121. Bonded Sandwich Structure Saves Airframe Weight

Paper

Abstract

Although the subject of bonded sandwich structure has been very well covered by engineering papers in recent years, such discussions have been confined for the most part to manufacturing processes and techniques, to the properties of available core materials and adhesives and to bonding problems.
Some of these papers enumerated other advantages, including a vague statement that bonded sandwich structure ‘also saves weight’. Since this is a group of Weight Engineers, my paper is intended to answer questions that will arise from the inquisitive nature of all
Weight Engineers.
First I will describe bonded sandwich structure and show where we have used it at Martin and how much weight we saved on a typical application. Afterwards, I will discuss why bonded sandwich structure saves weight, where it pays off weight-wise, what advantages it offers besides weight reduction, how to calculate the weight of a typical panel and how to control the weight in engineering as well as the shop. In conclusion I will emphasize that bonded sandwich structure is not a cure-all for weight reduction.