A SUMS Based Usage Spectrum for the UH-60M ITE Equipped Black Hawk

Previous work documented the use of IVHMS data on the U.S. Army's fleet of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to update the fatigue lives of six specific components on the A/L and M models. This paper documents a significant expansion of the level of data applied to the usage spectrum, as well as applying it to all components on the aircraft. As a design spectrum for the yet to be fielded Improved Turbine Engine (ITE) equipped UH-60M, changes due to new engine capability needed to be addressed. The new spectrum has been developed and is being used for planning of flight testing. The spectrum along with flight test loads will be used to generate fatigue lives for the new aircraft. Once deployed for several years the spectrum will be reviewed to determine if any changes are needed. This work highlights what the Army considers to be the most significant issues when applying monitored usage to critical fatigue components, and rationale for dealing with issues such as insufficient data for various purposes.