VISUAL ASSESSMENT OF IMPACT DAMAGE ON PAINTED COMPOSITE AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES

摘要

This study examined the ability to detect impact damage on painted composite structures. Torncertify aircraft structures, the designer must demonstrate a certain level of damage tolerance,rnwhere intentional damage at the threshold of detection exhibits little or no growth. This paperrndoes not examine the defects resulting from the impact damage, but rather how visible the impactrnis on painted composite structures. To determine the ability to detect impact damage on arnparticular aircraft structure, painted samples of fiberglass-epoxy and foam core wing structuresrnwere subjected to intentional impacts similar to that used in damage tolerance tests for generalrnaviation aircraft. The samples were visually inspected by trained personnel of various skillrnlevels, who regularly examine composite aircraft. The results from this study verify thatrnintentional impact damage used in a controlled testing environment can be reliably detected onrnfield aircraft.