Materials - Fiber composites.

Fiber composite materials, their properties, their state of technical advancement, and the plans underway to further the development and application of these materials for efficient flight structures are reviewed. It is considered that the costs of composite materials will drop sharply as the volume and manufacturing expertise is increased. The tailorability of structural elements and unique applications requiring high stiffness seem to be particularly attractive features. A good measure of the state of the technology is the sophistication of the structures being built and flown. Several examples are cited.