Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-15T10:01:37.997Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Structural Testing, Testing Philosophy and Loads Prediction for Rotary Wing Vehicle Components

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 July 2016

Lee C. Cowgill
Lee C. Cowgill*
Affiliation:
Lockheed-California Company, Burbank, California
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

The high cost of new weapon systems and the loss of tactical capability when vehicles are out of operation for unscheduled repairs are forcing the military services to require a higher order of structural reliability. Fleets are being kept in operation for many years beyond the time originally anticipated during design, resulting in many cases, in the need for costly structural repairs and modification to cure fatigue problems. Consequently, new weapon system procurement contracts are being written with a “fatigue-life” guarantee as a contractual requirement. This situation calls for careful attention to details during the design phase. More testing, both exploratory to aid in detail design decisions, and confirmatory to validate the design and demonstrate compliance with the contractual requirements, is required. Better test methods and more meaningful test results are demanded from the test laboratory. Methods for more accurate predictions of the loads experience during the entire service usage are required of the structural analysts.

Type
Test Facilities for Helicopters
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 74 , Issue 715 , July 1970 , pp. 559 - 572
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 1970 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. James, A. M. and Fairchild, J. Rigid Rotor Development—Structural Design and Testing. Presented at the 24th Annual National Forum of the American Helicopter Society, May 1968.Google Scholar
2.Civil Air Regulations, Part 6: Rotorcraft Airworthiness; Normal Category, Appendix A, Methods of Rotor Ser vice Life Determination, effective 1 May 1951.Google Scholar
3. Porterfield, J. D. and Maloney, P. F. Evaluation of Helicopter Flight Spectrum Data. US Army Aviation Materiel Laboratories, Fort Eustis, Virginia, October 1968.Google Scholar
4. Mcmanus, N. P. Combat Load Factor Experiences on the F-5A and F-105D Aircraft. ASD—Technical Report 68-68, March 1969.Google Scholar
5. Hamer, H. A. and Mayer, J. P. Statistical Data on Control Motions and Airplane Response of a Republic F-84 Airplane During Operational Training Missions. NASA TN D-386, March 1960.Google Scholar
6. Babcock, C. W. Investigation of Fatigue Spectra Truncation Methods. Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, LR 21881, 10 March 1969.Google Scholar
7. Davis, C. S. Statistical Analysis of the Phase I Spectra Truncation Fatigue Tests Conducted in 1966 and 1967. Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, LR 21498, 20 March 1968.Google Scholar
8. Davis, C. S. Use of Spectrum Fatigue Test Results to Calculate Damage Diagrams for Life Predictions. ASTM Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia, 29 September-4 October 1968.Google Scholar
9. Jacoby, G. Comparison of Fatigue Life Estimation Processes for Irregularly Varying Loads, Proceedings 3rd Conference on Dimensioning, Budapest, 1968.Google Scholar
10. Dougherty, J. E. and Spicer, H. C. Helicopter Fatigue Substantiation Procedures for Civil Aircraft. Symposium on Fatigue Tests of Aircraft Structure. ASTM STP 338, pp 167-175, 1962.Google Scholar
11. Davis, C. S. and Young, L. A comparison of Fatigue Life and Reliability from Constant Amplitude and Variable Amplitude Loading Tests, Journal of American Helicopter Society, Vol 12, No 3, July 1967.Google Scholar