Editing Fuselage (section)

=== Monocoque shell ===
[[File:vans.rv-7.g-kels.arp.jpg|thumb|The [[Van's Aircraft RV-7]] of semi-monocoque construction]]

In this method, the exterior surface of the fuselage is also the primary structure. A typical early form of this (see the [[Lockheed Vega]]) was built using molded [[plywood]], where the layers of plywood are formed over a "plug" or within a [[Molding (process)|mold]]. A later form of this structure uses [[glass-reinforced plastic|fiberglass]] cloth impregnated with polyester or epoxy resin as the skin, instead of plywood. A simple form of this used in some amateur-built aircraft uses rigid expanded foam plastic as the core, with a fiberglass covering, eliminating the necessity of fabricating molds, but requiring more effort in finishing (see the [[Rutan VariEze]]). An example of a larger molded plywood aircraft is the [[de Havilland Mosquito]] fighter/light bomber of [[World War II]].
No plywood-skin fuselage is truly [[monocoque]], since stiffening elements are incorporated into the structure to carry concentrated loads that would otherwise buckle the thin skin.
The use of molded fiberglass using negative ("female") molds (which give a nearly finished product) is prevalent in the series production of many modern [[sailplane]]s. The use of molded composites for fuselage structures is being extended to large passenger aircraft such as the [[Boeing 787]] ''Dreamliner'' (using pressure-molding on female molds).