For the past decade, carbon-fiber composites have been the darling of the aerospace sector, receiving countless praise and widespread attention. Reinforced polymers have dramatically changed the way that many types of airframes are designed and built.
While composites are still hot, traditional plastics have been quietly making inroads in civilian, commercial and military aircraft. As new generations of planes take to the skies in the years ahead, thermoplastics will be along for the ride.