CORRELATION BETWEEN STRESS PATTERN ANALYSIS BY THERMAL EMISSION (SPATE) TEST AND FINITE-ELEMENT MODELING (FEM) FOR THE AH-1W TAILBOOM

SPATE tests have provided useful information for model correlation. Both the coarse and fine-grid overall stiffnesses in the fore/aft and lateral directions agree with test. Stress distribution agreement has been improved by adding mesh density and separating layers where SPATE results indicated a stress discontinuity; remaining deviations between SPATE and FEM provide information as to how the FEM should be changed to improve correlation in these areas. Comparing SPATE tests of the external doubler for two different aircraft also points out that some variability between test articles should be expected, and that care should be taken when adjusting a general FEM to match test results that the FEM remains representative of the design, rather than a specific test article.