George Patterson wrote:
Matt Whiting wrote:

George Patterson wrote:

Matt Whiting wrote:

You don't need glass to make a slick airframe.


No, but the slickest ones use compound curves, which are much more
easily made using composites.


Only if you are talking making them by hand or with low volume
production equipment.


But that's what you're doing if you're building light aircraft.

Not for the volumes that Cessna could produce with the right designs. I
suspect a thousand a year would justify this equipment. And they could
always subcontract this to a metal stamping company that has the
equipment. And then if they used stir welding or another more modern
assembly technique rather than driving thousands of rivets, I'll bet
they could make a sleek all-metal airplane for much less cost than a
Cirrus composite.

Matt