Wrapped in fiber

The aerospace industry looks for the future of commercial aviation in a beaker of chemicals.

There is no magic bullet to help airlines cope with the extraordinary expense of $75/barrel oil. It is clear, though, that one path to fuel savings lies in a beaker full of organic compounds of high molecular weight. Such materials promise extraordinary weight savings when properly formulated into high-strength composites.

It was not too long ago that manufacturers bragged about their all-composite stabilizers. Now, they tout new airplanes that are more than 50% composite.