Lightning Strikes and helo blades?

[helimutt]

Just wondered what the signs might be of a main rotor blade struck by lightning. Can there be much hidden damage? Anyone experienced a lightning strike whilst flying?

[Twiddle]

Guy from EGMC died in the North Sea due to an inflight beak-up that was traced to a strike years earlier.

[212man]

Try a google on this: 'lightning strike, rotor blades, helicopters' and it will throw up lots of reports and info.

The degree of damage varies a lot, and also the subsequent results: from no discernable effect at one end, to loss of tail rotor and ditching at the other. Blade damage is also a function of construction, with composites tending to show the most damage.

There is often a lot of damage internally too, with gearbox teeth trying to weld themselves together, for instance!

[AB139engineer]

helimutt

The signs of lightning strike are often evidence of burnt metal, discharged metal at blade tips, sometimes composite will just vapourize often seen a a hole, the path of the lighting strike through a aircraft can often be traced by thorough examination. Steel parts are usually magnetized after a lightning strike, compass systems go u/s, antenna's often toast. Radar can also be damaged. Bearings often get pitted and in severe cases engines are removed for examination.

[helimutt]

Thanks for that. I'll 'Google' it.