DAMAGE INVESTIGATION OVER UPPER SKIN COMPOSITE PANELS OF THE EUROFIGHTER AIRCRAFT

The fighter of the fifth generation, respect to the fourth, has increased the composite
materials uses since high mechanical properties allow growth of the operational performance.
However, composite materials present some negative characteristics among which of the damage
progression forecast especially in the inner delamination case or matrix failure. This phenomenon
regards often an unknown behaviour to impact with debris or maintenance tools. This paper faces
the question about to previous delamination phenomenon after casual impacts with low energy
transmitted. Over different specimens, we perform different procedures of investigation through
dynamic characterization and following modal parameters elaboration. Completing the first phase
an opportune simulation model by FEM procedure bring us to compare the obtained results which values appear in agreement to the real case.