Plastic planes 'set to rule sky'

BBC ^ | : Sunday, 16 July 2006, 19:25 GMT 20:25 UK | Staff

[BwanaNdege]

I remember the first composite rotor blade that Boeing was using on its entry in the contest to replace the Huey (Sikorsky won that with the Blackhawk). Back in 1975, Boeing brought a section of a composite blade down to Quantico to show at HMX-1, the Marine Presidential and R&D helo squadron. This rotor blade spar had been shot through by 7 rounds of 23 mm ammo (non-HE Soviet). The blade was then bolted to a test rig and run at 100% rpm, for two hours, I believe, and held up just fine.

A similar metal blade would have developed fatigue cracks from the stress riser caused by one bullet hole then the blade would have broken. Loss of one blade on a CH-53 helo causes the center of gravity of the rotor system to move 24". The rotor now wants to oscillate about this new CG at 3 cycles per second imparting a 30G to 50G load on the aircraft. Not a good thing! The helo appears to explode in flight from the shaking.

Composite blades are our friends!

[AGreatPer]

"He predicted that the technology needed to build the new 737 planes would not be ready until the middle of the next decade."

Dahhhhh, their building the 787 with this technology.

[ArrogantBustard]

cast iron

Concrete, man. Cast, reinforced, prestressed concrete.

The airplane of the future will be made of concrete.

I guarantee it. It'll be called "das Fliegenschwein "

[Paleo Conservative]

Dahhhhh, their building the 787 with this technology.

But the new engine technology that will be needed won't be ready till then.

[phantomworker]

I think I like "black aluminum" better than "plastic".

[sgtbono2002]

I have found that over the years with the sun beating down on them ,composites get brittle . Hope they have solved that.

[Paleo Conservative]

I think I like "black aluminum" better than "plastic".

How is American going to make its CFRP planes look silver?

[Lurker]

I don't understand why they don't make planes out of the same stuff they make the 'black boxes' from.

The black box almost always survives the crash.

L

[ArrogantBustard]

Probably for the same reason that das fliegenschwein will never fliege.

[adorno]

Lighter composite materials are also thought to improve range and fuel efficiency.

What about styrofoam? With the fuel efficiency attained from a styrofoam plane, it could probably fly between Florida and NY cheaper than driving a car the same distance.

[magellan]

Composites dramatically reduce assembly time (you just glue the thing together, fewer rivets, etc.), which reduces the cost, composites virtually eliminate corrosion (a BIG problem with older airplanes, just ask the Air Force), and composites have a longer fatigue life, which will allow the airplane to be used longer (assuming its fuel efficiency remains competitive). The latter is a real big deal for a 737 replacement (remember the "convertible" 737 over Hawaii?).

My only question is, with the cost of fuel through the roof, will GE dust off its old "propfan" concept it tested on an MD-80 in the late 1980s. A composite update to the Boeing 7J7 concept might be ideal for the next decade. Especially facing off against a slightly updated Airbus A320.

[phantomworker]

The synthesis of composites of polyaniline nanofibres decorated with silver or gold nanoparticles by gamma irradiation of aqueous solutions of aniline, an oxidant and a metal salt is described. The composites were characterised by UV-visible spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, TEM, EDS and selected area electr ...

Or maybe PAINT? LOL

[Number57]

Can't we tie helium balloons together in an aerodynamic configuration? Do we have enough twine, is my main concern.

[Bratch]

[phantomworker]

Why can't we just use balsam like the scouts do? The cheapo styrofoam planes fall apart too easily and don't even fly straight.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Mulally should be talking to Burt Rutan.

[JoeSixPack1]

How is American going to make its CFRP planes look silver?

Drop the carbon, add phenolic or ceramic composites and paint it with Rustolium! :-)

[dalereed]

"I have found that over the years with the sun beating down on them ,composites get brittle . Hope they have solved that."

Those are the older ones using polyester resin, they are all epoxy now which doesn't harden and get brittle with sunlight.

Aluminum skin and frame aircraft are going to be a thing of the past.

[JoeSixPack1]

Where's a YS11-200 when ya need one?? :-)

[ikka]

What about styrofoam? With the fuel efficiency attained from a styrofoam plane,

Then you throw it into the garbage can once you get there. A really big garbage can.