Magnesium and Aircraft Engineering: The Second of a Series of Articles Describing the Materials Used in Aircraft Construction

MAGNESIUM, because of its low density, has obvious possibilities as an aircraft structural material. The useful magnesium alloys have densities in the range 1·76 to 1·83, compared with the aluminium alloys range of about 2·5 to 2·8. The melting point of magnesium is 650 deg. C., almost identical with that of aluminium (660 deg. C.), so that generally the alloys of each of these base elements have applications in much the same temperature band.