Researchers at Novosibirsk State Technical University have developed a computational model that explains how hail impacts affect layered composite panels used in aircraft. This development was reported by the university’s press service and picked up by TASS, the Russian news agency.
According to the project lead, the model describes the behavior of a hailstone upon contact with a composite panel. It captures the moment of hailstone fracture and immediately calculates the resulting deformation inside the panel. A NSTU graduate student, Tuan Le Viet, explained that the model provides a detailed view of internal stresses and damage patterns that follow an impact event.
The team conducted simulations of multiple impact scenarios using various hail sizes and speeds on multilayer composite structures. The researchers envision extending the study to high-risk wing regions such as the nose area and eventually to the entire wing surface. The university noted that there is little to no prior work addressing the cumulative effects of a series of hail impacts on composite panels or assessing residual strength after such events.
Beyond academic inquiry, the university emphasized that this modeling approach has practical applications for aviation industry enterprises, including research institutes and design bureaus. The model could support the design of aircraft structures, as well as testing and evaluating the long-term strength of composite materials used in flight hardware. The aim is to provide engineers with a more reliable tool for predicting damage from hail and informing maintenance planning in commercial fleets across North America and Europe as well as Russia.
In related developments, researchers in Russia have previously explored the substitution of composite materials in aircraft to improve performance and resilience against environmental hazards. Earlier reports also highlighted concerns about bird strikes and how such impacts affect aircraft surfaces, which remains a topic of study for ensuring aircraft safety in varied operating environments.
Overall, the NSTU effort represents a step toward more accurate simulations of hail damage on modern composites. By enabling rapid assessment of damage scenarios, the work supports safer design choices and potentially reduces the time needed for qualification testing in international aviation programs. The findings are expected to inform future standards for evaluating the structural integrity of composite airframes after hail exposure and to help operators plan ongoing inspections and maintenance cycles for aircraft operating in hail-prone regions.