The developments in the use of composite honeycomb in passenger aircraft structures has been growing rapidly over the past ten years. Starting with its use in the semi-structural internal use as a flooring material such as the cross plied UD glass-nomex cored floors of the wide body jet aircraft — 747 — L1011 and DC10, to the external uses for control surfaces, fins, undercarriage doors, engine pods, etc, and the ultimate all-composite fuselage of the LearFan project.

The progress in the light aircraft field by comparison, is almost non-existent, the major use of composites is restricted almost entirely to the manufacture of sailplanes and the majority of these use foam stabilisation rather than honeycomb.