The main objectives of this special issue (consisting mainly of a selection of extended papers presented at 5th International Symposium on AirCraft Materials ACMA 2014) are to push the current limits in modeling and computation in response to industrial and society challenges. It is also to control the calculations and models in a framework that takes into account the major sources of uncertainty to optimize materials and structures. Particular attention is given to the modeling and validation of composite materials and structures.