A laminated composite shell, also known as composite laminate, is an assembly of layers (laminae, plies) of fibrous composite materials. It is assembled to meet specific design requirements on, for example, in-plane stiffness, bending stiffness, shear stiffness, and coefficient of thermal expansion. Different materials can be used in different layers, resulting in a hybrid laminate. In general, the individual layers are orthotropic or transversely isotropic, making the composite laminate anisotropic.