Re:Aluminum planes aren't so great either... (Score 1)

I agree with your aluminum statement. Many structural engineers in the aerospace industry would argue that the Airbus A380 use of Aluminum Lithium is just as or even more dangerous than composites (in terms of brittle failure). It all comes down to exhaustive testing and maintenance support. Composite maintenance gets a little more difficult because of interlaminar cracks and delaminations. A simple vehicle walk-down just won't do it since the mechanic can't see it.

Also, don't forget, wood is also a composite. Aluminum is a good material because it has a well known linear behavior up to a certain point. Plus the linear behavior is very simpler in all directions (depending on the manufacturing process). Any composite material is tricky mainly because it's advantages stem from using different configurations (different layups, weaves, epoxies, etc). As a result, every configuration has different behavior (of course CF is linear too, but the inner details such as load paths change). In any composite design, testing is key.

I'm sure Boeing engineers have done the right testing and analysis. I'd worry about the airline mechanics who try to maintain the airframe like it is aluminum (aka black aluminum). My suggestion, if you are worried about the 787 structural integrity, stop flying it after 5 years of service. ;)