Tiny holes and cracks (the result of wear and tear or flying debris) appear on airplanes all the time, often during flight. A new material being developed by scientists at Bristol University in England will immediately fix that damage by itself. Mimicking the way a scab forms on your skin when it’s scratched or cut, "veins" filled with epoxy resin automatically "bleed" to fill any holes or cracks (though not major damage).

So far, the technology works only with aircraft made with fiber-reinforced polymer composites - a material that is becoming popular in planes, as well as in cars and spacecraft.

(Source: Science Daily)

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