Composites Are More Than Just a Lighter Material on the 7E7

Composites bring the obvious benefit of lighter weight to Boeing's new 7E7 aircraft. But they will have other benefits, too. To allay customer concerns about susceptibility to damage, Boeing gives them a composite skin sample and a hammer. After hitting the piece as hard as they can, the panel remains undamaged - an aluminum skin panel would have required extensive repair. Vehicle assembly will also be much easier: the large composite components will simply slide over each other and be fastened using pre-drilled holes. Boeing estimates the 7E7 will require about one-third the machinists for assembly as the 777.