Very stiff fibres woven into engineering’s future: a long-term perspective

An account is given of the development of the discipline and practice of composite materials from the 1960s to the present as seen by the author. The present time is so pregnant because composite materials are now displacing metallic materials as the prime material for the construction of the airframes of the new large commercial airliners. Observations are made on the advantages of the Airbus A380, Boeing’s 787 and the planned Airbus A350. Some of the difficulties are dealt with and solutions proposed for problems of testing and deterioration. And some final remarks are made on environmental concerns