Preliminary Study of Energy Absorbing Nose Structures for Pilot Protection in an Emergency Landing

Glider accident survivability can be increased with proper crashworthy design criteria. This study starts by investigating possible ground crash scenarios to define some representative crash conditions for potentially survivable accidents. Then, two numerical multi-body models are set-up for a reference rigid glider structure and a crashworthy structure is obtained by modification of the previous one. The models, that include the occupant model, are used to analyze the potential reduction of injury parameters that can be obtained by using a collapsible, or energy absorbing, structure in the front part of the aircraft. Finally, a possible design solution is outlined to match the crashworthy mechanical properties indicated by the numerical analysis.