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.