Finding a safe
compromise between low weight and high strength is critical when creating an
aircraft. Aircraft structures must be light yet strong and stiff enough to
resist the various forces acting on an airplane during flight. They must also
be durable enough to withstand these forces over the airplane’s entire life
span.
Wings don’t have
to be heavy to be strong. This pilotless aircraft called Theseus was built for
high-altitude research flights. The skin consists of a honeycomb material
sandwiched between layers of woven carbon fibers embedded
in a plastic resin. Similar stiff, lightweight materials are used on other
types of aircraft.
Credit:
Aurora Flight Sciences, Manassas, Virginia
Any aircraft
design is a carefully planned compromise in which many competing factors are
traded against one another: payload capacity, cost, range, speed, fuel economy,
durability, noise levels, required runway length, and many others. The function
of an aircraft—whether an airliner or a fighter, a business jet or a private
airplane—is the major influence in balancing these factors. The best design
typically provides maximum performance at the lowest weight.