Citation:
K Hughes, R Vignjevic, J Campbell. Experimental observations of an 8 m/s drop
test of a metallic helicopter underfloor structure onto water: part 2.
Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part G: Journal of
Aerospace Engineering, Volume 221, Number 5 (2007), pp. 679-690
Abstract:
This is the second part of a two-part paper that describes the experimental
observations for two similar sections of floor that were dropped onto both hard
and water surfaces at 8 m/s, as part of one experimental campaign. The current
paper provides an assessment of a simple box-beam under floor structure
typically found in metallic helicopters and provides an overview of the failure
modes and the collapse mechanism observed when dropped onto water at 8 m/s, as
well as providing quantitative data for the skin deflections observed. The
results demonstrate that the lack of frame and intersection joint collapse is a
common feature, which is caused by the high failure strength of the existing
construction, together with the inability of the skin to generate membrane loads
that are sufficiently large to trigger progressive collapse within the
structure. It is therefore recommended to reduce the collapse force of the
structure through the use of geometry, material type, and inclusion of triggers.
However, the caveat with this approach is that if the failure strength is
optimized for a water impact, a poor crashworthy response may occur during a
hard surface impact. The current paper discusses three main limitations with the
design, which are heavily interrelated, as improvements in frame and joint
collapse cannot be achieved without considering developing the ductile behaviour
of the skin. However, maintaining skin integrity will be critical to maintain
the floatation capabilities of the helicopter. The current paper recommends that
a next generation design should encompass a passive dual role capability for
both hard and soft surface impacts, by being able to degrade the localized
strength depending upon the type of surface encountered. This will significantly
improve the crashworthy response of a metallic under floor structure and have a
significant impact on improving occupant survivability for an impact on water.