As modern aircraft use more space age materials we will see more strength and less weight and thus more performance and useful load capabilities. But each time we move to new materials we learn of other issues, which arise. Issues such as some Stealth Aircraft composites give off cyanide gas when the burn which is not so helpful for the occupants who survive a crash. We have also found issues with composites used for EAA aircraft and used as component surfaces on airliners and military aircraft for instance UV or ultraviolet decay issues, brittleness, useful life and weathering. These issues are now taken into consideration when determining width of material, coatings and paint.

There are also issues with regional weathering of aircraft materials, such as aluminum, stainless steel, titanium and rubber. And we must always therefore consider such things as salt spray, temps, humidity (they park the old airliners in the desert right?), altitude the aircraft flies, pretty cold up there. Then with high performance aircraft we must consider speed of aircraft and friction? What about stress damage of airliners from wind sheet or G forces or in high performance fighter aircraft with 10 G turns like in the movie Top Gun? The World famous Spaceship one had all the paint pealed back on the leading edges from just a couple of flights to the edge of space and back.

Indeed there are all sorts of things to consider. Lets also consider acrobatic flight and stresses in Air Show aircraft? Even the F-22 the latest Super Fighter has issues with the bulkhead, pure titanium, behind the pilot cracking? Bummer. This the new mantra should be; bring on the carbon nanotubes? As aerospace materials move into the future and keep up with the exploits, trials and tribulations of the forward progression of the species we must all reflect the years gone by and look forward to more of this in 2006.