World growth will slow in 2012, but the question is by how much – IHS Global Insight chief economist Nariman Behravesh releases his Top 10 Economic Predictions for 2012.
23 December 2011
Thicker laminate structure in new commercial passenger aircraft will affect maintainability. Vicki P. McConnell identifies possible changes in composite repair of these new designs.
22 November 2011
A £25 million centre for innovation in composites design and manufacture officially opens in the UK in late November. CEO Peter Chivers gave Amanda Jacob a tour.
08 November 2011
Bombardier Aerospace says its CSeries will deliver a 20% fuel burn advantage, 15% lower operating costs and 25% lower maintenance costs compared to other aircraft in its class. The aircraft's low-weight airframe features extensive use of advanced structural materials, including composites in the wing, empennage, nacelle and rear fuselage. We report on the project's progress so far.
24 October 2011
As with most automation, advanced fibre placement (AFP) requires substantial investment, but it has shown its ability to cover its cost in terms of saved labour and reduced material scrap, combined with the ability to form laminates of exceptional quality with higher accuracy and repeatability .
28 June 2011
The use of CFRP has spread to a multitude of new products requiring strength, reduced weight and high performance. CFRP is finding more applications in wind energy, pressure vessels, sports and recreation equipment and in higher-volume automotive parts. Carbon fibre supply currently exceeds demand, bringing down the profitability of carbon fibre manufacturers, which remain optimistic for an upswing in demand. The drive toward out-of-autoclave curing technology and shorter cycle times continues.
18 March 2011
A solar-powered aircraft has set a flight endurance record by remaining aloft for over two weeks. George Marsh reports.
13 January 2011
A350 XWB (extra wide body), the aircraft that Airbus Industrie did not want to build, is now visibly taking shape, propelled by fully committed engineering and management teams within Airbus itself and throughout its supply chain. George Marsh reviews the project so far.
16 November 2010
Plans for wind farms are often opposed by defence organisations and air traffic control services on the grounds that they interfere with radar, making it difficult to track aircraft. Warships and ‘stealth’ aircraft also need to be ‘invisible’ to radar. George Marsh looks at the use of composites in radar absorbing materials and structures.
01 November 2010
Reinforced Plastics takes a look at what's happening at this year's show, which is being held in Essen, Germany, on 14-16 September.
25 August 2010