SOME
OF AIRBUS’ ‘FIRSTS’
In 1983, Airbus
introduced the first advanced cathode
ray tube (CRT) cockpit displays
on the A310. The A310 also marked
the introduction of composite materials
in secondary structures and of
electrical signalling for secondary
controls.
In 1985, the
A310-300 was the first commercial
airliner to feature drag-reducing
wingtip devices, which have since
become an industry standard. It
also marked the introduction of
composites in primary structures
and was the first sub-sonic civil
airliner to embody trim tank/centre
of gravity control.
Lockheed Martin ~ Composite
Liquid Oxygen Tank
Lockheed Martin, in a joint NASA
effort, has completed the first
sub-scale cryogenic composite tank
constructed of a composite material
compatible with liquid oxygen (LO2).
Lockheed Martin designed and built
the composite tank, and NASA is
responsible for testing the tank
at Marshall Space Flight Center
in Huntsville, Alabama. The tank
is designed to endure thermal and
pressure environments that simulate
flight conditions that a LO2 tank
would experience on a space launch
vehicle. The composite tank is
also designed to demonstrate Second
Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle
mission life capabilities. Using
state-of-the-art cryogenic composite
tank analysis, fabrication, and
inspection techniques, Lockheed
Martin designed and constructed
the tank at Marshall and the NASA
Michoud Assembly Facility in New
Orleans. The composite tank is
approximately 9½ feet long,
4½ feet in diameter and
weighs less than 500 pounds, which
represents an 18 percent weight
savings over a metal tank of similar
construction.
Composites are seen as one way
to decrease the weight of future
launch vehicles, thus reducing
the cost of launching payloads
into orbit from the current $10,000
per pound to $1,000 per pound.
This proves that by using Composite
technologies weight can be significantly
reduced, resulting in a significant
cost saving compared to more traditional
materials.
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