Experimental investigation of the crashworthiness of scaled composite sailplane fuselages

Abstract

The crash dynamics and energy absorption of composite sailplane fuselage segments undergoing nose-down impact were investigated. More than 10 quarter-scale structurally similar test articles, typical of highperformance sailplane designs, were tested. Fuselages segments were fabricated of combinations of fiberglass, graphite, Kevlar, and Spectra fabric materials. Quasistatic and dynamic tests were conducted. The quasistatic tests were found to replicate the strain history and failure modes observed in the dynamic tests. Failure modes of the quarter-scale model were qualitatively compared with full-scale crash evidence and quantitatively compared with current design criteria. By combining material and structural improvements, substantial increases in crashworthiness were demonstrated.