A device for preventing, in real time, risk of atmospheric disturbance (DIS) for an aircraft in the air or on the ground includes acquisition means configured to acquire data corresponding to said risk. The device further includes design means configured to produce a predictive map of at least one critical area corresponding to at least one level of risk of disturbance that has been determined, and protection means (MP) configured to protect electronic components on board the aircraft which are liable to be damaged if the aircraft passes through said at least one critical area.

A lightning strike protection material for an aircraft includes an electrically-conductive grid with grid-forming members and nodes where grid-forming members overlap or intersect. A plurality of the grid-forming members and/or nodes include an outward-facing surface, and at least a portion of the outward-facing surface is concave.

A lightning strike protection material for an aircraft includes an electrically-conductive grid with grid-forming members and nodes where grid-forming members overlap or intersect. A plurality of the grid-forming members and/or nodes include an outward-facing surface, and at least a portion of the outward-facing surface is concave.

An aircraft windshield wiper system includes a wiper arm, a wiper blade coupled to a distal end of the wiper arm, and a drive shaft coupled to a proximal end of the wiper arm. The wiper blade is configured to clean water, dirt, and other debris from the windshield of the aircraft. The drive shaft is configured to rotate and cause the wiper arm with the coupled wiper blade to sweep across the windshield. The wiper arm includes both composite and metal components to reduce the weight of the windshield wiper system while also providing lightning strike protection.

An aircraft windshield wiper system includes a wiper arm, a wiper blade coupled to a distal end of the wiper arm, and a drive shaft coupled to a proximal end of the wiper arm. The wiper blade is configured to clean water, dirt, and other debris from the windshield of the aircraft. The drive shaft is configured to rotate and cause the wiper arm with the coupled wiper blade to sweep across the windshield. The wiper arm includes both composite and metal components to reduce the weight of the windshield wiper system while also providing lightning strike protection.

A device for harvesting and storing triboelectric charge generated on an exterior surface of a moving vehicle is provided. It is characterised by comprising; a supercapacitor comprised of nano-carbon-containing electrodes; an ionic liquid electrolyte and at least one ion-permeable porous membrane; at least one first element exposed to aerodynamically-induced frictional forces acting thereon and on which the charge is caused to build up and connected to at least one of the electrodes of one polarity; at least one second element having a lower electrostatic potential than the charge-collecting element and connected to at least one of the electrodes of the other polarity; a voltage modification or impedance conversion circuit arranged between the first and/or second elements and the supercapacitor; means to connect the device to an operative component requiring electrical power and a controller for managing the performance of the device and switching between energy-harvesting and energy-utilisation modes. The device is especially use for deployment in the wing of an aircraft to utilised triboelectric charge generated thereon.

A device for harvesting and storing triboelectric charge generated on an exterior surface of a moving vehicle is provided. It is characterised by comprising; a supercapacitor comprised of nano-carbon-containing electrodes; an ionic liquid electrolyte and at least one ion-permeable porous membrane; at least one first element exposed to aerodynamically-induced frictional forces acting thereon and on which the charge is caused to build up and connected to at least one of the electrodes of one polarity; at least one second element having a lower electrostatic potential than the charge-collecting element and connected to at least one of the electrodes of the other polarity; a voltage modification or impedance conversion circuit arranged between the first and/or second elements and the supercapacitor; means to connect the device to an operative component requiring electrical power and a controller for managing the performance of the device and switching between energy-harvesting and energy-utilisation modes. The device is especially use for deployment in the wing of an aircraft to utilised triboelectric charge generated thereon.

A composite panel having a plurality of carbon plies, a perforated metallic foil comprising several apertures and being directly secured to the plurality of carbon plies, and a protective layer made from resin reinforced with fibers which is secured to the metallic foil. The perforated metallic foil is embedded in the protective layer through its apertures. A free surface of the protective layer forms a top side of the composite panel. The thickness of the protective layer between the top side of the composite panel and the perforated metallic foil is at least 15 micrometers and the perforated metallic foil has a thickness of not more than 30 micrometers. The plurality of apertures in the aggregate defines an open area of not more than 40% of the surface area and a maximum distance between two opposed points in a perimeter of an aperture is equal to or less than 3 mm.

A composite panel having a plurality of carbon plies, a perforated metallic foil comprising several apertures and being directly secured to the plurality of carbon plies, and a protective layer made from resin reinforced with fibers which is secured to the metallic foil. The perforated metallic foil is embedded in the protective layer through its apertures. A free surface of the protective layer forms a top side of the composite panel. The thickness of the protective layer between the top side of the composite panel and the perforated metallic foil is at least 15 micrometers and the perforated metallic foil has a thickness of not more than 30 micrometers. The plurality of apertures in the aggregate defines an open area of not more than 40% of the surface area and a maximum distance between two opposed points in a perimeter of an aperture is equal to or less than 3 mm.

An aircraft of the type disclosed here includes an aircraft fuselage, a wing assembly, a tail assembly, and a surface structure containing a lightning protection device. The surface structure is arranged on the aircraft fuselage, the wing assembly, and the tail assembly. The lightning protection device has a plurality of electrically conductive elements, which are arranged at least as a group of elements in the surface structure. The electrically conductive elements belonging to a group are arranged parallel to one another, at least in some section or sections, and have different spacings with respect to one another, at least in two regions.