Author(s)

C.M. Kindervater & D. Kohlgriiber

Abstract

Simulated crash response of light composite aircraft C.M. Kindervater, D. Kohlgriiber German Aerospace Research Establishment (DLR), Institute for Structures and Design, D-70659 Stuttgart, Germany ABSTRACT Light composite aircraft with high aerodynamic performance such as sailplanes suffer from the lack of crushable fuselage structure to protect the pilot in severe crashes. The "Joint Airworthiness Requirements" for sailplanes and powered sailplanes (JAR 22) require for emergency landing and crash conditions a 6g static load applied at 45° to the foremost point of the fuselage tip. This paper deals with studies on the crash behaviour of a modern glider comprising mainly glass/epoxy laminates (Nimbus 4). First a non-linear Finite Element analysis (FEA) of the required static loading condition using the commercial FE-system ANSYS is described and compared to results of a static test with a full-scale fuselage structure. Then four typical crash cases of the whole

Keywords