A Vulnerability Map of a Commercial Aircraft

A method of developing a vulnerability map of a commercial aircraft is presented using MSC/DYTRAN and MSC/NASTRAN. The intent of the map is to establish the vulnerability of every point in the cargo hold where a bomb can explode. One might interpret each point in the cargo bay as having four dimensions. Three are spatial coordinates and the fourth is the maximum size of the bomb the structure can withstand without catastrophic failure. The vulnerability of the aircraft is examined from two distinct failure scenarios. The first is the response immediately after the bomb explosion. The second is the subsequent flight to the nearest airport for safe landing. The immediate response analysis is determined with MSC/DYTRAN and the post explosion analysis is made by MSC/NASTRAN. A complete vulnerability map requires many failure scenarios and a large number of MSC/DYTRAN and MSC/NASTRAN analyses. Six points in the cargo hold were critically examined to demonstrate the concept.