Strategies for Ensuring Rotorcraft Structural Integrity

Abstract

The primary objective of Part 29.571 is to mitigate catastrophic failures due to fatigue by maintaining a minimum level of structural integrity throughout a structure's operating life. The level of structural integrity that a newly delivered rotorcraft must be shown to have is defined in Part 29.305 of reference 1. In short, the structure must be able to support limit loads without detrimental or permanent deformation and ultimate loads without failure where ultimate loads are 1.5 times limit. Compliance is generally shown by a combination of analysis and testing of structure that is as representative as possible of the production design and free from any known defects. This level of structural integrity will be referred to as the "baseline integrity" that each structure is required to begin life with. It is also one of the basic type design requirements.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 01, 2000
Accession Number
ADP010647

Entities

People

  • Robert G. Eastin

Organizations

  • Federal Aviation Administration

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Airworthiness
  • Corrosion
  • Cracks
  • Damage
  • Damage Tolerance
  • Degradation
  • Engineering
  • Fatigue Cracking
  • Fatigue Life
  • Fracture (Mechanics)
  • Inspection
  • Mechanics
  • Rotary Wing Aircraft
  • Safety
  • Structural Integrity
  • Test And Evaluation

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Economics
  • Materials Science and Engineering.