Reduction of Shear and Flatwise Tension Strength in F-111 Honeycomb Panels Exposed to Moisture

Abstract

Many of the fuselage panels and control surfaces on the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F-111 aircraft are made up of bonded sandwich panels. These panels are made up of thin facings of metallic sheet that are bonded to aluminium honeycomb core. A survey of RAAF aircraft showed that these panels are susceptable to damage and deterioration through exposure to moisture. A test program was conducted to quantify the effect moisture has on the shear and flatwise tension strength of this type of panel. Coupons specimens representative of the Australian fleet were manufactured and exposed to moisture. These specimens were tested over a 6 month period and it was found that moisture dramatically reduces the strength of exposed panels.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 2002
Accession Number
ADA408906

Entities

People

  • Richard A. Bartholomeusz

Organizations

  • Defence Science and Technology Group

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Adhesives
  • Air Force
  • Aircrafts
  • Aluminum
  • Aluminum Alloys
  • Composite Materials
  • Composite Structures
  • Engineering
  • Fuselages
  • Honeycomb Cores
  • Honeycomb Structures
  • Materials
  • Sandwich Panels
  • Shear Strength
  • Structural Integrity
  • Test Methods
  • Vehicles

Readers

  • Materials Science and Engineering.
  • Reinforced Composite Materials