Accession Number:

ADA183290

Title:

Low Altitude Lightning Attachment to an Aircraft.

Descriptive Note:

Interim rept. Oct 83-Feb 85,

Corporate Author:

AIR FORCE WRIGHT AERONAUTICAL LABS WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OH

Personal Author(s):

• Rustan,Pedro L. , Jr.
• Kuhlman,Brian P.
• Burket,Harold D.
• Reazer,Jean S.
• Serrano,Arturo

Report Date:

1987-05-01

Pagination or Media Count:

183.0

Abstract:

A CV-580 aircraft was instrumented with external displacement current density sensors, surface current density sensors, current shunts, and static electric field mill sensors and was flown in the neighborhood of active thunderstorms in central Florida during Summer 1984. Electromagnetic data were collected for 21 direct lighting strikes to the aircraft at altitudes between 2,000 and 18,000 ft. The data consisted of DC to 2 MHz analog records and 10.24 microsecond windows of digital samples taken at five nanosecond intervals. The data show the physical mechanism of lightning attachment to the aircraft. Keywords Airborne lightning test Aircraft lightning Direct lightning strike Lightning waveforms.

Descriptors:

• *RESEARCH AIRCRAFT
• *LIGHTNING
• *ELECTRICAL MEASUREMENT
• AIRBORNE
• AIRCRAFT
• FLORIDA
• DIGITAL SYSTEMS
• SAMPLING
• ELECTROMAGNETISM
• WAVEFORMS
• PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
• ANALOGS
• SHUNTS
• ATTACHMENT
• LOW ALTITUDE
• DATA ACQUISITION
• ELECTRIC CURRENT
• MAGNETIC FIELDS
• AIRCRAFT
• ANTENNAS
• VERY HIGH FREQUENCY
• CURRENT DENSITY
• STATIC ELECTRICITY
• THUNDERSTORMS
• MAGNETIC DETECTORS
• ELECTRIC FIELDS

Subject Categories:

• Atmospheric Physics
• Research and Experimental Aircraft
• Electricity and Magnetism

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE