Boeing 787 flew its first passengers from Tokyo to Hiroshima
Today (November 1, 2011) the first “plastic plane” has taken off from Tokyo’s Narita Airport and flew its first passengers from Tokyo to Hiroshima. This All Nippon Airways (ANA) Boeing 787 is the first aircraft with a pressurized fuselage and wings made from CFRP (wiki page: carbon fiber reinforced polymer). The composite structure makes the plane around 15% lighter than a traditional all aluminum plane of the same size, significantly increasing fuel efficiency and making flying greener.
Although success of this Boeing 787 flight has caught media attention and green campaigners support throughout the world, aviation experts cast doubt over the long-term safety of composite aircrafts. A composite is made by combining multiple layers of carbon fibers with an epoxy resin. It has higher strength to weight ratio than aluminum and resists corrosion better. However, unlike metal, much is known, there is almost nothing published on composite structure damage, visibility and growth. Composite has different fatigue problems than metal: it tends to snap, rather than bend of stretch over time like metal. Air travel enthusiasts might be able to board one of these ANA flight in Japan, larger scale commercial implementation of the “Plastic Plane” still has a long way to go.
Being has said in a statement “We test, we analyze and we demonstrate that even in extreme conditions – which may never be experienced in a full life time of service – the airplane is safe and durable.”
