14 
The extensive use of composite materials makes the Boeing 787 one of the most advanced commercial aircraft ever built. And while it’s already been approved for flight, safety officials are concerned about the long term viability of those materials, which are now being used in the aircraft’s wings and fuselage.
Composite materials like carbon fibre and plastics have been used in aircraft components for years now, but concerns have been raised—in a report published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office—that the composite structures that make up the 787′s wings and fuselage are being tested against safety standards designed for planes with metal structures. Over time metal will bend, flex and stretch before failing, providing safety inspectors with telltale signs that repairs are needed before there’s a serious problem. But composite materials behave differently, and officials are worried that inspectors simply don’t know what signs might allude to impending structural failure. Even the risk factors of something as simple as a dent aren’t fully understood at this point, and there are further concerns that maintenance workers aren’t properly equipped when it comes to repairing these materials.
The report hasn’t stymied Boeing’s progress on getting the Dreamliner into customer’s hands, though. Last week the airliner made its first official passenger flight, and the promise of more comfort for passengers and lowered operating costs seem like enough reasons for airlines to dismiss these concerns, at least for now. [Daily Mail]
Photo: AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye
This Is the Battery that Melted In the Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Why the Boeing 787 Will Ride Like a Dream
Boeing 787 Reviewed: Well Worth the Wait
really?
“Even the risk factors of something as simple as a dent aren’t fully understood at this point”
that statement is ridiculous, i studied the affects of impact and stress to composite components in my first year of study!!! (aircraft engineering)
there are already well known practises in place, ok sure in certain cases stress fractures and fatigue may not be visible, but you can inspect for damage using ultrasound, which can be done with a handheld device.
Not to mention these composites are designed in such a way as not to “snap”, the fibre layers prevent microscopic crack from spreading if the aircraft is “over stressed” if your aircraft is in a position where your “snapping” wings off, aluminium, or composite, your in trouble.
as far as being tested against current testing procedures, if you think for a second Boeing haven’t fully tested the cycle loading applied to aircraft structures, then I suggest you do some reading.
finally “officials are worried that inspectors simply don’t know what signs might allude to impending structural failure”
along side the aircraft manual written by Boeing, you don’t just take, “some engineer” before anybody gets to work on a 787(or ANY aircraft) they must be fully type certified on that aircraft, meaning they know what they are doing!
this is why i don’t like the daily mail, they just say stuff without the slightest modicum of thought
Daily Mail is just a sensationalist hackrag – the Sun for people in tweed twinsets.
But, as usual, they take something with a tiny amount of truth and exaggerate it for effect. There IS concern over the long term use of composites. I work in an industry where carbon fibres is used in high stress, cyclic pressure applications. The biggest issue is delamination, not cracking.
It is precisely because the are unsure of the long term effects on these aircrafts that they are under such close scrutiny.
THIS… this is why i come back to Gizmodo, especially now it’s Gizmodo UK. An informed response to an article on a subject i have no prior knowledge about.
Also, can’t beat a good bit of Daily Mail bashing to boot.
I’m afraid I have to agree with John. I’m a non distructive test engineer working on fast jet aircraft. We have regular occurrences of damage, either caused by impact damage or other reasons. Whilst we are constantly developing techniques to detect variouse occurrences highlighted by the design authority’s. Predomantly we use ultrasonics, this gives us a clear picture of any subsurface faults. These faults are then reported and repairs are implemented long before the structural safety of the aircraft is compromised.