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Boeing have built a carbon fibre plane... Still should help towards a solution for the worlds overcrowding!
who worries about carbon fibre bikes?
Apparently a lot of people on this forum... Not me though. I do however worry about carbon fibre aeroplanes.
it was the 'royal we'?
I wouldn't mind if they weren't just glueing the wings on.
I've never worried about my carbon bikes
Ignoring the environmental benefits of a lighter plane over its lifespan, can you re-cycle carbon fibre or are these planes going to end up as landfill unlike alloy planes that can be chopped up and re-cycled?
Fair enough then... Clearly I was wrong about STWer's worrying about carbon bikes!
My favourite quote from the Boeing man at Farnborough was that CF's don't corrode like metals and therefore are better - or something like that. Hmmmm... There are other issues though unique to composites that I am fairly sure there isn't a good solution to yet.
As far as I am aware, there are efforts to develop recycling processes, most of which are quite successful, but hugely energy intensive. Although things are improving.
I'm sure it'll be fine as long as they used a torque wrench and didn't over tighten the bolts.
To be fair, I don't think Boeing are too worried about how it'll survive repeated collisions with trees and rocks.
To be fair carbon fibre has been use in aircraft for decades.
Carbon fiber has been used in aircraft since about 1970.
Edit: beaten to it!
pfft carbon fiber indeed! the wattle and daub of the plastics industry!
they should M(etal)TFU and build em out of raw iron ore!
You know what, that wood stuff is overrated for boats too. They should use cement.
I'm glad they use carbon fibre and other composite materials in aircraft. I wouldn't have a job at a £10million/pa aerospace composites organisation otherwise.
😉
You know what, that wood stuff is overrated for boats too. They should use cement.
They've been making concrete boats for decades also, it's fairly usable.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_ship
Airplanes aren't reused after stacking into some trees.
I've got DT Swiss forks and a carbon seatpost but I'm realistic about the materials limitations.
Airplanes aren't reused after stacking into some trees.
I bet some bits are re-used if there are minor impacts!
What do you think stealth aircraft are made from? They first flew in '81. ( Or the F117 did, anyway).
What do you think stealth aircraft are made from?
Mirrors ?
I never worried about carbon bikes .. everyone said I'd crack my Carbon XC bike (riding XC) with my rather balls-out* riding style.
I didn't listen.
Took 2 months before a 3 inch crack appeared in the BB/down tube.. do'h!
No crashes either.. and I weight 10 st.
*Just a bit gung-ho, no jumps or gnar skills
coffeeking - Member
'You know what, that wood stuff is overrated for boats too. They should use cement.'
They've been making concrete boats for decades also, it's fairly usable.
If you get on Google Earth and look in Scalpay Harbour (Isle of Harris) you'll see an ancient concrete ship tied up there.
57 52' 37.11N 6 42' 1.11"W - the CRETETREE
I wouldn't mind if they weren't just glueing the
wings on.
As long as they remember to paint the pilot before they glue him into the cockpit. I always used to forget that bit.
We dont glue wings on, but we do glue the wings together, IE the top and bottom skins are bonded (glued) to the sub structure.
and BTW if the skins came off or the wing detached it would still end in the same way.
Carbon is great, as long as it's used where it benefits and not as a 'black metal'
[i]As long as they remember to paint the pilot before they glue him into the cockpit. I always used to forget that bit.
[/i]
*grins*
i'd guess CF is stronger than the wood and canvas they used to be made of?
My guess would be there's slightly more engineering and testing goes into an aircraft than a Taiwanese mass produced bike.
Loving the airfix comments!!! I am worried they're going to turn out a bit like James May's life size airfix spitfire...!!!
I don't think the stealth aircraft use the same level of composite as the dreamliner does, or even the same construction method, nor does it carry 240+ (I think) passengers. I also don't think it has poorly trained ground crews driving food trolleys into the door frames regularly - although I have noticed that they are armoured.
Sounds like I'm scare mongoring (Spelling?), possibley I am, but personally I think these materials have come in a bit quick, although I am sure the FEA will prove me wrong. Still at least the process of producing CF is environmentally friendly...
I know nothing about aircraft design, but I can see why aluminium probably wasn't the best solution. Fatigue isn't cool.
To my knowledge, Carbon Fibre's been used in the commercial aerospace industry since ~1970 with the Rolls Royce RB211. There have been reasons why CFs haven't been used for main commerical assemblies until recently - but do realise the commercial aerospace industry is one of the most conservative around.
Safety really is critical.
The dreamliner is - I believe - the first non military aircraft which uses composites for serious structural elements... ie all of them.
Exciting isn't it? 😀
vdubber67 - MemberI'm glad they use carbon fibre and other composite materials in aircraft. I wouldn't have a job at a £10million/pa aerospace composites organisation otherwise.
ditto 😉
As others have said, the next generation of airliners (787 for Boeing, A350 for Airbus) are the first to feature composite primary structures.
Carbon aircraft have their own unique set of technical challenges such as impact damage tolerance, plus various others that might not be immediately apparent, such as lightning strike tolerance.
The comment about 'black metal' from Chucky (aka Vortex Racing) is one I'm very familiar with 😉
As for recycling, there's not much you can do with cured carbon fibre other than chop it up and chuck it in a pit, or maybe grind it up and use it in the roads.
Environmentally friendly as long as they don't do what aston martin (and possibly others) do, they grind up their used carbon fibre into little pellets and stick them in landfill just because its part of an aston martin!
Don't think I'd be too worried about the planes made of CF, they're less likely to crash than a mountain bike and if they do they won't do any worse than metal!
where do you work Biscuit Powered?
Biscuit Powered - Membervdubber67 - Member
I'm glad they use carbon fibre and other composite materials in aircraft. I wouldn't have a job at a £10million/pa aerospace composites organisation otherwise.
ditto
As others have said, the next generation of airliners (787 for Boeing, A350 for Airbus) are the first to feature composite primary structures.
Carbon aircraft have their own unique set of technical challenges such as impact damage tolerance, plus various others that might not be immediately apparent, such as lightning strike tolerance.
The comment about 'black metal' from Chucky (aka Vortex Racing) is one I'm very familiar with
As for recycling, there's not much you can do with cured carbon fibre other than chop it up and chuck it in a pit, or maybe grind it up and use it in the roads.
Given your location, Airbus or BAE? 😉
Sounds more like Airbus, I'm at BAES Warton
Chucky (aka Vortex Racing) - MemberSounds more like Airbus, I'm at BAES Warton
STW Aerospace club anyone? 🙂 Cobham here btw!
Cobham here btw
ahh radomes R us
So many different types of carbon fibre structually arranged.
You can't compare bikes and planes...
Even F1 cars have carbon fibre crumple zones but completely different from bicycles!