USAF strives to build 'plastic Galaxy'

Concerns about the growing costs of jet fuel and the dependence of the United States on foreign oil have prompted the US Air Force (USAF) to dramatically accelerate research into aircraft made from composite and other advanced materials that can fly farther on less fuel.

The USAF's latest advanced materials project, known as the Efficient Affordable Global Lift (EAGL) flight demonstrator, will aim to construct and fly the biggest advanced materials aircraft ever built by the US military - in just 36 months.

The EAGL, which could be made from elements such as plastic, aluminium and glass composites, is expected to offer a fuel-efficient and cheap alternative to the heavy-duty Lockheed Martin C-5B Galaxy transport: a massive, fuel-hungry aircraft with an operating weight of 374,000 lb (169,643 kg) unloaded.

The goal of the EAGL programme is to achieve dramatic cost and energy efficiencies while still surpassing the C-5B in terms of payload, range and speed.

USAF officials believe the key to building high-performance but efficient aircraft such as the EAGL may be composites, which, when properly integrated into an aircraft manufacturing process, can dramatically reduce aircraft weight.

Composites consist of two separate and distinct materials, including some type of strong fibre - such as glass fibre - and a resin that binds the fibres together.

Image: The USAF is studying a composite successor to the C-5B Galaxy airlifter (Jane's/Patrick Allen) 217 of 657 words