Definition
A thin, woven or expanded screen of aluminum strands embedded in or bonded to the outer skin of a composite aircraft to provide a conductive path for lightning current, allowing a strike to travel across the airframe and exit without burning through the non-conductive composite material.
Plain English
A fine metal net built into the outer surface of a composite aircraft so that if lightning hits, the electricity flows along the metal instead of damaging the plastic-like skin underneath.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of lightning strike protection on aircraft with composite structures or nonmetal outer skins.
Derivation
Mesh comes from the Old English 'max,' meaning a net or netting. The word still carries that sense here: a net-like layer of aluminum, just used for electrical conduction rather than catching anything.
Why Pilots Care
Allows lightning energy to dissipate safely over the aircraft exterior, preserving structural integrity of composite parts during flight through thunderstorms.
Grounding Statement
If lightning hits the aircraft, the aluminum mesh helps the electrical current move along the surface instead of concentrating at the strike point.
Intuition Check
Aluminum mesh is not there mainly for strength or decoration. In this context, its job is to conduct and spread lightning energy over the aircraft surface.
Example Sentence 1
The composite fuselage includes an aluminum mesh layer just beneath the paint to carry lightning current safely across the airframe.
Example Sentence 2
Maintenance crews check the aluminum mesh during inspections to confirm there are no breaks that would reduce lightning protection.