Aircraft gun-blast diffusers, plugs for aircraft gun-blast diffusers, and methods of making such plugs

A gun-blast diffuser (200) for an aircraft (1200), the gun-blast diffuser (200) comprising:

• a blast tube (204), comprising a blast-tube exit cavity (202);
• a plug (100), comprising:
• a plug front surface (112);
• a plug rear surface (114);
• a plug side surface (116) that extends between the plug front surface (112) and the plug rear surface (114);
• a body (102), comprising a polyurethane foam (142);
• and
• a substrate (104), coupled to the body (102) and comprising a conductive nonwoven fabric (136), impregnated with a polyurethane matrix (138),
• wherein:
• at least a portion of the plug (100) is located within the blast-tube exit cavity (202);
• the plug front surface (112) is defined by the substrate (104);
• the plug rear surface (114) is defined by the body (102);
• and
• the plug side surface (116) is defined by the substrate (104) and the body (102).

A method (1000) of making a plug (100) for insertion into a blast-tube exit cavity (202) of a gun-blast diffuser (200), the plug (100) comprising a plug front surface (112), a plug rear surface (114), and a plug side surface (116) that extends between the plug front surface (112) and the plug rear surface (114), the method (1000) comprising steps of:

• impregnating a conductive nonwoven fabric (136) with a polyurethane matrix (138) to form a substrate (104);
• and
• coupling the substrate (104) to a body (102), comprising a polyurethane foam (142), so that:
• the plug front surface (112) is formed by the substrate (104);
• the plug rear surface (114) is formed by the body (102);
• and
• the plug side surface (116) is formed by the substrate (104) and the body (102).