Aluminium Foams as a Filler for Leading Edges: Bird Strike Damage Tests

摘要: Acrospatialc and aeronautical sectors arc some important application felds of aluminium foams, due to the requirement of weight reduction and improvement of the mechanical and damping properties. This investigation work focuses on both the introduction of an AlSi10 foam as a filler in airplane lcading cdges, and on thc improvement in the mechanical properties in comparison with the empty structure. For this purpose, a collection of AlSi10 foams were fabricated using the powder metallurgical route (PM), and introduced into empty leading edges, maintaining or reducing the total weight of the composite structure (leading edge+ aluminium foam). Bird strike impact tests were carried out, comparing the mechanical response of both types of structures. The results showed that the composite structure has a better mechanical behaviour even at low weights.