The aerospace industry has always sought to push the boundaries of technical and engineering possibilities. One of the keys to achieving these goals is the innovative use of advanced materials. Composite and plastic materials have become fundamental to the design and construction of lighter, stronger and higher-performance aircraft and spacecraft.
The great advantages of using composites are light weight, strength and durability, and design flexibility that allows design innovations that improve aerodynamic and structural performance. Composites with oriented and non-oriented fibres are used as components in some aircraft structures because of their mechanical properties, while glass fibre sandwiches plus polyurethane foams because of their low weight.