Airbus and Boeing commercial aircraft use plug-type fuselage doors designed to employ the pressure difference between the aircraft's interior and exterior, rather than a locking mechanism, to keep the door closed. Greater pressure within the aircraft cabin forces the wedge-shaped "plug" into its opening, creating a good seal and preventing it from opening until the pressure is released. For a decade, aircraft door manufacturers have pursued a lightweight, unitized, all-composite alternative to metal plug doors.
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