Shock and impact resistant structures

A fiber-reinforced composite structure having impact resistance, the composite structure comprising:

• a first plurality of plies of reinforcing fibers defining a first region of the fiber reinforced composite structure, the plies comprising parallel fibers defining an orientation direction, and wherein the plies are arranged to provide load carrying strength for the reinforced composite structure and are not arranged in a helicoidal relationship, wherein an included angle between the orientation directions of a first pair of adjacent plies is 30° or more, and further wherein an included angle between the orientation directions of at least one other pair of adjacent plies is 30° or more;
• a resin permeated between the fibers of each ply and between adjacent plies to form a resin matrix;
• and,
• a second plurality of plies of reinforcing fibers defining a second region of the fiber reinforced composite structure and arranged in a helicoidal relationship, the plies comprising parallel fibers defining an orientation direction, wherein an included angle between the orientation directions of at least two adjacent plies is more than 0° and less than about 30° to provide impact resistance for the reinforced composite structure.