6/23/2010
NEWS BRIEFS
Dreamliner Fasteners Perform Well in 1st Lightning Strike

Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner survived its first lightning strike, providing the first in-flight test of its newly developed lightning-protection system, the Seattle Times reports.

The jet reportedly was struck in May during a thunderstorm near Boeing Field. The aircraft’s systems, fuselage and wings all appeared to be undamaged after the strike, according to 787 program chief Scott Fancher.

Engineers paid special attention to the 787 wing fasteners “to avoid gaps that could cause sparking in the wings’ fuel tanks during a lightning strike.”

They also embedded a thin copper mesh beneath the outer layer of the airplane’s skin to disperse the current from a strike.

While lightning typically dissipates across the metal body of the airframe on most airliners before discharging into the ground, the 787’s less-conductive carbon-fiber forced Boeing to design special lightning protection to avoid severe damage at the location of a strike.

Future tests will include lightning-strike simulations. ©2010 GlobalFastenerNews.com

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Related Links:

• Boeing Co.