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Evaluation of Loads from Operational Flight Maneuvers

The determination ofthedesign maneuverloads is largely speci-
fied in regulations independently of the maneuvers or missions
actually performed in operation.

For conventionally controlled Aircraft the regulations give the
time history of the control surface deflections and numerically
define several essential maneuver— load parameters for the de-
termination of the design load level.

Obviously with the introduction of the fly—by—wire and/or acti-
ve control technology, as well as care free maneuvering features,
recent specifications no longer define the control surface deflec-
tions but rather provide the cockpit displacements of the con-
trols in the cockpit.

This means that existing design load regulations and specifica-
tions based on conventional aircraft configurations, structural
design concepts and control system technologies, may not be
adequate to ensure the structural integrity of future military air-
craft configurations using novel control methods, structural
concepts and combat tactics.

In service, maneuvers, especially combat maneuvers, are flown
in accordance with practiced rules that lead to specified motions
of the aircraft. In Germany, an evaluation of operational flight
maneuvers has been made for three aircraft types flown by the
GAP with the aim of deriving operational loads by applying pa-
rameters measured in operational flights. This data was used as
a data base. For the maneuvers evaluated, a normalization of the
relevant parameters of motions was feasible, and the results
could be verified in a maneuver model.

Within the scope of this evaluation, an attempt has been made
to find a way of load analysis from operational maneuvers in ad-
dition to the applicable design specifications. The evaluation is
based on the assumption that it should be possible to standardize
the several maneuvers trained and flown by NATO Air Forces.
Specifically, this means that it should be possible to find a stan-
dardized time history for each type of maneuver, which is inde-
pendent of the extreme values of the relevant parameters.