The MC-21-310 prototype aircraft with tail number 73051 has undergone tests to assess the level of protection against lightning strikes. The tests will result in the approval of a major change in relation to Russian-made systems, said Anton Klykov, head of the electromagnetic compatibility and lightning protection team.
According to him, lightning protection tests are carried out jointly with specialists from the Gromov Flight Research Institute and include passing current, simulating lightning current, through the aircraft's fuselage.
The goal is to assess the lightning protection of onboard systems when lightning currents flow through the fuselage and to measure the level of induced voltages in the onboard cable network. This allows us to identify and eliminate possible vulnerabilities in electrical systems and ensure the reliability and safety of the aircraft in real-world thunderstorm activity.
The Gromov Flight Research Institute clarified that lightning protection tests for aircraft include full-scale tests on the aircraft itself, laboratory tests of equipment for exposure to high-voltage discharges and currents, and modeling of probable lightning strike points.
During the tests, the MC-21 aircraft was subjected to current pulses of 5 kA, and the voltage reached 10 kV. Specialized equipment registers the parameters of induced electricity in cable networks, which in ground tests allows assessing the level of protection of systems against atmospheric electrical discharge.
Earlier www1.ru reported that the assembly of the MC-21 aircraft fuselage sections was completed in Irkutsk.
Read more materials:
MiG-35 is returning: Russia unexpectedly revived the fighter written off
Faster than a bullet: Rostec named the tasks of the newest Il-76MD-90A
