Fatigue Crack Propagation Estimation Based on Direct Strain Measurement during a Full-Scale Fatigue Test.

Military aircraft are subjected to variable loads, which are the main cause of initiation and propagation of cracks in the most stressed locations of the airframe. The aim of a Full-Scale Fatigue Test (FSFT) is to represent actual load conditions in such a way that the results obtained are a good representation of the actual loads and may be used as data that give insight into the development of real fatigue damage in critical locations. The FSFT load spectrum is a generalized depiction of the expected service loads and is designed to give an overall good representation of loads exerted on the airframe's structural elements during operation.

Application of Operational Load Monitoring System for Fatigue Estimation of Main Landing Gear Attachment Frame of an Aircraft.

In this paper, we present an approach to fatigue estimation of a Main Landing Gear (MLG) attachment frame due to vertical landing forces based on Operational Loads Monitoring (OLM) system records. In particular, the impact of different phases of landing and on ground operations and fatigue wear of the MLG frame is analyzed. The main functionality of the developed OLM system is the individual assessment of fatigue of the main landing gear node structure for Su-22UM3K aircraft due to standard and Touch-And-Go (T&G) landings.

Numerical and Experimental UAV Structure Investigation by Pre-Flight Load Test.

This paper presents the preparation and execution of on-ground static and engine load tests for the composite unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The test was conducted for pre-flight structural strength verification of the remotely piloted aerial target named HORNET, after introducing some structural modifications. The ground tests were performed before the flight test campaign, to ensure the strength and operational safety of the modified structure.