The Boeing Company

Roger S Kepner

Justin D Cottet

Michael L Drake

An energy absorbing rub strip having a core material and a fairing positioned over the core material. The core material may be configured to buckle under the application of a predetermined amount of force and the fairing may be configured to be attached to a fuselage of an aircraft. The fairing may be made out of an abrasive-resistant material such as titanium or a nickel-based metal. The core material may be comprised of an aluminum honeycomb. The core material may be comprised of a dual density material. The length of the rub strip may extend beyond potential contact points on the fuselage during landing and takeoff. Upon a ground contact event, the thickness of deformed/buckled core material may be measured to determine if the ground contact event may have caused structural damage to the aircraft.

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Lynnwood, WA, United States of America

Roger S Kepner