Aircraft Skin Corrosion and Structural Safety Considerations

Abstract

The aim of this article is to point out some peculiarities of airframe corrosion, the impact of external forces on aircraft skin elements and their impact on structural integrity. The corrosion process is generally associated with fatigue of aircraft structural elements due to the effect of many factors such as the type of loading, the properties of the materials, the corro-sive environment, etc. The article is not focused on corrosion processes, but on load factors that are specific to aircraft wing design elements and their influence on corrosion of critical struc-tural elements. Corrosion of the wing is perceived as a consequence of environmental impact on damaged surface protection of the skin and connecting parts (rivets, screws, and welded joints) caused by static and dynamic stress of the wing and also by the interaction of the indi-vidual structural elements as a whole. The dynamics of operation of individual structural ele-ments is further enhanced by the fatigue of the material. Early detection of corrosion processes has generally been and is crucial to overall safety of the aircraft. The proposals presented in the article are formulated in order to improve the system of work to ensure the safety of aircraft operation in terms of resistance to corrosion damage.