Aircraft
Composites or aluminum; the choice for OEMs
Cessna, Bombardier and Raytheon have taken fundamentally different approaches to their new business jet designs.

Cessna, Bombardier and Raytheon have taken fundamentally different approaches to their new business jet designs. Here at the show, the talk reflects just how stark those distinctions are.

Cessna recently announced that its Model 850 Columbus will be made entirely of aluminum, while Bombardier’s new Learjet 85 will use 100 percent composites. Raytheon has decided on a hybrid approach with its Hawker 4000, a super midsize design with an all-composite fuselage and aluminum wings. Meanwhile, Dassault–expert in composites for its military aircraft–said it will not reveal its materials decision on its new super midsize offering until the end of the year.