NDTnet 1998 Aug, Vol.3 No.8

Abstract

The results obtained using Non-Destructive Testing on a thirty years old military aircraft, having more than 4500 flight hours, almost 80% of safe life, are described.
For this regard, Tear-Down Inspections of some mainly stressed components during inservice life, such as Fuselage Centre Section and Tailplane, were performed by using methods of investigation as eddy current, liquid penetrant, ultrasonic, X-rays and magnetic methods. To obtain a good reliability on the inspection of some critical areas of components as the Stabilizer Main Spar, the Spacers and the Lower Beam Holes of the Fuselage Centre Section, more than one method has been used. The results of investigation have showed the good state of conservation of the aircraft, exspecially if compared with the results of structures of similar military aircraft investigated by australian researchers.

The results of this work will be used in the "Structural Maintenance of Ageing Aircraft" BRITE-EURAM program, aimed to get information about phenomena that involve the structures of aircraft that have reached the end of the project life with the purpose of extend the life itself, achieving a high level of safety.

Abstract Source:
Book of Abstracts, 7th European Conference on Non-Destructive Testing, 26-29 May 1998, ISBN: 87-986898-0-00

Full-Text Source:
Proceedings of the 7th European Conference on Non-Destructive Testing, 26-29 May 1998, ISBN:

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