The Rapid Rise of Beryllium-Aluminum Alloys in Aerospace

Enhanced performance operating envelopes for aerospace platforms continue to challenge industry limits. Aerospace platform operators demand extreme performance in harsh environments from the aircraft, UAVs, and satellites they deploy today: lighter weight, greater strength, superior fuel efficiency and operational range, vibration-mitigated platforms, low coefficients of thermal expansion, better corrosion resistance - the list goes on.

Whether in defense or commercial applications, product competition continues to drive the performance envelope in design, materials selection, and manufacturing of these systems, all the while working to contain costs and meet challenging delivery schedules. In general, materials technologies to increase performance are desired and can be implemented, but they must come with an acquisition or operational cost decrease.