MIL-STD-1530C(USAF)
prevent cracking and to provide reliable performance of personnel and equipment throughout the design service life.
5.3.4 Durability tests.
A durability test program shall be conducted on an instrumented aircraft using the repeated application of the flight-by-flight design service loads/environment spectrum. Thermal environment effects shall be simulated, along with the load application on aircraft structures where operational environments impose significant thermal effects. The objectives of the full-scale durability tests are to:
a. demonstrate that the onset of WFD does not occur within the design service life by the specified margin;
b. demonstrate that the economic life of the test article is equal to or greater than the design service life by the specified margin;
c. identify critical areas of the aircraft structure not previously identified by analysis or component testing;
d. provide a basis for special inspection and modification requirements for force aircraft; and to
e. obtain crack growth data to validate analysis methods and EIFS distribution data to support risk analyses. If no cracks are detected, or an insufficient number of cracks occur during the full-scale test, the data obtained from the design development testing described in 5.2.14 shall be used for verification.
Major component modifications which alter the structural load paths or which represent significant changes in structural concept shall require a durability test of a full-scale component.
5.3.4.1 Selection of test article.
The test article shall be an early System Development & Demonstration phase test aircraft structure and shall be representative of the operational configuration (including all significant details) and manufacturing processes. It is not required that the test article include systems, but the article must include system attach structures and associated details representative of the operational configuration and manufacturing process. If there are significant design, material, or manufacturing changes between the test article and production aircraft, durability tests of an additional article or selected components and assemblies thereof shall be required.
5.3.4.2 Test scheduling and duration.
One lifetime of durability testing plus an inspection of critical structural areas shall be completed prior to a full production go-ahead decision. Two lifetimes of durability testing plus an inspection of critical structural areas shall be scheduled to be completed prior to delivery of the first production aircraft. If the economic life of the test article is reached prior to two lifetimes of durability testing, sufficient inspection in accordance with the inspection program described in 5.3.4.3 and data evaluation shall be completed prior to delivery of the first production aircraft to estimate the extent of required production changes and retrofit. It may be advantageous to continue testing beyond the minimum requirement to: 1) determine life-extension capabilities, 2) validate design-life capability for usage that is more severe than design usage, 3) validate repairs, modifications, inspection methods, and changes, 4) support damage-tolerance requirements, and 5) determine the onset of WFD. In the event the original schedule for the production
decision and production delivery milestones becomes incompatible with the above schedule requirements, a study shall be conducted to assess the technical risk and cost impacts of changing these milestones. An important consideration in the durability test program is that it be completed at the earliest practical time, but after Critical Design Review (CDR).
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