Super-Tough Transparencies for Lightweight Aircraft Canopies

The military and commercial aviation industries are continually seeking material technologies that will help reduce the weight of aircraft. Aircraft canopies, traditionally built from glass, have been mostly replaced with complex thermoplastic laminates that do not serve a structural role. In this proposal, the IST team seeks to demonstrate the potential improvements in energy absorption that can be achieved by using a novel material system that incorporates a weatherable nanocomposite coating. The Phase I work plan entails optimization of the optical properties of panels via changes in the process conditions and the evaluation of mechanical deformation at very high strain-rates (100/s). At the end of Phase I we will deliver a direct comparison between the optical and impact properties of our novel material technology and conventional transparencies. A potential Phase II program would include design, simulation, fabrication, and impact testing of a full-sized prototype.