Complex damping influences on the oscillatory/static instability characteristics of heated panels in supersonic airflow

•The damping paradoxical influence on the panel oscillatory instability, is associated with the system energy dissipation efficiency.•Based on the non-conservative energy balance principle, the critical parameters of the system oscillation are theoretically evaluated and discussed.•This irregular damping influence on the system buckling instability, is related to the system Hamiltonian energy.•The modal amplitudes ratio and fluttering configurations are regulated by the damping.