The Structures EMC Engineer: Something New on the Horizon

The electrical characteristics of early airplane structures is unknown; there was no requirement for such knowledge because they carried little if any electronic equipment and EMC problems did not exist. Incidentally, the all-metal airplane structures inherently provided all the desired electrical characteristics which made the airframes compatible with their electrical/electronic systems. If we accept today´s specifications as accurately reflecting structures requirements for electrocompatibility, they provide a guide for determining the adequacy of tomorrow´s complex structures. While today´s structures are not nonmetal as they were perhaps ten years ago, the intrusion of other metal and nonmetal components has had but slight effect on the EMC engineer. The impact of tomorrow´s complex structures of various metals, nonmetals, and adhesives may well result in the development of a specialist to be known as a Structures EMC Engineer. The first engineers of this type were probably those who deliberately designed into the structure of the plywood deHaviland MOSQUITO fighter-bomber, electrical characteristics required for compatibility with its electrical/electronic complement. An analysis of their efforts may provide a basic guide for tomorrow´s structures EMC engineer.