What makes aluminum of interest in aerospace applications?
Aluminum has been of interest for aerospace applications from the days of the Wright Brothers, due mostly to its high strength to weight ratio. This is especially true for the highly alloyed alloys of the 2xxx and 7xxx series that have been the main materials of construction for commercial aircraft throughout history. Even today, with improvements in many non-aluminum materials, aluminum still comprises some 80% of the structural weight of the most modern aircraft.
