Advanced Aluminum Solutions for Next-Gen Aerospace Structures

Airline competitiveness and the demand for improved aircraft performance and affordability (acquisition and operational) are driving advancements in technologies that can enable these improvements.

Improvements in engine technology, aerodynamics, systems, and structural performance all have the effect of improving aircraft efficiency and reducing fuel costs. Extending inspection intervals and improving aircraft durability lead to reduced maintenance costs. These performance improvements also need to be delivered at a cost that solves the airline business case. From the airframer's perspective, these technologies need to be readily scalable to large-scale manufacturing and support the expected build rates.

While carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) was chosen for the primary wing and fuselage structures of the most recent, all-new, twin-aisle aircraft - Boeing's 787 and Airbus's A350XWB - structural material choices are not so definitive for new and derivative single-aisle aircraft.