COMPOSITE USE IN NOSE CONE DESIGNING FOR AIRCRAFTS

The purpose of the work presented in the paper consists in the choice of radio-transparent material that can withstand loads influencing a nose cone of an aircraft during a flight. In the paper there is solved a problem which consists in comparing the characteristics of different materials used in aircraft industry both common materials and composites and in the choice of the most efficient field of materials that meet the requirements of radio-transparency, strength and heat-resistance. The investigation work is carried out by means of the collection, processing and analysis of data obtained through an experimental way and containing information on strength characteristics, radio-transparency characteristics, on the range of operation temperatures, density and rigidity of each kind of material analyzed. On the basis of the investigation results a field of application of the materials under consideration is offered: in accordance with physical characteristics of composites analyzed the most efficient solution will be the application of glass-ceramic composites for manufacturing radio-transparent nose cones exposed to strong temperature changes during short periods of time caused by super-sonic speed achieved during flights and glass-ceramics, but glass-plastic having lower density and heat-resistance – for manufacturing nose cones of sub-sonic planes which are not subjected to such high thermal loads, at that it was defined that aircraft steels and composites based on metal matrix are not suitable for manufacturing nose cones in view of their high density and low radio-transparency.