Is it possible to take the use of composite materials any further in the aviation FEATURE ”Aeronautics” sector? The question is a valid one, in light of all the problems encountered over the past few years. Be that as it may, aircraft manufacturers do push the limits each time they put out a new airplane, and the penetration rate of composite materials keeps on climbing. Maybe the question can be reversed: Just when can we expect the first all-composite airplane? MARKET 22 - Current prospects for the 2009-2028 market - North West England: an attractive region for composites and aerospace NANO - High-performance nanocomposites from a one-step process 28 SIMULATION - The quest for lighter and stronger aircraft with realistic simulation - Streamlining automated processes for composite airframe manufacturing 30 FIBRE PLACEMENT 38 - Fibre-placed, variable-stiffness composite structures: the next generation of aerospace structures? ASSEMBLING - EB²: a new solution for assembling composites 42 45 THERMOPLASTICS - New thermoplastic composite design concepts and their automated manufacture - Innovative thermoplastic stamp forming system R e s i n s p a r e x c e l le n c e No58 June-July 2010 / jec composites magazine 21http://www.crayvalley.com