Test Facility for Evaluation of Structural Integrity of Stiffened & Jointed Aircraft Curved Panels

Summary

A new test facility for evaluating the fatigue and fracture strength of stiffened and jointed aircraft fuselage panels has been built at Foster-Miller. The test fixture can accommodate 40-deg curved sector panels of 120 in. in length and 58 in. in width. Internal pressure loading up to 20 psi and corresponding longitudinal and hoop restraining loads can be applied. Cyclic pressurization loads can be used for fatigue studies. The stress distribution in the full-size round fuselage structure can be accurately simulated in the central region of the test panel. Internal pressurization fluid can be air or water. The test facility is initially intended for (i) identifying causative factors contributing to multiple site damage in curved structures, (ii) generating fatigue data for comparing with the data from flat coupons, (iii) evaluating the residual strength of old aircraft panels, and (iv) validating the finite element based theoretical model currently being developed by Foster-Miller.