Aircraft wings made of pieces of fabric stitched together could one day
replace the familiar aluminium wings, thanks to the development of a new
stitching machine by NASA and the aeroplane manufacturer Boeing. The composite
wings would be cheaper to make than aluminium wings and would weigh less. “The
fabric is made of carbon fibre and stitched together with Kevlar thread,” says
George Sillia, a spokesman for Boeing. However, he says, “there are lots of
other materials that could be used”.
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