The company announced that it has expanded its Complēt long fiber thermoplastic composite pellet product line to include drop-in replacements for die-cast magnesium. The new long fiber thermoplastic (LFT) products duplicate both the mechanical and electrical properties of magnesium in injection molding or extrusion materials that offer up to 40% reductions in weight. “Structurally, long

During a short interview, John O’Connor, the director of Product & Market Strategies at Siemens PLM Software delves into the challenges of composite materials in the aeronautics industry. Q: What is the real challenge in terms of composites aerostructures? A: As composites have become a larger portion of aerostructures, the challenges associated with their design and

The composites-intensive, solar-powered Zephyr 7 high-altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS) completed more than 11 days of winter-weather flight testing to prove short-day/long-night capability. Airbus Defence and Space has announced that the solar-powered, composites-intensive Zephyr 7 high-altitude pseudo­ satellite (HAPS) has just completed its most demanding mission to date and thus set a new benchmark in persistent, year­-round operations for

The Boeing-made, 18-ft/5.5m diameter carbon fiber composite cryotank passed NASA structural load testing in Huntsville, Ala., USA, and marks a big step forward for composites use in space launch vehicles. NASA reported on Aug. 26 that it has completed a complex series of tests on one of the largest composite cryogenic fuel tanks ever manufactured,

GE Aviation says that its all-new GE9X engine being developed for the Boeing 777X airplane will feature fewer and thinner composite fan blades than the GEnx, using a high-stiffness carbon fiber and new epoxy matrix resin. GE Aviation (Evendale, Ohio, USA) reported on Aug. 26 that its GE9X engine for the Boeing 777X aircraft will feature