Structural Materials for High Altitude/High Temperature Vehicles

This paper discusses those materials that appear to offer the most promise for structural usage in high altitude/high temperature vehicles. Various aluminum-, titanium-, beryllium-, iron-, and nickel-base alloys are compared with respect to density, short time tensile, creep, fatigue, and fracture toughness properties. Their corrosion and stress corrosion characteristics as well as long time stability are discussed.