Damaged planes 'to heal themselves'

A "self-healing" aircraft which can fix its own damage could be flying within four years, researchers said.

The new technique, said to mimic healing processes found in nature, will enable planes to mend themselves automatically - even during a flight.

If a crack or hole appears in the bodywork epoxy resin "bleeds" from embedded vessels nearby to quickly seal it up.

When fibres break the resin and hardener within them ooze out, enabling the composite to recover up to 90% of its original strength. This will allow a plane to function at its normal operational load.

The process has been developed by aerospace engineers at Bristol University, with funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Dr Ian Bond, who is leading the project, said: "This approach can deal with small-scale damage that's not obvious to the naked eye but which might lead to serious failures in structural integrity if it escapes attention.

"It is intended to complement rather than replace conventional inspection and maintenance routines, which can readily pick up larger-scale damage, caused by a bird strike, for example.

"This project represents just the first step. We're also developing systems where the healing agent isn't contained in individual glass fibres but actually moves around as part of a fully integrated vascular network, just like the circulatory systems found in animals and plants.

"Such a system could have its healing agent refilled or replaced and could repeatedly heal a structure throughout its lifetime. Furthermore, it offers potential for developing other biological-type functions in man-made structures, such as controlling temperature or distributing energy sources."

The new self-repair technique could be available for commercial use within around four years, it is claimed.

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