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Multi-terrain Vertical Drop Tests of a Composite Fuselage SectionA 5-ft-diameter composite fuselage section was retrofitted with four identical blocks of deployable honeycomb energy absorber and crash tested on two different surfaces: soft soil, and water. The drop tests were conducted at the 70-ft. drop tower at the Landing and Impact Research (LandIR) Facility of NASA Langley. Water drop tests were performed into a 15-ft-diameter pool of water that was approximately 42-in. deep. For the soft soil impact, a 15-ft-square container filled with fine-sifted, unpacked sand was located beneath the drop tower. All drop tests were vertical with a nominally flat attitude with respect to the impact surface. The measured impact velocities were 37.4, and 24.7-fps for soft soil and water, respectively. A fuselage section without energy absorbers was also drop tested onto water to provide a datum for comparison with the test, which included energy absorbers. In order to facilitate this type of comparison and to ensure fuselage survivability for the no-energy-absorber case, the velocity of the water impact tests was restricted to 25-fps nominal. While all tests described in this paper were limited to vertical impact velocities, the implications and design challenges of utilizing external energy absorbers during combined forward and vertical impact velocities are discussed. The design, testing and selection of a honeycomb cover, which was required in soft surface and water impacts to transmit the load into the honeycomb cell walls, is also presented.
Document ID
20080017095
Acquisition Source
Langley Research Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Sotirios, Kellas
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Jackson, Karen E.
(NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, VA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 24, 2013
Publication Date
April 29, 2008
Subject Category
Structural Mechanics
Meeting Information
Meeting: AHS 64th annual forum and technology meeting
Location: Quebec
Country: Canada
Start Date: April 29, 2008
End Date: May 1, 2008
Sponsors: American Helicopter Society, Inc.
Funding Number(s)
WBS: WBS 87868.02.07.07.05.02
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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