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Aerospace

Aluminium for Aerospace

High-strength, fatigue-resistant aluminium for airframes, fittings, launch vehicles and UAVs. Metline Industries supplies aerospace plate, sheet, extrusions, bar and forgings, with the traceability your programme requires.

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Passenger jet seen from below against clouds
Key alloys
2024, 7075, 7050, 6061, 2219
Tempers
T351, T651, T7351, T7451
Forms
Plate, sheet, extrusions, forgings
Standards
AMS, ASTM, EN
Overview

Why aircraft are built from aluminium

Weight is everything in flight. Every kilogram saved means more payload, more range or less fuel. High-strength aluminium alloys offer one of the best strength-to-weight ratios of any affordable structural material, which is why aluminium makes up most of the structure of a typical commercial airliner.

Aerospace alloys are chosen for more than raw strength. Fatigue resistance decides how long a wing skin lasts, fracture toughness decides how a crack behaves, and resistance to stress corrosion cracking decides whether a forging can be trusted for decades. Tempers such as T7351 and T7451 exist precisely to balance those properties.

Applications

Where aluminium is used

Fuselage skins

2024-T3 and clad sheet for pressurised skins with excellent fatigue performance.

Wing structure

7075 and 7050 plate for spars, ribs and upper wing skins under compression.

Fittings and frames

Thick plate and forgings machined into bulkheads, brackets and landing gear parts.

Stringers and floor beams

Extruded sections in 2024, 7075 and 6061.

Spacecraft and launchers

2219 for cryogenic fuel tanks thanks to its weldability and low-temperature toughness.

Drones and UAVs

6061 and 7075 for lightweight frames and machined components.

Alloy selection

Recommended alloys and forms

AlloyFormWhy it is used
2024-T351 / T3Plate, sheetHigh fatigue resistance and damage tolerance for skins and tension structures
7075-T651 / T7351Plate, bar, extrusionsVery high strength for wing structure and fittings; T7351 for stress corrosion resistance
7050-T7451Thick plate, forgingsStrength and toughness retained in thick sections for bulkheads and frames
6061-T6Plate, extrusions, tubeWeldable, corrosion resistant secondary structure and ground equipment
2219-T87Plate, forgingsWeldable with good cryogenic properties for fuel and oxidiser tanks
Why Metline

Supplying aerospace

Complete material packages

Plate, sheet, extrusions, tube and bar for the same project from one supplier.

Grade and temper guidance

Engineering-led advice on the alloy and temper that suit the service conditions.

Documentation

Mill test certificates and inspection paperwork to support your quality system.

Materials

Aerospace materials

1050 Aerospace Aluminium Wire 1050A Aerospace Aluminium Sheet and Plate 1100 Aluminium Rod and Bar for Aerospace 1100 Aerospace Aluminium Tube and Pipe 1100 Aerospace Aluminium Wire 1100 Aerospace Aluminium Sheet and Plate 1145 Aerospace Aluminium Foil 1145 Aerospace Aluminium Sheet 1200 Aluminium Forgings for Aerospace 1200 and 1200A Aerospace Aluminium Sheet and Plate 2004 Superplastic Aluminium Sheet, Bare and Alclad 2011 Aluminium Bar and Rod for Aerospace 2014 Aerospace Aluminium Forgings 2014 / 2014A Aerospace Aluminium Sheet & Plate 2014 / 2014A Aerospace Aluminium Extrusions & Profiles 2014A Aerospace Aluminium Rod & Bar 2014 / 2014A Aerospace Aluminium Tube 2014A Aerospace Aluminium Wire & Wire Rod 2017A Aerospace Aluminium Bar & Rod 2018 T61 Aluminium Forgings for Aerospace 2024 Aerospace Aluminium Rivet Wire 2024 Drawn Seamless Aluminium Tube for Aircraft 2024 (2A12) Aerospace Aluminium Rod & Bar 2024 (2A12) Aircraft Aluminium Sheet & Plate 2024 Aerospace Aluminium Foil and Thin Sheet 2024 Aerospace Aluminium Extrusions and Profiles 2025 Aerospace Aluminium Forgings 2031 Aerospace Aluminium Wire and Rod 2090 Aluminium-Lithium Aerospace Sheet and Plate 2090-T86 Aluminium-Lithium Aerospace Extrusions 2117 Aerospace Aluminium Rivet Wire and Rod 2124 Aerospace Grade Aluminium Plate 2219 Aerospace Aluminium Bar and Rod 2219 Aerospace Aluminium Sheet and Plate 2219 Aerospace Aluminium Tube and Pipe 2219 Aerospace Aluminium Forgings 2219 Aerospace Aluminium Extrusions (T8511 & T3511) 2319 Aluminium Welding Wire & Filler Rod 2618 / 2618A Aerospace Aluminium Forgings 2618 / 2618A Aerospace Aluminium Sheet & Plate 2618A Aircraft Aluminium Rod & Bar 2A02 Aerospace Aluminium Rod & Bar 2A10 Aerospace Aluminium Rivet Wire 2A50 Aerospace Aluminium Forgings 2A70 Aerospace Aluminium Forgings 2B50 Aerospace Aluminium Forgings 3003 Aerospace Aluminium Bar & Rod 3003 Aircraft Aluminium Tube 3003 Aerospace Aluminium Sheet & Plate 3103 / 3103A Aircraft Aluminium Sheet 3A21 Aerospace Aluminium Sheet & Plate 4008 Aerospace Aluminium Welding Wire 4032 Aerospace Aluminium Bar & Rod 4032 Aerospace Aluminium Forgings & Forged Pistons ER4043 Aerospace Aluminium Welding Wire 4047 Aerospace Aluminium Wire for Brazing and Welding 4047 Aerospace Aluminium Sheet for Brazing ER4643 Aerospace Aluminium Welding Wire DTD 5004 Aerospace Aluminium Forgings 5052 Aerospace Aluminium Bar & Rod 5052 Aerospace Aluminium Tube 5052 Aerospace Aluminium Foil 5052 Aerospace Aluminium Sheet & Plate 5056 Aerospace Aluminium Wire 5083 Aerospace Aluminium Bar & Rod 5083 Aerospace Aluminium Tube & Pipe 5083 Aerospace Aluminium Sheet & Plate 5086 Aerospace Aluminium Sheet & Plate 5251 Aerospace Aluminium Tube 5251 Aerospace Aluminium Forgings 5251 Aerospace Aluminium Sheet & Plate 5454 Aerospace Aluminium Sheet & Plate 5456 Aerospace Aluminium Sheet & Plate 5556 & 5556A Aluminium Welding Wire and Rod 5A03 Aircraft Extruded Aluminium Profiles & Tube 5A06 Aerospace Aluminium Wire 5A06 Aircraft Aluminium Bars 5B05 Aerospace Aluminium Rivet Wire 6013 Aerospace Aluminium Sheet & Plate 6053 Aerospace Aluminium Wire 6056 Aerospace Aluminium Wire 6061 Aerospace Aluminium Sheet & Plate (T6, T651) 6061 Aircraft Aluminium Tube & Pipe 6061 Aerospace Aluminium Bar & Rod 6061 Aerospace Aluminium Foil & Thin Strip 6061 Aerospace Aluminium Forgings 6061 Aerospace Aluminium Extrusion Profiles 6061 Aerospace Aluminium Wire (O, T4, T6) 6062 Aerospace Aluminium Profiles (T6) 6063 Aerospace Aluminium Flat Bar & Bar 6063 Aerospace Aluminium Profiles & Extrusions 6066 Aerospace Aluminium Bar & Rod 6066 Aerospace Aluminium Profiles (T4, T6) 6082 Aerospace Aluminium Bar (L111, T6 / T6511) 6082 Aerospace Aluminium Tube & Pipe (T6) 6082 Aerospace Aluminium Forgings (T6, T4) 6082 Aerospace Aluminium Sheet & Plate (T6, T651) 6082 Aerospace Aluminium Profiles & Extrusions 6082-T6 Aluminium Wire for Aerospace & Engineering 6151-T6 Aerospace Aluminium Forgings 6262 Aerospace Aluminium Bar (T6, T651, T9) 6262 Aerospace Aluminium Wire (AMS-QQ-A-225/10) 6A02-T6 Aerospace Aluminium Forgings 6A02 Aerospace Aluminium Extrusions (T4 & T6) 7010 Aerospace Aluminium Plate (T7451, T7651, T7351) 7014 Aerospace Aluminium Bar & Rod 7014 Aerospace Aluminium Forgings (BS L 171) 7014 Aerospace Aluminium Sheet & Plate 7014 Aerospace Aluminium Extrusions 7049 Aerospace Aluminium Plate 7049 Aerospace Aluminium Extrusions (T73511 / T76511) 7050 Aerospace Aluminium Bar & Rod 7050 Aerospace Aluminium Plate (T7451 / T7651) 7050 Aerospace Aluminium Forgings (T74 / T7452) 7050 Aerospace Aluminium Extrusions & Profiles 7055-T7751 Aerospace Aluminium Plate 7075 Aerospace Aluminium Bar & Rod 7075 Aerospace Aluminium Sheet & Plate 7075 Aerospace Aluminium Forgings 7075 Aerospace Aluminium Extrusions & Profiles 7075 Aerospace Aluminium Wire 7079 Aerospace Aluminium Forgings 7149-T73511 Aerospace Aluminium Extrusions 7150 Aerospace Aluminium Plate 7150 Aerospace Aluminium Extrusions 7175 Aerospace Aluminium Forgings 7175-T73511 Aerospace Aluminium Extrusions 7178 Aircraft Aluminium Sheet and Plate 7475 Aerospace Aluminium Sheet and Plate 7A04 and 7B04 Aerospace Aluminium Wire 7A04 Aerospace Aluminium Rod and Bar 7A09 Aerospace Aluminium Bar 7A09 Aerospace Aluminium Wire 8009 H112 Aerospace Aluminium Sheet & Plate 8009 H112 Aluminium Profile Extrusions 8090 Aluminium-Lithium Sheet & Plate Aerospace Aluminium Forgings Aircraft Aluminium Extrusions Aircraft Seat Track Extrusions
FAQ

Aerospace questions

Which aluminium is most used in aircraft?

2024 and 7075 are the classic aerospace alloys: 2024 for fatigue-critical skins and 7075 for high-strength structure. 7050 has largely replaced 7075 in thick sections.

What does T7351 mean?

An over-aged, stress-relieved temper for 7xxx alloys that trades a little strength for much better resistance to stress corrosion cracking.

Can you supply material with certification?

Tell us the specification and certification you need with your enquiry and we will confirm what can be supplied.

Sourcing aerospace aluminium?

Send us the alloy, temper, specification, sizes and quantity. Our team will reply with availability, documentation and lead time.

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