Definition
Thin layers of woven or expanded metal wire embedded in or bonded to the outer skin of a composite aircraft to provide a conductive path for lightning current. Because composite materials such as carbon fiber and fiberglass do not conduct electricity well enough on their own, the metal mesh allows a lightning strike to flow across the airframe and exit without burning through the structure or damaging internal systems.
Plain English
A fine metal screen built into the outer skin of a composite aircraft so that if lightning hits, the electricity can travel across the surface and leave the aircraft instead of punching a hole or frying the systems inside.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of lightning strike protection, especially on aircraft surfaces made from materials that do not conduct electricity as well as aluminum.
Derivation
Mesh comes from the Old English max, meaning a net or netting. The picture is the same here: a fine metallic net spread across the skin, catching and carrying electrical current the way a net catches and channels what passes through it.
Why Pilots Care
Allows composite structures to survive lightning strikes without delamination, fire, or loss of structural integrity.
Analogy
Think of a metal window screen laid into the aircraft skin. It is not a solid sheet, but its connected metal strands can still give electricity a path to follow.
Intuition Check
Do not picture loose pieces of wire netting added casually to the airplane. In this context, metal meshes are installed protective layers that are part of the aircraft’s lightning protection design.
Example Sentence 1
Composite airframes use metal meshes embedded in the skin to safely conduct lightning strikes around the aircraft.
Example Sentence 2
Maintenance records confirmed that the metal meshes remained intact after the aircraft experienced a lightning strike on final approach.