How does thermal expansion impact aircraft structures?

Thermal expansion significantly impacts aircraft structures primarily through dimensional changes. As temperatures rise or fall, the materials that make up the aircraft's structure expand or contract. This is a crucial aspect of design since these changes can lead to misalignments, stress concentrations, and potentially structural failure if not properly accounted for.

Materials such as metals and composites have specific coefficients of thermal expansion, dictating how much they will change in size with temperature variations. Engineers must consider these properties when designing fuselage sections, wing structures, and other components to ensure they can tolerate the stresses induced by temperature fluctuations in flight and on the ground.

The other options do not accurately describe the direct impact of thermal expansion on aircraft structures. For example, thermal expansion does not inherently improve elasticity, increase weight, or enhance fatigue resistance. These factors may be influenced by different aspects of material properties and structural design rather than thermal expansion itself.