Apache AH Mk1 ODR

The UK MoD is mandated to perform an Operational Data Recording (ODR) Exercise within two years of a platform's In-service date. The ODR program is required in order to ensure the continued airworthiness of the aircraft by comparing the actual in-service flight loads to the original design assumptions from the Design Usage Spectrum (DUS). For the Apache AH Mk1, it was decided to use a limited suite of strain gauges to measure loads and stresses that are processed to calculate fatigue damage. An instrumentation package consisting of 34 primary and 34 backup channels was designed and installed in the three ODR aircraft. As a secondary goal for the ODR exercise, the use of regime recognition results will be evaluated as an alternative to measured loads to perform the function of the ODR exercise. Three ODR aircraft have been delivered and data from three ODR flights have been received and processed.