Aircraft survivability must be considered during preliminary design and during every succeeding phase of airplane subsystem and airframe construction. To enhance survivability a minimization of vulnerability of critical systems and components must be designed and engineered into the aircraft system.
Some areas wherein design application can reduce vulnerability of aircraft are crew protection as well as structural and fuel system components. Experience in southeast Asia indicates that many aircraft losses occur due to vulnerability of flight control systems to ground fire.
This paper reviews in detail design parameters for hydraulic logic isolation elements, emergency flight control techniques, less flammable fluids, and integrated actuator packages which, together with redundancy and dispersion techniques, will increase the survivability potential of flight control systems.
In conclusion, a systematic design procedure must be developed for all critical systems in the aircraft to assure that survivability is given prime consideration during the complete design cycle.