Aircraft Usage Assessment and Spectra Development

Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI®) provides capabilities and expertise to precisely capture, analyze, and report critical flight parameters for in-service aircraft, for typical training usage or specialized flight test situations. This information can provide significant input to: analysis and testing programs for:

• Analysis and testing programs for determination of in-flight loads
• Fatigue and damage tolerance evaluations
• Inspection requirements
• Analysis of proposed structural modifications
• Development of realistic load events for laboratory simulation

Capabilities

SwRI has 25 years of experience with aircraft instrumentation for measurement of in-flight loads and stresses as well as critical maneuver parameters. Staff members have performed usage assessment programs for USAF primary and advanced jet trainers as well as fighter aircraft for allied foreign governments. SwRI has also developed software for routine processing and development of spectra for analysis and testing.

Data downloading and processing

Experience

• Installation of flight data recorders

  T-37 and T-39 aircraft

  Recorder installed in T-39

  Typical strain gage installation

  • T-37 and T-38 at 12 USAF training bases since 1989
  • T-39 for training USAF and US Navy weapons systems officers
  • F-5 and T-37 for updating inspection intervals in five foreign countries
• Quarterly fatigue analysis and reporting (over 15 years) for T-39 training of US Navy weapons systems officers
• Software development to process and analyze flight recorded data
  • Conversion of raw data to engineering units
  • Graphical verification and validation
  • Development of maneuver spectra database development
  • Stress sequence development
  • Automation
• Installation of sensors to monitor aircraft responses
  • Strain gages
  • Potentiometers
  • Accelerometers
  • Load cells
  • Gyroscopes
• Qualification of aircraft recording equipment and sensors to satisfy vibration and electromagnetic interference military standards

Resources

• Data acquisition systems
  • Rugged and modular for installation flexibility
  • Custom designed using off-the-shelf components (Pentium class processor; up to 16 channels with A/D conversion
  • SoMat eDAQ and eDAQ-lite systems (up to 64 channels; easy-to-use bus interface)
• Software development for spectra development and data processing
  • Windows-based for local desktop computers
  • Java-based applications for multiple platforms and databases

   

  Maneuver spectra development examples	Stress spectra development examples

This flyer was published in September 2007. For more information about Aircraft Usage Assessment and Spectra Development, contact Kurt H. Schrader, Principal Engineer, Phone (210) 522-3322, or Kenneth E. Griffin, Manager, Phone (210) 522-6873, Fax (210) 522-3042, Mechanical Engineering Division, Southwest Research Institute, P.O. Drawer 28510, San Antonio, Texas 78228-0510.

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