Self-Fixing Plane in the Works

British aerospace engineers are working on technology that could create self-repairing aircraft, Gizmag reports. In a technique very much like nature's healing process, resin would "bleed" out of damaged parts of the plane and harden, making a damaged aircraft strong enough to continue to fly until it could be repaired properly on the ground.

The process could be used in any aircraft using fiber-based composites instead of aluminum frames, like Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner. Adding the self-healing element to the composites would make them more reliable. The engineers, who expect the technology to be ready within 4 years, say it could also be used for wind turbines, cars, and spacecraft. (More aircraft stories.)