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Old 23rd Jun 2007, 15:53
  #17 (permalink)  
NickLappos
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: USA
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Mr Toad,

The latest FAR/JAR have very stringent rules on lightning strike protection. It is my belief that these regs protect the 92 and the 139 to an extent not possible with earlier aircraft.

BTW there is nothing especially significant about Ti for lightning strikes, any more than aluminum or steel. The issue with metals is allowing the charge to run along a clean electrical path, rather than having it jump as a spark between two areas, which creates a pit. This pit then creates a stress riser that allows a crack to form and grow. The S92 has many bonding paths and jumpers to allow the charge to run happily without sparking. Also, modern criteria for fatigue life require that these pits cannot form cracks (called "flaw tolerance"). I believe the charge size and conductance for modern helos (latest FAR/JAR) are considerable better than older regs, so the chances for a pit are far lower.

The issue with composites is the charge buildup during the strike that causes them to explode or shatter.
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