Comparison of Composite Materials Supplied By Local Vendor and With Approved Aviation Vendor for Aircraft Component.

CHAPTER 1

1.0 BackgroundA composite material is a combination of two or more distinct materials into one with the intent of suppressing undesirable properties of the constituent materials in favour of desirable properties. The fabrications of constituent materials for fiber reinforce polymer composites, namely matrix and fiber. Over the past several decades, the uses of composite have increased in various applications.

In aviation industry, composite panel have been used at aircraft to increase strength to weight ratio especially in main and secondary structure component. According to source from Hexcel Corporation, more than 50% components in aircraft Airbus A400M and aircraft Boeing 787 are made from composite.

One of common secondary structure aircraft component made from composite. A radome is a short form from word radar and dome is a cover or structure placed over an antenna that protects the antenna from its physical environment. Ideally, the radome is a radio frequency (RF) transparent so that it does not degrade the electrical performance of the enclosed antenna in any way. An aircraft radome usually refers to the dome - shape structure encapsulating the antenna and protects radar antennas on aircraft from wind or aerodynamic load, bird strike impact and lightning strike. The structural integrity of aircraft nose radome has constantly been a major concern as it is forward facing on an aircraft and therefore exposed to incoming impacts from aerodynamic loads, rain, lightning and bird strike. Figure below show an example of location aircraft radome Beechcraft Duke 60 taken from UniKL MIAT hangar.

Radome

1.1 Problem StatementCurrently, most of existing composite materials used are supplied from authorized vendor in aviation industries such as Hexcel and Aircraft Spruce. For exampleNoVendorMaterial

1Hexcel Corporation Fiberglass, honeycomb, vacuum bag, peel ply nylon and perforated ply

2Aircraft Spruce Alphapoxy resin and fiberglass

3AirtechBreather

All of these composite materials supplied from approved vendor are expensive. It is suggested to replace these composite materials from local vendor which is cheaper. Therefore, two type of test will be conducted to determine applicability of local composite materials for training purpose.

1.2 Research QuestionIn this research, the feasibility of local composite materials will be explore and analyse to replace with composite materials from approved aviation vendor. 1.3 Research Objectivei. To evaluate the characteristic and mechanical properties composite panel from both vendor.ii. To analyse the capability of radome composite from both vendoriii. To purpose the applicability composite materials for training centre

1.4 ScopeA composite panel will be created from both vendor, and tensile test according to ASTM 3039 will be conducted to determine the mechanical property of these materials. A radome part will be fabricated and low velocity impact test will be conducted to determine the toughness.