One alternative is a cable that uses a combination of aluminium and carbon-glass fibre composite.

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But in Toulouse last week Tom Williams, Airbus's head of manufacturing, dropped a hint that the firm's other factory in Britain (at Filton, near Bristol) could lose to French or German plants when Airbus starts making wing panels from composite materials rather than aluminium.

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Its fuselage is made entirely from lighter composite plastics rather than traditional aluminium.

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At the ceremony Boeing affirmed that the virgin test flight of the world's first big airliner to be made largely of composite materials, rather than aluminium, would take place by the end of June.

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The secret lies in the extremely light and stiff composite material made of boron carbide in an aluminium matrix used for the engine.

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Worldwide, airlines have been slowly but steadily putting into operation two next-generation aircraft -- Boeing's 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350 -- both of which have shells made heavily of composite materials, such as carbon-fibre reinforced plastic, instead of aluminium.

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Composite is the most common form is carbon fibre and is gradually replacing steel and aluminium in industry.

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