For the BK 117 helicopter a composite fuselage was designed, manufactured, and will be flight tested at MBB. Within the development program evidence was given to the crashworthy design of the fuselage which was accomplished by a joint activity between MBB and DFLVR Stuttgart. The crash investigations were focused on the lower airframe section under vertical crash loads. The task was performed by design support tests on the specimen level and by subcomponent crush testing. Sandwich panel specimens were statically and dynamically crushed to study various crush initiators at the panel-skin intersections, and to investigate the energy absorption capability. Subcomponent crush tests under quasi-static loading were concentrated on structural node points (intersections of keel beams and bulkheads) and on bulkheads located in the rear of the fuselage. The component's crush characteristics and the energy absorption performance were determined. Various designs with notched corners at the intersections of beams and bulkheads were considered with the aim to reduce the initial peak failure loads. Structural elements supporting the parallel panels of the landing skid frames were used to avoid global buckling and to initiate and stabilize efficient energy absorption crush modes. The generated load-deflection characteristics of the subcomponents are intended to be used as inputs for crash simulation calculations.
Crash Investigations with Sub-Components of a Composite Helicopter Lower Airplane Section
1988
18 pages
Report
Keine Angabe
Englisch
Crash Analysis and Correlation with Experiment of Composite Helicopter Components
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