Soft impact damage prediction for the F-16 canopy using a Progressive Failure Dynamic Analysis approach

Soft body impact, in the form of bird strike on an F-16 canopy, is simulated using a Progressive Failure Dynamic Analysis approach. Numerical modeling is performed using an explicit finite element code coupled with a micromechanics damage analysis code to predict damage evolution in the structure. This modeling methodology allows the canopy failure mechanisms and percent contribution to multisite failure to be determined. These results are important in robust engineering design by allowing specific failure mechanisms to be identified in a structure subject to impact loading. This work expands upon an earlier study to assess the crashworthiness of the F-16 canopy design in a bird strike event using numerical analysis and experiments in the preand post-design phases. Validation of results is performed by comparing F-16 canopy bird strike simulations against test data for the canopy deformation vs. time and canopy failure at different bird impact velocities.