Ask an Explainer
Q:
Are rotor blades and airplane wings made of the same materials?
A:
Airplane wings are made of aluminium, an incredibly sturdy metal that has the advantage of being super light.
Helicopter rotor blades used to be made of aluminium too, but today, they are usually made of carbon fiber composites. These hold up better over time, are light, and are not very expensive. These are better for helicopters, but as of yet, this material is too expensive and difficult to use for airplane wings.
Posted on October 3, 2014 at 1:22 pm
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