Plain English Meaning

Building the airplane out of layered fabrics or fibers soaked in resin and cured into hard, strong shapes, instead of out of metal sheets and rivets.

Full Definition

An aircraft structural method in which the airframe is built primarily from composite materials — typically layers of fiber reinforcement (such as fiberglass, carbon fiber, or aramid) bonded together with a resin matrix (such as epoxy) to form lightweight, high-strength components.

Context Anchor

Seen when studying aircraft structures, aircraft limitations, and preflight inspection of airplanes built from fiberglass, carbon fiber, or similar materials.