Plain English Meaning

A lightweight material made by mixing thin strands of glass with plastic to form a tough, smooth shell. Many of the curved, non-load-bearing parts of a small aircraft — like wingtips and the cap on the tail — are made from it.

Full Definition

A composite material made from very fine glass fibers embedded in a plastic resin (typically epoxy or polyester), used in aircraft construction for non-structural and semi-structural components such as wingtips, fairings, fairing tips, radomes, and tail cone caps because it is light, strong, and easily molded into curved shapes.