What Materials Are Used in Aircraft Construction

Consumer focused air transportation has changed the world by facilitating national, regional, and global connectivity. When you’re flying you may just wonder how exactly modern aircraft keep you safe and transport hundreds of thousands of people daily. You may be thinking only about your seating quality but there are thousands of incredibly well engineered aircraft parts and strict engineering standards behind every flight. Their parts and the materials that comprise these complex systems enable them to fly long distances reliably with very rare mechanical issues.

What Are Airplane Parts Made Of?

When searching for aircraft parts or sitting in a plane you might wonder, what materials are keeping us safe in the skies?

Well, most airplane parts are made from aluminum, steel, titanium, or composites of different materials such as carbon fiber and polymers. These material’s sturdy, stiff, lightweight, and corrosion-resistant nature make them excellent for aircraft parts and components.

Aluminum, in particular, is popular in aircraft manufacturing because it’s strong and has low density. However, since its strength diminishes at high temperatures, it isn’t used to make parts on an airplane’s skin surface. Most manufacturers add it to steel and titanium to increase the structural integrity of the plane parts while reducing weight.

Steel is known for its strength because it’s an alloy of carbon and iron. Nonetheless, it’s heavier than aluminum and other materials used in airplane construction. For this reason, it’s excellent for use in the landing gear, thanks to its strength. Moreover, the skin surface of most airplanes is made out of steel due to its high heat resistance.

Together with its alloys, titanium is preferred for its temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, and high-strength properties. In this regard, the material surpasses both aluminum and steel. Though more expensive, titanium is used on parts such as swivel wing assemblies and hydraulic systems.

When shopping for airplane parts, you’ll notice manufacturers are increasingly opting for composite materials. These offer high compression resistance, high tensile strength, high resistance to corrosion, and low weight. Composite materials comprise resin and base material. Fiberglass is the most common composite material used on airplane parts. Glass fibers serve as the base material while a resin matrix strengthens it.

What Properties Are Important in Construction Material?

The materials used on aircraft parts depend on where those parts will go. For this reason, they need to have specific properties. For starters, the materials should be temperature-resistant, given that planes experience extreme temperatures when flying, without catching fire or giving in.

Strength is another critical property. You don’t want to purchase a plane part that will need frequent replacement due to regular breakdowns. For this reason, manufacturers focus on high-strength materials such as composites that will last without requiring frequent replacement.

Low density is also essential as far as plane parts go. It’s a no-brainer that materials such as steel are dense and thus heavier. Their use is restricted to areas where needed, such as the landing gear. In earlier days, steel was the predominant material, but things have since changed, thanks to the need to make planes lighter and thus more fuel-efficient.

Brief History of Aircraft Parts

The world’s first powered aircraft made by the Wright brothers was rudimentary, to say the least. The materials used included:

• Ash wood and spruce for the bracings, skid tie bars, fuselage, and other elements.
• Waxed twine for holding the frame together.
• Cotton muslin covers on the wings.
• Steel for the control cables and strapping,

Low strength and thermal resistance were the major impediments to corrosion and thermal resistance. However, improvements followed soon after in 1912, which saw the first laminated wood fuselages with monocoque construction. This allowed loads to be supported through the fuselages’ external skin, thus necessitating load-carrying internal frames.

All-metal aircraft construction became popular during WW1, with the most popular constructions being all-metal monocoque structures and aluminum or aluminum alloy with fabric surfaces. The growing use of metal made it easier for manufacturers to create lighter planes that were easier to maneuver.

The use of exotic metals started in the late 1940s as countries delved into high-speed aviation research. The need to fly further and faster necessitated the use of aluminum alloys and exotic metals that could mitigate the impacts of aerodynamic heating. Therefore, manufacturers started using advanced carbon-carbon composites, titanium-aluminum alloys, silicon carbide ceramic coatings, and titanium alloys reinforced with ceramic fibers.

Modern-day airplane manufacturing has shifted focus to sturdier, lightweight, safer, and more fuel-efficient planes. As a result, composite materials such as fiberglass have grown popular. To improve strength, engineers strive to create the so-called “sandwich” effect, which involves using a core material such as wood, foam, metal, or plastic between the layers of composite material. It helps to create streamlined shapes that enhance fuel efficiency, besides improving radar stealth quality and structural strength.

Advancements in Airplane Parts Manufacturing

Plane parts manufacturers have advanced new inventions to increase their products’ strength, corrosion resistance, and flammability properties while reducing costs. The materials touted to make an entry include Nano Adaptive Hybrid Fabric (NAHF-X) or fuzzy fibers, magnesium, and fiber metal laminates (FM). Although it initially got banned in aircraft construction because it catches fire quickly, magnesium is poised to make a comeback. It’s lightweight and can be used to make magnesium alloys that surpass aviation flammability and corrosion requirements. Magnesium alloys are also high-strength and ductile, making them excellent for aerospace use.

Also referred to as fuzzy fibers, Nano Adaptive Hybrid Fabric (NAHF-X) has excellent structural strength and thermal and electrical conductivity. When incorporated into resin products, they can produce sheets used in an aircraft’s power, sensor, and communication systems.

Fiber metal laminates (FML) are renowned for their high strength, impressive elasticity, corrosion resistance, and low density. They also weigh less than the typical materials used in aircraft manufacturing and can help improve efficiency.

Your One-Stop-Shop for Airplane Parts

Finding airplane parts isn’t always easy. Moreover, you may not know where to start if you have parts you intend to sell. For this reason, we created PartsBase, a one-stop shop that connects you to the world’s most extensive network of aviation services and parts.

Here, you can sell and buy airplane parts at the click of a button. The best part is that you’ll be in great company since PartsBase is trusted by over 7,000 aviation industry leaders worldwide. Book your demo today to try PartsBase for free.