Abstract
In the late 1960’s the United States Air Force shifted its philosophy of design for aircraft structures from a safe-life approach based on fatigue analysis and scatter factors to a damage tolerance approach (assume existence of initial flaws) based on fracture mechanics technology with emphasis on structural life management through individual aircraft tracking. An entire set of requirements and procedures has been assembled under the Aircraft Structural Integrity Program. This program encompasses analyses, tests, design and inspection procedures to ensure that premature failures will not occur during the design service life of the aircraft. This paper includes discussions on the procedures developed to inspect for structural damage, track the accumulation of damage, and manage the usage of the aircraft to minimize the rate of damage accumulations for the entire force of aircraft. This force management program is described in detail with examples at all levels from basic design through fleet management.
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© 1985 Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Dordrecht
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Adams, F.D., Engle, R.M. (1985). A Damage Tolerance Approach for Structural Integrity of Aerospace Vehicles. In: Masters, L.W. (eds) Problems in Service Life Prediction of Building and Construction Materials. NATO ASI Series, vol 95. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5125-9_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-5125-9_6
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
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