Blast Attenuating Aircraft Structure

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 attenuating shock wave reflection and transmission. Documented herein is the development of composite structural concepts for shock wave attenuation using advanced analysis techniques for phenomenological sensitivity, constituent optimization, and structural response prediction. Shock wave attenuation and analysis techniques are validated through panel explosive testing. A representative full scale subcomponent article is designed and fabricated for future ballistic and residual strength testing.