Bird strike reduces aircraft part resource by 14-fold
Researchers at Perm National Research Polytechnic University have found that bird strikes, hail, or stone impacts can reduce the lifespan of fiberglass aviation components by up to 14 times. While surface scratches have minimal impact, structural dents weaken the material's strength by 17% to 30%, often leaving the part looking functional despite a severe loss in internal durability. During testing, a heavily dented sample survived only 368 loading cycles compared to over 5,000 for an intact piece, meaning a component designed for 14 years of service could fail within just one year. These findings will help engineers more accurately assess the remaining life of aircraft parts, potentially leading to lighter designs and improved fuel efficiency.
Scientists at Perm National Research Polytechnic University studied the durability of aviation parts made of fiberglass. According to the results of the study, dents caused by bird strikes, hail or stones were found to shorten the service life of the parts several times. This was reported by Ixbt.com reported.
Severe damage reduces the part’s service life by about 14 times.
During the tests, it was found that ordinary scratches have almost no effect on the material’s strength. However, dents significantly weaken the material: depending on the depth of the defect, strength drops by 17% to 30%.
The danger of such damage is that the part may appear fit for use and retain its previous rigidity, but its durability reserve is already reduced.
The scientists modeled the real operating cycles of aviation parts. While the entire sample withstood more than 5,000 load cycles, the heavily dented sample lasted only 368 cycles.
According to the researchers’ assessment, this means that a part designed to serve for 14 years would fail after one year.
The results obtained will allow engineers to more accurately assess the remaining service life of parts. This, in turn, will help make aircraft lighter, reduce fuel consumption and cut harmful emissions into the atmosphere.
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