Republic of the Philippines

PHILIPPINE STATE COLLEGE OF AERONAUTICS

Piccio Garden, Villamor, Pasay City

INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT
First Semester, Academic Year 2016-2017

AMT 2106- AIRCRAFT MATERIALS,CONSTRUCTION

AND REPAIR II (COMPOSITE)

Assignment No. 1
“1. Any aircraft showing the locations
of the composite part
2. Advantages and Disadvantages of
using a composite ”
PRELIMINARY PERIOD

NAME: MARY JOSIN T. TIANIA DATE: AUGUST 19, 2019 RATING:

INSTRUCTOR: MS. SHEILA MAY D. MOTOS CRS/YR/SEC: AAMT 2-4

 Republic of the Philippines
PHILIPPINE STATE COLLEGE OF AERONAUTICS
Piccio Garden, Villamor, Pasay City
INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
First Semester, Academic Year 2016-2017

~ AIRCRAFT COMPOSITE PARTS ~

Composite materials are widely used in aircraft industry and have allowed engineers to
overcome obstacles that have been met when using the materials individually. The development
of light-weight, high-temperature resistant composite materials will allow the next generation of
high performance, economical aircraft designs to materialized.

According to the Federal Aviation Agency, the composite material has been around since
World War II. Over the years, this unique blend of material has become ever more popular, and
today can be found in many different kinds of airplanes, as well as gliders.

The two constituents are reinforcement and matrix. The reinforcement phase provides the
strength and stiffness. In most cases, the reinforcement is harder, stronger and stiffer than the
matrix. The continuous phase is the matrix, which is a polymer, metal or ceramic. Polymers have
low strength and stiffness, metals have intermediate strength and stiffness but high ductility, and
ceramics have high strength and stiffness but are brittle.
 In the basic composite, one material acts as a supporting matrix, while another
material build on the base scaffolding and reinforce the entire material. Formation of the
material can be expensive and complex process. In essence, a base material matrix is laid out
in a mold under high temperature and pressure. An epoxy or resin is then poured over the
base material when the composite material is cooled. The composite can also be produced by
embedding fibres of a secondary material into the base matrix.

Composite have a good tensile strength and resistance to compression, making them
suitable for use in aircraft part manufacture. The tensile strength of the material come from
its fibrous nature. The good resistance to compression can be attributed to the adhesive and
stiffness properties of the base matrix system. It is the role of the resin to maintain the fibres
as straight columns and to prevent them from buckling.

Common composite materials used on airplanes include fiberglass, carbon fiber, and
fiber-reinforced matrix system or any combination of any of these. The most common
composite material is fiberglass and was widely used in boats and automobiles. Fiberglass
was first used in aviation by Boeing in its passenger jet in 1950s.

Although composites continue to be used with great frequency in the aviation industry
due to their numerous advantages, some say that these materials also pose a safety risk to
aviation.

~ADVANTAGE AND DISADVANTAGE OF USING COMPOSITE~

ADVANTAGES
 Weight Reduction - it is the single greatest advantage of composite material usage and
is the key factor in using it in aircraft structure.

 Don’t Corrode – composite materials don’t corrode as easily as other types of

structures. They don’t crack from metal fatigue and they hold up well in structural
flexing environments.

 Usage of such materials will reduce fuel consumption, improve efficiency and reduce
direct operating costs of aircraft.

 Last long – composite design last longer than aluminum, which means fewer
maintenance and repair costs.

 Stronger – fiber-reinforced matrix systems are stronger than traditional aluminum

found on most aircraft, and they provide a smooth surface and increase fuel efficiency,
which is a huge benefit.
DISADVANTAGES
 Hard to identify damage - because composite materials don’t break easily, that makes
it hard to tell if the interior structure has been damaged at all and this, of course, is
the single most concerning disadvantage for of using the composite material. In
contrast, because of aluminum bends and dents easily, it is quite easy to detect
structural damage.

 Additionally, repairs can be much more difficult when a composite surface is damaged,
which ultimately becomes costly.

 Also, the resins used in composite material weakens at the temperatures as low as 150
degrees, making it important for these aircraft to take extra pre caution to avoid fires.
Fires involved with composite materials can release toxic fumes and micro-particles
into the air, causing health risks. Temperature above 300 degrees can cause structural
failure.

 High costs - composite materials can be expensive, although it can be argued that the
high initial costs are typically offset by long-term costs savings.