Advances in Airware Solutions for Fuselage Applications

Airware® 2198 (an Al-Cu-Li alloy) has been selected and is currently industrially produced for aircraft manufacturers such as Bombardier for fuselage of the CSeries. This alloy has both remarkably high static and good damage tolerance properties, in addition to good thermal stability behavior. These properties are obtained through Ag and Zr addition and a high Cu/Li ratio maximizing strength.

Mechanical property needs vary according to the size of the aircraft and manufacturers’ design strategies. For those cases where having such a high static performance as 2198 is overabundant, Constellium has developed metallurgical solutions that enable both an overall adaptation of property balance and better affordability. AA2074 and AW257 are good examples of this: by adjusting chemical composition and process parameters it is possible to reduce density, reduce cost, maximize isotropy, improve corrosion performance and obtain outstanding formability properties.

The presentation will provide an update on recent material developments, including the underlying mechanisms of property improvements.