Army Testing Humvee Made of Foam, Balsa

From Army Times:

The Army said Tuesday it will begin testing a composite, nonmetal Humvee utility vehicle that is 900 pounds lighter than its conventional counterpart so it can carry extra armor to better protect soldiers against roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan. The prototype vehicle's frame and body is made of nonmetal composites — a combination of fiberglass, balsa wood, foam and carbon reinforcements all held together with resin. The body of the tan composite prototype has a sandpaper feel. The fenders are pliable and can be easily bent by hand, flipping back into place when released. "We can put the strength where we need it," said Steven Lockard, president and CEO of TPI Composites Inc., which built the prototype. The chassis, for example, has extra carbon for added strength and stiffness, while other composite parts of the vehicle are lighter and more pliable, he said. "Every pound of weight we save, that weight is being added back to the vehicle in armor and mine-blast protection," Lockard said.

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