Why is aliminium used instead of iron /steel to make aircraft bodies?

Question

Why is aliminium used instead of iron /steel to make aircraft bodies?

Answer 1

for the following reasons----

1..it provides high strength and stiffness with minimum weight

2..since it is cheap and has excellent thermal absorption and emission properties which make it suitable for a surface having excellent thermal control properties.

3..it is seldom used alone rather it is used with titanium, beryllium to make alloy which gives much better performance

Answer 2

Aluminium is much less dense than steel or other metals therefore it weighs less and makes the aircraft lighter.

Steel is also a bad choice as it will corrode easily.

Answer 3

The density of Aluminium is 2.7 gm/cm^3 while steel is typically around 7.85 gm/cm^3.  So steel is  2.9 heavier per unit  of volume than aluminium.

While steel is stronger than aluminium, the properties of cross sections allow the required stiffness and strength in all directions to be achieved more easily with aluminium.  

Also aluminium has advantages in being easier to fabricate, than steel.  

Aluminium does corrode and care must also be taken because fractures in the metal can propagate more readily than in steel.

Answer 4

Because aluminium do not rust .

Answer 5

Because it weighs a lot less than steel.

Answer 6

Because it's lighter and less prone to rusting in bad weather, so it lasts longer.

Answer 7

because its lighter and more flexible than steel.