Aircraft Structures

Presentation by: #3 Matthew Cheung

April 26, 2010

What Will be Discussed…The use of aluminum alloy

(advantages, disadvantages)

Breakthrough in composites

Composite advantages, disadvantages

A Brief Look into History•Used aluminum alloy

•1903-1930: minimum weight

•1930-1960: Aircraft performance, plus weight

•1990’s: Material damage tolerance

Aluminum Alloy•Advantages:• Ease of manufacture

• High Tolerance

• Ease of Maintenance

•Disadvantages:• Prone to corrosion

• Weak at High Temperature

• Difficult to compound Curve

The Alternative: Composites

Composite Construction•Two Stages:•Matrix

•Rienforcement

Composite Pros/Cons•Advantages:• Lightweight

• Resistant to Corrosion

• Ease of Compound Curve

•Disadvantages:• Square cube law

• Hard to Maintain

• No electrical conductivity

Ethics•People