Military maneuvers

Electronics and avionics designers put control in the pilot's hand.

Commercial airframers have often taken the cue from military aircraft designers in terms of new technology. This scenario is especially true when considering the two biggest current commercial aircraft projects, the Boeing 7E7 and the Airbus A380.

Engineers behind the design of both aircraft intend to make wide use of composites, a design preference that gained status via extensive use in the military, primarily for weight reduction. The Teal Group estimates that about 40% of the structural weight of the Eurofighter's airframe is carbon fiber and 10% is glass-reinforced plastic. Boeing followed suit in a way when it announced that the 7E7 will be at least 50% composites by weight, including the majority of the primary structure such as the wing and fuselage. The composite will be essentially the same material that Boeing used in the tail of the 777, which is estimated to contain about 20% of composites by weight.