Foundations of an Army Helicopter Structural Integrity Program

An Army helicopter structural integrity program will establish a set of formal regulations, standards, and specifications to ensure that structural integrity receives attention early in the concept definition phase and is an integral part of the design, testing, and operation of the system. The current rotorcraft design and development specifications are outdated and require extensive revision to keep pace with emerging technologies. It is recommended that the Army establish the degrees of conservativeness to be used in design by specifying an overall statistical reliability as a design goal. A statistically based design requirement is compatible with any chosen design methodology, and it provides the Army with a means to establish, evaluate, and substantiate structural integrity. The acquisition of operational data will provide a continual assessment of the in-service integrity and a basis for determining logistics and fleet planning requirements. A structural integrity program must also ensure that the appropriate data is made available to the contractor, thus requiring an active, iterative process between the Army and the contractor that will allow the design engineer to verify and substantiate his design.