THE SKY IS THE LIMIT post by Jimmy Brewbaker

It is no secret that in the world of today, finding new ways to improve products is key to staying ahead of the competition and prospering as a business. The aviation industry is no exception and with the ever increasing demand for swift, safe travel, innovative use of materials in new airplane designs could mean differences of billions of dollars for companies like Boeing and Airbus. Companies such as these are using polymer composite materials to replace metals such as titanium and aluminum in their designs. Finding places where polymer composites can serve the same purpose as metal with equal effectiveness means a lighter airplane and therefore, greater fuel efficiency. Airlines that have to pay extraordinary amounts of money on fuel every year for their planes value fuel efficiency, especially if the safety is not compromised. Because shape and aerodynamics have been nearly perfected over time, material composition is one of the final design changes able to be made in an airplane. Boeing and Airbus, the two aviation juggernauts of today, are hard pressed to stay ahead of each other’s designs in order to make money in a tough economy. Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner managed to replace half of the titanium and aluminum used in Boeing’s design with polymer composites. This resulted in the airplane using 20% less fuel while not decreasing the size of the tank. This is invaluable to airlines as  they not only save money on fuel costs but also save time filling up the planes as it takes longer to run out of fuel. Furthermore, airlines can practically buy a public relations boost by using a 787 as the lower fuel consumption is a great way for companies to go green. The 787 has just scratched the surface, however, of composite material use in airplanes. Experts predict that the 787 is just the beginning of a new generation of aviation. There is still endless room for research and greater development of composite polymers to use in airplanes. These polymer composite materials could determine not only the future of aviation, but the future of companies like Boeing and Airbus worldwide.