Research task:

Research and prepare responses on the ongoing development of and likely impact of all four issues:

-composite materials

-unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)

-aircraft noise

-ageing general aviation fleet, metal fatigue and airframe life extension

Composite materials:

Composite materials are materials produced from two or more constituent materials. They’re
materials that retain their identities in the composites and don’t dissolve or merge into each other,
creating a hybrid material with improved structural properties.

Positives of composite materials include that they can be formed into various shapes, fibres can be
wound tightly, fibres can be layered, they’re lightweight, they can withstand high temperatures and
the reduced weight reduces the fuel required. Effects include reducing fuel consumption, improving
the efficiency of an aircraft, and reducing the direct operating costs of an aircraft.

Fibreglass is the most common composite material comprising of glass fibres within a resin matrix.
First used in the aviation industry with the Boeing 707 passenger jet during the fifties, comprising
two per cent of the structure. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner will be the first commercial aircraft in
which important structural elements are made of composite materials rather than aluminium alloys.
Moving away from old fibreglass to newer, more modern carbon laminate and carbon sandwich
composites in aircraft.

Carbon fibre is another example of a composite material that has been integrated into the design of
aircraft. Carbon fibre is stronger than steel, lighter than aluminium, and can be molded into virtually
any shape. The use of carbon fibre reduces fuel consumption (as the aircraft is lighter and less
expensive to operate), improved aerodynamics, and a reduced number of parts (carbon fibre can be
molded, each mold can be designed so that several parts are combined into one and molded). The
implementation of carbon fibre improves aerodynamic performance as by having a sleeker design it
is more fuel efficient, carbon fibre can produce smooth yet complex geometries, allowing easier
optimisation of the aerodynamics of a carbon fibre sustained aircraft.

The environmental impact is that the parts will last longer and be more corrosion resistant, because
the parts are lighter than traditional aluminium there is less of a load which provides less
environmental load. Also, recycling parts from decommissioned aircraft is environmentally friendly
and saves money.

The future of composites include ceramic matrix composites, hybrid composite steel sheets, spider
silk fibres, and many more. Spider silk has been considered due to its high ductility, being able to
hold its strength at very low temperatures will if implemented into aircraft allow greater stresses
before catastrophic failure occurs.
Overall impact of the use of composite materials is important because they provide structural
strength like metallic alloys, but at lighter weight, leading to improved fuel efficiency and
performance.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV):

UAVs are unmanned aerial vehicles or drones are aircraft without any human pilots. They’re guided
autonomously, by remote control, or both and some of the technology available on board include a
combination of sensors, electronic receivers, and transmitters. Without any need to support crew,
life support systems and the design-safety requirements of manned aircraft. UAVs can be
remarkably efficient, offering greater range and endurance than equivalent manned systems.

Military UAVs serve a whole lot of purposes ranging from surveillance to demolitions, they can be
fitted with visible and infrared television, radar and passive electronic sensors, along with anti-tank
missiles.

The applications of civilian drones include aerial photography and journalism and film, express
shipping and delivery, disaster management, thermal sensors for search and rescue, building safety
inspections, crop monitoring, unmanned cargo transport, law enforcement and border patrol and
storm tracking. Multiple industries are working with drones as a part of daily business functions.
Further applications of drone usage include drone racing and transporting medical supplies.

Impacts of drones on society include a general feeling of loss of privacy as surveillance equipment
and increasing insecurity/fear as most people report a feeling of discomfort being watched and
monitored.

Aircraft Noise:

Aircraft noise is noise pollution produced by an aircraft or its components whether on the ground
while parked, while taxiing, during takeoffs, underneath and lateral to departure and arrival paths,
over flying while en-route or during landing. Aircraft noise is a significant cause of adverse
community reaction related to operation and expansion of airports, with ICAO’s main goals to limit
and reduce the number of people affected by significant aircraft noise.

Initiatives into combating the impacts of aircraft noise include investigations into emerging noise
reduction technologies, noise impacts from new aircraft concepts like UAVs, development of SARPs
(standard and recommended practices) for future supersonic airplanes.

Noise reduction technology has been developed to reduce jet noise by reducing its jet velocity to
improve fuel burn. Fan noise is a dominant departure noise for modern large aircraft, a reduction in
fan pressure ratio is likely to lead to a reduction in fan noise, both forwards and rearwards.

Impacts of aircraft noise include hearing loss and sleep disturbance, an increased risk of heart
disease and other health problems, it is extremely annoying and disruptive, difficulty to concentrate
and study, reduced quality of life for those living near airports. Exposure to aircraft noise is linked
with lower reading and memory ability, undisturbed sleep of sufficient duration is critical for daytime
alertness, performance, and health.

Solutions include investing in new technologies to mitigate sound of aircraft engines and working
with airlines to ensure they’re flying aircraft as quietly as possible.

Ageing general aviation aircraft fleet/ metal fatigue/ airframe life extension:
Performance of an aircraft in general, its systems and airframe materials, can be significantly
reduced by environmental conditions in which the aircraft operates during its service life. As an
aircraft gets older maintenance requirements, service downtime and fuel costs increase. These
liabilities can be offset by an operator because of a reduction in lease rates, or if the availability of
new replacement aircraft is restricted or too expensive. Age can be managed by retiring the aircraft
and purchasing newer aircraft or through adequately maintaining ageing aircraft through additional
and specific maintenance.

The fatigue rate depends on the operation type an aircraft is subject to. As an aircraft ascends, its
structure will expand as a result of pressurisation, and as it descends the structure contracts,
resulting in fatigue, an aircraft operated on short flights will be subjected to a higher number of
pressurisation cycles and increase the rate of fatigue. Corrosion affects the aircraft structure and
occurs as a result of the chemical degradation of metal over time , can also affect electrical
connectors and flight control cables, corrosion is more prevalent in marine and coastal environments
with high humidity and salt water.

Aircraft life extension

Airframe extension means tracking new data including airframe and avionics upgrades. Considering
fatigue, fatigue life analysis must be done in order to understand that the aircraft can withstand the
extra flying hours. Spare parts availability becomes critical to keep maintenance safe and on
schedule. Maintenance crews need the right part in the right place at the right time, with some key
components which need repair for stress fractures go right down to the individual rivets and
winglets.

Checklist:

Short, medium and long haul:

-short-haul flights are flights that last anywhere from thirty minutes to three hours

-medium-haul flights can last from three to six hours

-long-haul flights are those that extend beyond six hours

Mid-size aeroplane definition:

-mid-size jets have narrower bodies, despite carrying over three hundred passengers, they don’t
match the capacity of larger passenger jets like the 747.

-mid-size jets are desirable among airliners because they sustain greater profitability in seasonal
routes and on smaller flights, in which they are also cheaper and flexible into the airports they fly.

Wide-body aircraft:

-also known as jumbo jets and twin-aisle aircraft, are aircraft with a fuselage wide enough to
accommodate two passenger aisles with seven or more seats
-due to the large interior space the airliners can typically allow of total capacity of 200 to 850
passengers

-originally designed for a combination of efficiency and passenger comfort and to increase the
amount of cargo space, but airlines gave in to economic factors and reduced the extra space in order
to insert more seats and increase revenue and profits

Turbofan engines:

-type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used in aircraft propulsion

-where all air taken in by a turbojet passes through a combustion chamber and turbines, in a
turbofan some of that air bypasses those components, contributing to thrust

dB unit- measurement of sound/noise:

-commonly used in acoustics as a unit of sound pressure level

How modern turbofan engines are constructed to be quieter than prior earlier turbofan and turbojet
engines:

-using a gearbox to uncouple the fan and the low-pressure turbine will improve performance and
reduce noise

-the move towards aircraft with higher ‘bypass ratios’ (amount of air that passes through the fan
instead of through the combustion chamber, the higher the bypass ratio, the better its fuel efficiency
and noise reduction), originally sought after for greater engine efficiency, but which fortunately
generates lower noise too

-turbofan engines in smaller aircraft have lower bypass ratios than those in larger, wide-bodied
aircraft. These narrow-bodied jets make up 70% of the commercial fleet and will have a large impact
on noise level as they replace older jets

How composite materials are constructed:

-composite materials are made by taking one material (the matrix) and having it surround fibres or
fragments of a stronger metal (the reinforcement)

-formed by combining two or more materials with different properties, without dissolving or
blending them into each other.

-examples include concrete, mud bricks, and fibreglass

Advantages and disadvantages of using modern composite materials in aircraft:

-advantages include lower cost of materials, lighter weight and higher strength, radar stealth quality,
and the creation of streamlined shapes that were not possible with wood or metal

-exceptional strength, stiffness-to-density ratios, superior physical properties

-disadvantages include is that they are relatively new material, and are quite expensive

Issues associated with UAV’s and how to solve them:

-legislative uncertainty: since the widespread use of unmanned aerial vehicles is relatively new,
legislation is still catching up. Governments around the world have established certain rules for
small, unmanned aircraft that apply to commercial and recreational use, but there are still gaps.
These gaps including how best to determine airspace property rights and protect landowners from
aerial trespassing.

-safety: to avoid mid-air collisions, uavs must be programmed with ‘sense and avoid’ capabilities that
match those of manned aircraft, meaning that drones must be able to detect a potential collision
and manoeuvre to safety. In terms of engine or system failures, falling drones are another danger
especially when used near large crowds or in highly populated areas.

-privacy: one of the most common concerns from the public about uav’s is privacy. Drones can
collect data and images without drawing attention, leading many to fear their right to privacy may
be in jeopardy. This can occur if government entities were to use drones to monitor the public. The
way in which the law is interpreted, and the efforts of privacy rights organisations continue to
influence how this issue of privacy is regulated.

Bibliography:

Theconversation.com

Appropedia.org

Dragonplate.com

Britannica.com

Businessinsider.com

Onlinemasters.ohio.edu

Icao.int

Greenlighteventdesign.com

Pillsburylaw.com

Researchgate.net

Defenceiq.com

Themcggroup.com

Aerocorner.com