LIGHTWEIGHT MATERIALS FOR AIRCRAFT APPLICATIONS

Reducing structural weight is one of the major ways to improve aircraf t performance. Lighter and/or stronger materials allow greater range a nd speed and may also contribute to reducing operational costs. The ar ticle reviews some recent developments in lightweight materials for ai rframe components (aluminum alloys, composites, and hybrid materials) and engine components (titanium aluminides and titanium-based composit es). Emphasis is placed on microstructural characterization and the re lationship between the microstructure and mechanical properties of spe cific materials systems being investigated at the National Research Co uncil's Institute for Aerospace Research.