- Author
- Penton, A. P. | Fassell, W. M., Jr. | Schmidt, H. A.
- Title
- Effects of Lightning on Advanced Composite Materials.
- Coporate
- Philco-Ford Corp., Newport Beach, CA
- Report
- Publiction J68-17(U), March 8, 1968, 57 p.
- Distribution
- Available from Defense Technical Information Center LIMITED DISTRIBUTION to authorized U.S. Government agencies
- Keywords
- lightning | composite materials | aircraft structures | graphite
- Identifiers
- characteristics of the lightning threat
- Abstract
- Advanced composite materials are now under active consideration for use on operational fixed and rotary wing aircraft. While the mechanical properties of the boron filament, epoxy matrix composites have been well defined by many Air Force contracts, less attention has been directed toward the environmental effects, particularly the natural electrical phenomena encountered frequently in flight. As part of an extensive internal research and development program at Aeronutronic on high modulus graphite - organic matrix composites, the decision was made to ascertain some details of the phenomenology of lightning strikes on this class of composite. Boron filament, epoxy matrix composites were included in the test program to provide comparative data.