NLR investigations on aluminium alloys and fibre metal laminates for aerospace structures from 1969 to 1997

Abstract

In the aerospace industry there are continuing demands for weight reductions. These demands translate into the need to develop new materials with greater strength and stiffness and/or improved damage tolerance properties. The NLR has followed these developments by conducting experimental programmes to evaluate engineering properties like static strength, residual strength, fatigue crack growth resistance, and corrosion and stress corrosion susceptibility of new materials, and to compare them with those of established materials. Also, microstnictural and fractographic investigations were done to explain the measured material properties. In this report a compilation in chronological sequence is made of NLR reports on investigations of aluminium alloys and fibre metal laminates covering the years 1969 to 1997. The list of reports is accompanied by a short review of developments which formed the basis for the NLR investigations.