Availableonlineatwww.sciencedirect.com PROGRESS IN SCIENCE DIRECTo AROSIPACIE SCHENCES ELSEVIER Progress in Aerospace Sciences 41(2005)143-15 www.elsevier.com/locate/paerosci Fibre reinforced composites in aircraft construction C. Soutis Aerospace Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Mappin Street, Sheffield S/ 3JD, UK Fibrous composites have found applications in aircraft from the first flight of the Wright Brothers Flyer 1, in North Carolina on December 17, 1903, to the plethora of uses now enjoyed by them on both military and civil aircrafts, in addition to more exotic applications on unmanned aerial vehicles qUAVs) launchers and satellites. Their growing se has risen from their high specific strength and stiffness, when compared to the more conventional materials, and the ability to shape and tailor their structure to produce more aerodynamically efficient structural configurations. In this paper, a review of recent advances using composites in modern aircraft construction is presented and it is argued that ibre reinforced polymers, especially carbon fibre reinforced plastics(CFRP) can and will in the future contribute more than 50% of the structural mass of an aircraft. However, affordability is the key to survival in aerospace manufacturing, whether civil or military, and therefore effort should be devoted to analysis and computational simulation of the manufacturing and assembly process as well as the simulation of the perfo ormance of the structure, since they are intimately connected C 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Contents 1. Background 2. Design and analysis 3. Manufacture 4. Applications R 150 1. Background applied, on a demonstration basis, to military aircraft Examples of such demonstrators were trim tabs The adoption of composite materials as a major spoilers, rudders and doors. with increasing application contribution to aircraft structures followed from the and experience of their use came improved fibres and discovery of carbon fibre at the Royal Aircraft Estab- matrix materials(thermosets and thermoplastics) result- lishment at Farnborough, UK, in 1964. However, not ing in carbon fibre reinforced plastics(CFRP)compo- until the late 1960s did these new composites start to be sites with improved mechanical properties, allowing them to displace the more conventional materials Tel:+441142227706;fax:+44l142227729 aluminium and titanium alloys, for primary structures. E-Imail address:c.soutis(a sheffield. ac uk High strength, high modulus carbon fibres are about 0376-0421S-see front matter 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1016/j-pae .02.004Progress in Aerospace Sciences 41 (2005) 143–151 Fibre reinforced composites in aircraft construction C. Soutis
Aerospace Engineering, The University of Sheffield, Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK Abstract Fibrous composites have found applications in aircraft from the first flight of the Wright Brothers’ Flyer 1, in North Carolina on December 17, 1903, to the plethora of uses now enjoyed by them on both military and civil aircrafts, in addition to more exotic applications on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), space launchers and satellites. Their growing use has risen from their high specific strength and stiffness, when compared to the more conventional materials, and the ability to shape and tailor their structure to produce more aerodynamically efficient structural configurations. In this paper, a review of recent advances using composites in modern aircraft construction is presented and it is argued that fibre reinforced polymers, especially carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) can and will in the future contribute more than 50% of the structural mass of an aircraft. However, affordability is the key to survival in aerospace manufacturing, whether civil or military, and therefore effort should be devoted to analysis and computational simulation of the manufacturing and assembly process as well as the simulation of the performance of the structure, since they are intimately connected. r 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Contents 1. Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 2. Design and analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 3. Manufacture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 4. Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 5. Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 1. Background The adoption of composite materials as a major contribution to aircraft structures followed from the discovery of carbon fibre at the Royal Aircraft Estab￾lishment at Farnborough, UK, in 1964. However, not until the late 1960s did these new composites start to be applied, on a demonstration basis, to military aircraft. Examples of suchdemonstrators were trim tabs, spoilers, rudders and doors. Withincreasing application and experience of their use came improved fibres and matrix materials (thermosets and thermoplastics) result￾ing in carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) compo￾sites withimproved mechanical properties, allowing them to displace the more conventional materials, aluminium and titanium alloys, for primary structures. High strength, high modulus carbon fibres are about ARTICLE IN PRESS www.elsevier.com/locate/paerosci 0376-0421/$ - see front matter r 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.paerosci.2005.02.004
Tel.: +44 11 42227706; fax: +44 11 42227729. E-mail address: c.soutis@sheffield.ac.uk