NACA Technical Note 1001 Lightning Discharges to Aircraft and Associated Meteorological Conditions
NACA Technical Note 1001, produced in 1946, was the first major report in the United State documenting the meteorological conditions involved with aircraft lightning strikes.
Lightning strikes mainly occurred around the freezing level and while the aircraft was in rain/freezing rain conditions.
The first attempts at lightning zoning are documented as damage reports include attachment locations and a rough estimation on attachment probability. Areas of the aircraft with a high likelihood of lightning attachment included the wing, tail assembly, propeller, nose, and fuselage.
There is also an interesting discussion revolving around aircraft triggered lightning strikes. As the report states:
"In other cases, it appears that the aircraft was instrumental in producing the disruptive discharge." As we know today, most lightning strikes to aircraft are triggered by the aircraft.
"In other cases, it appears that the aircraft was instrumental in producing the disruptive discharge." As we know today, most lightning strikes to aircraft are triggered by the aircraft.
In the back half of the document there is a section discussing test results from the General Electric lightning laboratory in Pittsfield, Massachusetts and the Westinghouse Electric lab in Sharon, Pennsylvania. The labs looked at melting thesholds for aluminum and stainless steel sheet metal and the effect of lightning on aircraft windshields.
You can download a copy of the document here:
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