Fiberglass and Aircraft. Don't those words just go together very well? If you don't think they do, you should.

Consider that on an aircraft, the most important factor to be considered is its weight. Fiberglass is not heavy at all, but it remains a cheap material.

The first structural use of fiberglass in aircraft construction was in the cockpit of the first military attempt at a helicopter feasible for combat.

In 1964 the H-301 Libelle ("Dragonfly") received the first German and first U.S. Type Certificate issued to an all-fiberglass aircraft. It is, as you can see, an unpowered glider. This particular application of fiberglass shows exactly how light the material is - this aircraft stays in the air a long time with no power of its own, just floating on air.

Piper was first to produce an all fiberglass prototype, the Papoose in 1959.