Planes to be made of plastic in future

London: First came planes made of wood and canvas followed by steel, then gliders of high quality wood, and now maybe future aircraft made of plastic.

President of US aircraft major Boeing, Alan Mully said that Boeing would in future make its aircraft from non-metal materials, or composites.

Speaking at the Farnborough Air Show, Mully said that Boeing’s flagship jet, the 737 would in future be made from non-metal materials, or composites.

The composites would be used when the company decided to update its popular 737 planes, he said.

He said Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner, which is expected to make its first flight next year is already being constructed using carbon fibre-reinforced plastic composites.

Composites would be used to build up to half of each aircraft and would cut building and maintenance costs, he said.

"All future planes will be made out of composites, because it does not corrode,” the BBC quoted him as saying.

He however, said that the technology needed to build the new 737 jets would not be ready until the middle of the next decade.

"What's absolutely key is getting our technology to a position where it's right to do this," Mully added.

Composites are formed when two or more materials with differing properties are combined.

Such materials are already used in items such as tennis rackets and bicycle spokes, and experts believe using them for aircraft will improve their range and fuel efficiency.