Why is Aluminum Used to Make Airplane

Why is aluminum used to make airplanes? Aluminum alloys are used in aircraft manufacturing instead of steel, because the density of aluminum alloys is smaller. Under the condition that the volume of the aircraft fuselage remains unchanged, according to ρ, the mass of the aircraft is proportional to the density of the material, and the density of the fuselage material is higher. The smaller the aircraft, the lighter the aircraft will be, which is more conducive to take-off. At present, more than 90% of aircraft parts are aluminum alloy parts, and a small amount is stainless steel and titanium alloy steel, and there are more and more overall structural parts, and the application of composite materials is future development direction.

Skins, beams, ribs, stringers, bulkheads, and landing gear on aircraft can all be made of aluminum alloys. Because aluminum is light, it can reduce the weight of the aircraft, making it easier to fly, and to fly faster and higher. Now, the airplane aluminum alloy is not only light in weight, but also has high strength and high temperature resistance, it is a good material for aircraft manufacturing. It can not only ensure the strength requirements of the aircraft, but also reduce the weight of the aircraft. Aluminum alloy has low density, but relatively high strength, close to or surpassing high-quality steel, good plasticity and good corrosion resistance.

Why is aluminum used to make airplanes? Aluminum alloy is still the main aircraft material. From a historical point of view, the contribution of aluminum alloy to the development of the aviation industry is unmatched by any other material. Aviation aluminum alloy materials are also constantly developing. For example, on the Airbus A350, in addition to steel and titanium parts, nearly 20% of the structure is made of aluminum-lithium alloy. This advanced alloy incorporates the world's lightest metal, lithium, to reduce the weight of the aluminum alloy while improving its strength, toughness, corrosion resistance and formability. It can be seen that for a long time in the future, metal materials will still be the main materials for aircraft manufacturing.