Browse Topic: Unitized bodies and monocoque
This paper describes two phases of full scale testing performed on a Bell Helicopter Textron Canada Limited (BHTCL) composite monocoque tailboom manufactured using Automated Fiber Placement (AFP). This technical demonstrator tailboom was designed for use on a Bell 407 model as part of a collaboration program with Bombardier Inc., Composite Atlantic Ltd. and the National Research Council Canada (NRC). The tailboom cone consisted of a skin made from an AFP layup of carbon epoxy fiber tape combined to a hand layup made from fabric. The skin is then bonded to six hand layup frames. The fatigue test objectives were to validate the component to flaw tolerant safe life requirements and establish damage tolerance to light and medium caliber ballistic impacts. The test article, containing embedded flaws, impact damages, and representative repairs, was subjected to a full four lifetime fatigue test at NRC. All testing during this phase was conducted at 250 °F 'hot-dry' conditions to simulate
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