IMPACT OF ACTIVE CONTROLS TECHNOLOGY ON STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY

This article summarizes the findings of an investigation conducted und er the auspices of the technical cooperation program (TTCP) to assess the impact of active controls technology on the structural integrity o f aeronautical vehicles, and to evaluate the present state-of-the-art for predicting loads caused by a flight-control system modification an d the resulting change in the fatigue life of the flight vehicle. Impo rtant points concerning structural technology considerations implicit in applying active controls technology in new aircraft are summarized. These points are well founded and based upon information received fro m within the aerospace industry and government laboratories, acquired by sponsoring workshops which brought together experts from contributi ng and interacting technical disciplines, and obtained by conducting a case study to independently assess the state of the technology. This article concludes that communication between technical disciplines is absolutely essential in the design of future high-performance aircraft .