AIRWORTHINESS OF COMPOSITE REPAIRS - FAILURE MECHANISMS

The purpose of this paper is to address the topic of repairs to principal structural elements and structurally significant items, paying particular attention to the use of adhesively bonded repairs, a topic which is not yet Sully covered by current FAA, USAF or RAAF documentation. Indeed, continued airworthiness is of paramount importance and it is essential that structural integrity be maintained after repairs have been installed. To this end the objective of the present paper is, by clarifying the potential failure mechanisms, to assist in the development of a suitable certification methodology.