On the Airbus A380, GLARE is widely used as a structural material due to its weight and fatigue properties. It stands out from other “sandwich” composites because of its alternating layers of glass fiber reinforced bond film (epoxy) and aluminum are applied at 90-degree angles to each other. By positioning the layers in that way, it improves the strength of the material.
After several years of service (but not sales), we know the A380 is a big aircraft, but commercially it was not the big success Airbus had planned for. The newer and smaller A350XWB won’t exactly replace the A380, but it has already found a niche in the market. The smaller footprint of the A350XWB aligns better with the smaller footprint of most US airports.
Interestingly, Airbus decided against using GLARE for the A350. The manufacturer returned to the familiar recipe using aluminum alloy around the cockpit, and carbon fiber for the body of the aircraft. When considering the best lightning strike protection for an aircraft type, it’s critical to consider the aircraft’s overall design and the placement and manner of attachment of its components.