Mechanical responses of CFRP/PVC foam sandwich plate impacted by hailstone

•CFRP/PVC foam sandwich panels were experimentally studied under the hailstone impact with different incident angles and impact speeds.•Maximum displacement and matrix cracking area is proportional to the vertical kinematic energy of hailstone.•Relationship between the delamination area and vertical kinematic energy of hailstone is nonlinear.•Comprehensive parametric analysis was performed based on LS-DYNA package.•Failure mode changes with the span-to-thickness ratio of the sandwich panel.