DEVELOPMENT OF A COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT RESIDUAL LIFE MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

ECONOMIC FACTORS CONTINUE TO RESULT IN COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT BEING OPERATED WELL BEYOND THEIR INITIAL DESIGN LIFE. FURTHER, EACH OF THESE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCES A SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT LOADS AND ENVIRONMENT HISTORY. IN ORDER TO ACCURATELY CALCULATE THE REMAINING LIFE FOR ANY GIVEN AIRCRAFT, AND THEREBY PERMIT IT TO OPERATE SAFELY BEYOND ITS INITIAL DESIGN LIFE, THE HISTORY OF THAT AIRCRAFT MUST BE KNOWN. BASELINE SOFTWARE IS CURRENTLY IN PLACE TO SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF THE REQUIRED LIFE MONITORING SYSTEM. A PHASE I PROGRAM HAS BEEN SET FORTH FOR DEVELOPING A GENERALIZED SOFTWARE PACKAGE WHICH CAN TREAT MULTIPLE LOCATIONS, IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF AN AIRCRAFT, FOR LIFE AND CRACK GROWTH ANALYSIS. THIS PROGRAM WILL ALSO ANALYZE EXISTING FULL-SCALE COMPONENT TEST DATA TO PROVIDE INPUT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND EMONSTRATION OF THE SOFTWARE PACKAGE. EXISTING FLIGHT DATA RECORDER SYSTEMS WILL BE EVALUATED FOR THEIR COMPATIBILITY WITH THE END PRODUCT AND A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR FULL-SCALE PHASE II VALIDATION WILL BE SET FORTH. THIS PHASE II PROGRAM WILL INCLUDE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE AIRBORNE AND ON THE GROUND SOFTWARE, INCORPORATION OF THE AIRBORNE SOFTWARE DIRECTLY ON A CHIP THAT CAN BE INTERFACED WITH THE SELECTED FLIGHT DATA RECORDER, AND REAL-TIME, ON AIRCRAFT DEMONSTRATION OF THE SYSTEM