What are aircraft materials?
The main groups of materials used in aircraft construction nowadays are steel, aluminum alloys, titanium alloys, and fibre-reinforced composites. Aircraft engines are primarily made with aluminum. During the creation of the first planes, the Wright Brothers initially attempted to use steel for their engines, but steel proved to be too heavy, so they opted for aluminum. The furniture inside the plane is also primarily aluminum.The alloy used in aircraft engines is generally aluminum alloy. Because aluminum alloys have a high strength to weight ratio. These alloys are corrosion resistant and comparatively easy to fabricate.The most common metals used in aircraft construction are aluminum, magnesium, titanium, steel, and their alloys. An alloy is composed of two or more metals. The metal present in the alloy in the largest amount is called the base metal. All other metals added to the base metal are called alloying elements.Aerospace Grade metals, also called Aircraft Grade metals or Aviation Grade metals, are typically used for all major components where the “ASM” aerospace specification metals are required. Airplanes, helicopters and spacecraft need materials with high strength-to-weight ratios and typically high corrosion resistance.The bodies of aircraft are mostly made with aluminium or aluminium alloys. Aluminium has properties like strong, lightweight, inexpensive, and predictable which makes it perfect for the manufacturing of aircraft. Around 80% of today’s modern-day aircraft is made up of aluminium.
What material is used to make aircraft?
The metals used in the aircraft manufacturing industry include steel, aluminium and titanium with each possessing certain qualities that make them ideal for this use. The main groups of materials used in aerospace structures are aluminium alloys, titanium alloys, steels and composites. In addition to these materials, nickel-based alloys are important structural materials for jet engines. These materials are the main focus of this book.