Tungsten alloy in aerospace

Tungsten alloy in aerospace

Tungsten alloys are generally used by aerospace designers for balancing components or reducing vibration. The high density of tungsten materials allows maximum sensitivity from optimum mass and is particularly valuable in situations where a large mass has to be contained in a confined space.

Examples of applications

Trim weights

Used to achieve final balance in an individual component, assembly or complete aircraft.

Anti-flutter weights

Used to reduce any tendency to flutter in wings and other components.

Flight control surfaces

Components such as ailerons, flaps, rudders and elevators are fitted with counterweights to optimize their performance.

Anti-vibration weights

Tungsten weights have been used to deaden vibration in applications such as the pilot's stick and in riveting tooling. The same principle is used to increase passenger comfort by reducing vibration within the body of the aircraft - this is particularly valuable in turboprops and helicopters.

Rotor blades

Helicopter rotor blades require both static and dynamic balancing.

Propeller blades

Tungsten counterweights are designed into a propeller fail-safe system to prevent over speeding

Inertial systems

Rotating parts in gyroscopic controls are often made from Tungsten material because of its high angular momentum. These applications are typically found in avionics and missiles.

Ballast weights

These weights are frequently used in development or prototype work to simulate the weight of equipment or passengers during test flights.

Tungsten Alloy Data Sheet

Related Links

Titanium Material
Material Safety Data Sheet of Tungsten Alloy
Material Safety Data Sheet of Tungsten Alloy (PDF)
Catalog of Tungsten Alloy Products (PDF)