Promising results for bomb-proof bag in aircraft trial

A lightweight lining for aircraft holds that can withstand the force of explosions could help prevent terrorist attacks similar to the Lockerbie bombing, according to its international team of developers. The research is being led by Sheffield University, and was reported in The Engineer at the outset of the project. The team has now demonstrated the concept using retired aircraft at Cotswolds Airport, including a Boeing 747 and Airbus A321, and increasingly-powerful explosive charges. 

Dubbed Fly-Bag by the team, the lining is built up from layers of fabrics with high strength, heat and impact resistance, including woven aramid fibre, better known as Kevlar. The fibres in the lining are coated with shear-thickening fluids which, when subjected to a strong force such as an impact or explosive impulse, sharply increase their viscosity. This helps to dissipate the impulse by effectively stretching out the time during which it affects the fabric.