Technology From Now-Dead Supersonic Cruiser May Make New Economy Jet More Economical

Pop quiz: It's lighter than aluminum... yet stronger. It doesn't rust. It's not cheap.

Q: What is it?

A: Ceramic composite material that had been slated to go onboard Boeing's ill-fated Sonic Cruiser.

Now that that project is shelved, the materials may well end up incorporated into the upcoming 7E7, a mid-sized economy jet designed to lower operating costs by about 20 percent.

Composites aren't new to aviation - not by a long-shot. In fact, Boeing uses composite materials in the 777 - most notably in the tail section. Now, a Boeing engineering team at the company's plant in Fredrickson (WA) is close to figuring out a way to use composites in the wing of the 7E7 without significantly altering costs. The Seattle Times reports that, if composites indeed do end up in the final wing design, the wings themselves will probably be built overseas.

If They Build It, Will It Fly

Big question: Will the FAA approve the use of composite  materials in the 7E7 wing?

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that process is already underway, but was hampered by the 2001 crash of an American Airlines Airbus A300. The A300 has a composite tail, which apparently parted from the aircraft shortly after take-off, killing 260 people.

The 7E7 is slated for first delivery in 2008.

FMI: www.boeing.com