Features of Thermal Nondestructive Testing of Impact Damage to Products Made of Polymer Composite Materials

—The widespread introduction of polymer composite materials (PCMs) into aviation technology has led to the search and selection of effective methods for nondestructive testing of aircraft structure elements. According to the operating data, one of the main types of accidental damage to aviation equipment is shock effects. Therefore, the problems of detecting such damage to PCM products using thermal nondestructive testing as a promising method and identifying the features of this approach are relevant. In this work, the authors carried out tests on standard samples of materials, structurally similar samples, and the elements of a full-scale aircraft construction. The results of thermal imaging surveys of impact damage to PCM products were analyzed with standard and dedicated software after testing. Suggestions recommended for further research and practical use are formulated.