Ageing aircraft research in The Netherlands

The problems of Ageing Aircraft are worldwide. Hence, actions to overcome or prevent these problems should be taken in international collaboration. The Federal Aviation Administration FAA and the Netherlands Civil Aviation Department RLD have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in the area of structural integrity, with specific reference to...

Effect of penetrant on fatigue of aluminium alloy lap joints

The effect of penetrant on the fatigue life of single shear riveted lap joints was investigated by flight simulation fatigue tests using the MINITWIST gust spectrum. The penetrant/material combination investigated was ARDROX 985 P3T and aluminium alloy 202U-T3 sheet material (both bare and clad) respectively. The effect of penetrant on the...

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...