Looking into the future with NDT

SAE 100 Future look: The need for systemized inspection in the aircraft industry did not arise until the dramatic increase in air travel that took place in the late 1940s.

Not only were pilots, aircrew, and passengers strained after long flights over hostile areas, but aircraft stresses increased as propulsion changed from propeller to turbo jet and materials such as advanced metal alloys and composites started to find increasing application.

Inspection procedures were introduced that at first were often little more than intense visual examinations. Even today, more than 80% of airframe maintenance inspections are visual, but advanced nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques now play a critical role in identifying and sizing defects during manufacture and throughout equipment service life, as governed by airworthiness certifying agencies.