The effect of gust alleviation on fatigue in 2024-T3 Alclad

Fatigue tests under flight simulation loading were done on simple notched 2024-T3 Alclad sheet specimens. Reduction of the gust load amplitudes resulted in an increase of crack initiation life but hardly influenced crack propagation. Reduction of the overall stress level increased both initiation and crack propagation life. The observed...

The significance of cladding for fatigue of aluminium alloys in aircraft structures

Flight-simulation tests were carried out on sheet specimens notched "by an open hole (Kt = 2.66). The material was 2024-T3 in three conditions; Alclad, bare and chemically milled. The crack initiation period and the crack propagation period were considerably shorter for the Alclad material. The significance of the cladding, both for constant...