Cockpit Canopy Shattering Using Exploding Wire Techniques

This paper presents the principal experimental results provided by a preliminary investigation into the possibility of using exploding wire techniques to shatter the plastic cockpit canopy of a jet aircraft. Data obtained from a series of experiments is used in a discussion of the physics of exploding wires embedded in elasto- plastic materials, determining the resulting interaction between the metal plasma and the surrounding media. The significance of the wire material and its dimensions, the thickness of the plastic containment, and the waveform and amplitude of the current pulse are all considered, in order to optimise the shattering effect of the exploding wire. Important conclusions are drawn relating to the best characteristics of the exploding wire and the optimum arrangement of the wire in the containment. The most important finding however is that it is the peak electrical power input to the exploding wire rather than the dissipated Joule energy that is the single most important factor in an optimised shattering system. A full-scale system relevant to an actual cockpit canopy is outlined and relevant results are presented and discussed.