Blast Attenuating Aircraft Structure

摘要

Ballistic threats armed with high energy explosives create a particularly damaging shock wave and fragmentation environment for lightweight aircraft structures. Specifically engineered composite structure may mitigate these damaging phenomena by tolerating penetration with minimal collateral damage and by attenuating shock wave reflection and transmission. Documented herein is the development of composite structural concepts for fragment damage mitigation and shock wave attenuation using advanced analysis techniques for phenomenological sensitivity, constituent optimization, and structural response prediction. Mitigation and attenuation analysis techniques are validated through panel impact and explosive testing. A full scale subcomponent article was designed and fabricated and successfully subjected to ballistic and residual strength testing. NOTE: Due to the sensitive nature of information regarding combat aircraft vulnerability, this paper presents methods, approaches, and un-quantified conclusions. It provides no specifics regarding hostile threats, damage mitigation mechanisms, on past or current aircraft.