In this paper, motions of composite cylindrical panels in a gas flow are considered. It is shown that the main factor contributing to large static deformations is a nonuniform aerodynamic heating, while aerodynamic pressure is of secondary importance, at high Mach number. It was found that the main factor resulting in the increase of deformations is the nonuniform distribution of temperature along the curved edges. Deformations decrease rapidly in shallower panels. Nonuniformly heated panels become unstable at the values of axial compressive load, which are much smaller than the static buckling value calculated in the absence of heating. The condition of panel flutter of nonuniformly heated composite panels in a gas flow is also formulated. © 1990.