Errors in ambient electric field measurements related to position of four shutter‐type sensors on an instrumented airplane are analyzed. It is shown that sensors' positions affect significantly the propagation of errors (1) in estimates of coefficients of the matrix equations that relate the ambient field to the local fields, and (2) in the signal processing into ambient electric field measurements. Positioning field mills on or near crossing points of the lines of the airplane's electrical symmetry minimizes the amplification of experimental errors. A computer‐simulated block model of the NASA F‐106B research airplane, placed in a uniform electric field, is used to calculate the matrix coefficients. The accuracy of this method is evaluated and compared with that of small‐scale model measurement and in‐flight calibration. A new calibration procedure to determine the net charge on the airplane is suggested.

The electromagnetic interaction of lightning with aircraft is a complex event. Because of new aircraft technologies, it is becoming more important to be able to predict and understand lightning-induced transients on avionics systems. In this paper, a review of state of the art of lightning-interaction modeling is presented. The overall interaction process is discussed, and specific modeling techniques are given for external interaction, internal interaction, and internal propagation. Some examples are given for lightning strokes attached to an aircraft. A discussion of nonlinear effects is also given, and comparison between nuclear electromagnetic pulse and lightning environments are presented. Finally, an overview of hardening techniques is given. An extensive bibliography is included.

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