage compartments, sidewalls, floors, ceilings, galleys,
cargo liners and bulkheads. Fiberglass with epoxy or phenolic resin utilizing honeycomb
sandwich construction gives the pleasing finishing and resistance to flammability.
Figures below shows thee different parts that are made of composite material.
• Boeing B787 “Dreamliner”
As clearly seen from above image that most of the aircraft body is
made up of composite materials which includes the following parts:
 Radom (Aircraft nose)
 Wing flaps, ailerons, spoilers
 Vertical fin and Rudder
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 Horizontal Stabilizer and Elevators
 Engine nose cowls and fairings
The use of composite materials is 50% by weight and 80% by volume.
• Boeing B777
The images below shows what part/parts are made of composite in Boeing B777, which
basically are:
 Center wing box
 Passenger floor panels and beams
 Belly fairings
 Wing flaps, ailerons and spoilers
 Vertical fin and Rudder
 Horizontal stabilizer and Elevators
 Radom
 Engine cowling and fairings
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It was noted that the use of composite has led to reduction in overall weight of the aircraft
which was noted to be around 5800- 5900 pounds.
• Airbus A380
As compared to Boeing, Airbus is also involving use of the composite materials in
aircrafts. One of which most popular and widely used is A380, which is shown below.
The most common parts in which composite are used:
 Horizontal Stabilizer and Elevator
 Vertical Fin and Rudder
 Radom
 Wing Fairings and Wing Box
 Belly Fairings
 Engine cowlings and fairings
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2.2 Military Aircrafts
Composite materials are widely used in military aircrafts. The composites materials are
greatly used in martial aircrafts such as the B-2 Bomber, LAC Tejas (HAL) and many more.
Some of them are explained below.
• B-2 Bomber
The carbon/epoxy materials are highly advantageous in military aircrafts such as B-2
Bomber. The B-2 made of an expected 40000 to 50000 pounds of advanced composite.
According to Northrop, nearly 900 new materials and processes were developed for the
plane.
Because of the stealth mode of the B2 bomber, the material was specially made with radar
absorbing materials which helps the aircraft “hiding” from radar as almost all of the radar
waves a absorbed and rest is reflected in the space but not to the antenna receiver.
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• LCA Tejas (HAL)
LCA – Light Combat Aircraft, the name itself gives hint of aircraft’s low weight.
The composite parts of LCA Tejas are:
 Nose
 Wing upper surface and leading edge
 Exit Nozzle
It was observed that by using the composite materials in the airframe structure, the weight
is reduced by 21%, which is the main advantage of aerospace industry.
3. Other miscellaneous applications
• Rockets, Missiles and Space shuttles
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The Composite materials are used to manufacture Rocket and Missiles motor cases. These
composite materials are composites of carbon, aramid and glass. Composites like carbon-
carbon are used to manufacture re-entry nose tips and heat shields.
• Helicopter Rotor
Composite materials used to manufacture helicopter rotors. The use of the composites
gives the superior aerodynamic geometry, enhanced aerodynamic tuning,good damage tolerance
and low cost.
Properties of the composite blade are better than the aluminum blade. Aluminum blade failed at
40,000 per cycles while composite blade exceeding 500,000 cycles without failure.
4. Future involvement
A lots of research work is being carried out to find new material combinations and properties
which can further improve the properties and meet the increasing demand.
Some of them are as follows:
• Honeycomb structure
These types of structure are man-made structure which basically has the geometry of a
honeycomb to minimize the material amount which ultimately reduces weight.
These structures have high Specific Strength. This is the reason this structures are now
becoming more popular over standard composite.
This consists of a honeycomb core (C) “sandwiched” between two sandwich panels like
A, B.
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• Hybrid composite
Basically in this composite one of its component is inorganic and the other one
organic in nature. Mixing these two components at the microscopic scale leads to a more
homogeneous material which has characteristic either in between the two original phases
or even new properties.
These composite can serve a purpose of Corrosion protection and anti-reflection coatings
which are highly desirable properties in any military aircraft.
5. Conclusion
To sum up, composite materials play a major role in aircrafts parts manufacturing
industries. The characteristics like high strength, high stiffness, light weight and low density are
attracting the research and development department of the aerospace industry to work on
composite material to build the part of aircrafts. The main aspect we need to keep in mind that
strength and stiffness are major considerations for aircrafts whereas stiffness and low coefficient
of thermal expansion are major considerations for space applications.
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References
Composite Materials. Retrieved from http://www.aviation-history.com/theory/composite.htm.
Creating a Titan. Retrieved from
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/creating-a-titan-199071.
Daniel, I. M., Ishai, O.(2005). Engineering mechanics of composite materials. Oxford, New
York, 2, 3-4.
Holly, R.H. (2013). The great metal tube in the sky. Retrieved from
https://arch5541.wordpress.com/2013/01/08/the-great-metal-tube-in-the-sky.
Honeycomb structure. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeycomb_structure.
Hybrid material. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_material.
LCA Tejas Technology. Retrieved from
http://www.tejas.gov.in/technology/composite_materials.html.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Composites. Retrieved from
http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov/pdf/composites_k-12.pdf.
Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit. Retrieved from http://www.military-
today.com/aircraft/b2_spirit.htm.
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