Aerospace

Fiberglass was first used in the Boeing 707 passenger jet in the 1950s, where it comprised about two percent of the structure. Each generation of new aircraft built by Boeing had an increased percentage of composite material usage. The application of high-performance composite materials to military aircraft started with the use of boron/epoxy skins in the empennages of the F-14 (U.S. Navy) and F-15 (U.S. Air Force) fighters. Today, for most commercial aircraft applications, carbon fiber-based composites are now the leading materials on the market. OEMs such as Boeing and Airbus have robust composites manufacturing operations that are critical to the success of their signature aircraft lines. More than half of the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350XWB are made from CFRP composites. Like their counterparts in the automotive industry, airplane manufacturers rely on composites to increase fuel efficiency and decrease weight.

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• Fuselages

• Wings

• Winglets

• Flaps

• Ailerons

• Turbine Engines

• Wall panels

• Landing gear

• Cabin interiors

• Flight deck panels