Crashworthiness Analysis and Design of Typical Aircraft Subcargo Fuselage Section

The subcargo fuselage section is critical to aircraft crashworthiness. Two full-scale subcargo fuselage sections were subjected to drop-weight impact tests at 3.95 and [Formula: see text], respectively, and the corresponding finite element model was validated against the test results. Numerical analyses were conducted to assess the influence of various impact velocities and impact energy levels, and designs for improving crashworthiness were proposed. The results showed that the rivets connecting the middle stanchions to fuselage frames remained intact at [Formula: see text], whereas the rivets failed at [Formula: see text], and the final compressive displacement increased by 221.0%, whereas the maximum peak acceleration decreased by 19.9%. The finite element model replicated the deformation and failure mode of fuselage frames, middle stanchions, and C-channels, as well as the rivet failure at the connections between middle stanchions and fuselage frames, with discrepancies in maximum peak acceleration between simulations and test results of 4.0 and 11.4%, respectively. The designs of the fasteners connecting the middle stanchions and fuselage frames and the corrugated columns had a significant effect on the crashworthiness of the subcargo fuselage section, providing valuable insights for improving the crashworthiness of large aircraft fuselage sections.