Damage tolerance coupon sizing of composite stiffened panels under impact

Abstract

The design of aircraft composite stiffened structures subjected to dynamic and impact loadings requires several experimental testing scenarios on the full-size structure. The present paper deals with investigating the feasibility of the use of sub-size test specimens under vertical and lateral impacts on the stiffener free flange based on finite element (FE) models. Simulations were performed on sub-size specimens carefully extracted from the full-size (26.4 × 48.4 × 2.4 in3) impact test panels. The main required specifications of an in-house falling weight impact tester were also determined, discussing the required fixture/jig configuration.