Standardized environmental fatigue sequence for the evaluation of composite components in combat aircraft (ENSTAFF = ENvironmental FalSTAFF)

Fatigue life assessment of composite structures in fighter aircraft necessitates testing with both mechanical and environmental loading at both coupon and structural element size levels. Testing facilities to run such tests are now available but environmental fatigue testing is expensive and time consuming. An environmental fatigue loading...

Effects of variations in gust spectrum and ground-load level on fatigue life and crack propagation in 70T5-T6 and 202U-T3 specimens

The effects of systematic variations in mean stress level and in spectrum and ground load severity of a flight simulation test programme have been investigated on riveted specimens (fatigue life) and sheet specimens with central saw cut (crack growth). The fatigue life and crack propagation life in Alclad 202U-T3 compared with Alclad TOT5-T6...

Application of finite element methods to the analysis of cracks: final report

The applicability of finite element methods to the analysis of cracks was studied in three phases. In the first phase the available methods for the calculation of elastic stress intensity data for cracks of arbitrary shape using finite element techniques were evaluated. The indirect energy release method using virtual crack front variation was...