[nightdriver]

"I'm still looking for information on (A) how fast this carbon composite will burn when contrasted to a conventional aluminum airframe (what happens when one of these things goes on fire....

Ol' Bill Lear (of LearJet fame) learned that the carbon fiber composits have a nasty fire characteristic. Even using chasis as electrical ground runs the danger of igniting the stuff and the fire gives off some very toxic fumes.

As an old alum of Boeing (747 project), I'm not really very optimistic about their new plastic and electric airplane.

[phantomworker]

Composites are not new in commercial aviation, he said. And although the safety team's conclusion was "absolutely true at the time" it was written, he said, by the end of the testing and analysis now in progress, the 787 will meet strict Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) requirements.

Plus

... the safety systems combined will assure the 787 exceeds the one-in-a-billion probability target.

I think there is a lot to be optimistic about! These are all new state of the art composites in a super efficient new airplane model. The 747 was once just a glint in Bill Boeing's eye as well. (Was he still alive when the 747 was designed?)

[Question_Assumptions]

Thanks for the honest answer. That's what worries me about this thing. I know aluminum has it's problems but plastic gets really nasty when it burns.

[knew it all the time]

Approximately 40% of the F/A 18 airframe is composite construction. It appears to be working in that application.