Braided composites in aerospace engineering

Braided composites are highly valuable engineering structures. However, they have not had a significant impact on the civilian aerospace industry until recently. The Airbus A350-1000, which is currently under development, marked one of the first large-scale aerospace applications of braided composites in its early planned developments. Herein, some of the fundamental concepts of braids and braided composites are reviewed. Types of braided structures and materials best suited for aerospace applications are explored, as well as their advantages and disadvantages. The mechanical behaviour of braided composites' structures and methods used to model their properties are introduced. Finally, current aerospace applications of braided composites in the aerospace industry are examined.