A carbon fiber is used as the structural material of the aircraft

A carbon fiber is used as the structural material of the aircraft

Carbon fiber reinforced matrix composites (CFRP) are widely used as main load bearing structures in large advanced aircraft. CFRP has also been used as a structural material in successful aircraft.

The oil crisis of the mid-1970s was the immediate cause of the use of carbon fibre in aircraft manufacturing. To alleviate the energy crisis, the U.S. government launched the "Aircraft Efficiency Program." Modern aircraft fuselages are made of steel, aluminum, titanium and other metals and composite materials. In order to save fuel and improve operational efficiency, reducing airframe mass has always been one of the core challenges in aircraft design and manufacturing technology. The mature application of CFRP in aircraft fuselage provides the most effective way to reduce the quality of aircraft fuselage. For example, the fuselage mass of the Boeing 767 aircraft made mainly of metal materials (CFRP consumption only accounts for 3%) is 60 t, but when the CFRP consumption is increased to 50%, the fuselage mass of the new Boeing 767 aircraft is reduced to 48 t, which greatly improves the energy and environmental benefits of this type of aircraft.

Boeing's 777X and 787 models both use 50 percent composite material in the fuselage. The 777X is a large twin-engine passenger plane that is being developed by Boeing based on the Boeing 777 aircraft. The first plane will be delivered and put into service in 2020. The main wing of Boeing's 777X is made of CFRP and has a wingspan of about 72m (235ft), one of the longest of any passenger aircraft. The longer the wingspan, the greater the lift, so the Boeing 777X's single-seat fuel consumption and operating costs are very competitive.

In addition, CFRP wings are strong and flexible, and the ends can be folded, so most airports can meet the downtime requirements of their wide wingspan. The 787's main wing and fuselage structures are made of carbon fiber prepregs from Toray Industries, Inc. 's TORAYCA® brand.

On August 17, 2016, the UK-developed Airlander 10, a large airship, completed its maiden voyage. The airship is a lighter-than-air spacecraft designed to carry out reconnaissance, surveillance, communications, transport of cargo and relief supplies, and passenger transport. The airship uses Vectran fabric made by Kuraray of Japan, which is filled with pressurized helium gas. Its shape structure material is CFRP, which maximizes the reduction of the airship's own mass. Unattended, the airship can stay aloft for up to five days at a time.

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