High Rate Aerostructures Fabrication

The rapid growth of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and the emerging Urban Air Mobility market—often called “flying taxis”—demands a dramatic shift in production, from hundreds of aircraft a year to thousands. Likewise, the next generation of single-aisle commercial aircraft will only embrace composite-intensive designs if fabrication times and costs can be significantly reduced. The industry faces pressing questions: Which materials and processes will lead the way for high-rate aerostructures? And what technical challenges must be solved to make this leap possible?