The AV-8B Fatigue Test Program

As part of the AV-8B Full Scale Development Program, a structural fatigue test program was conducted from 1982 through 1984. The test program included a full-scale airframe fatigue test and auxiliary fatigue tests of primary metal and composite structural components. The tests simulated 12,000 hours (two lifetimes) of severe usage and were successfully completed within cost and ahead of schedule. The AV-8B fatigue design philosophy, the load spectra, the fatigue tests, and the test methods are examined in this paper. The paper describes how the unique aspects of the VSTOL aircraft were addressed, and how the problems encountered during the testing were resolved.