Flight-by-Flight Spectrums

Flight-by-flight spectrum testing, also called fatigue testing, occurs after initial certification testing and concurrently with flight testing. Fatigue tests may involve a full-scale airframe or a series of partial structures (wing, fuselage, empennage) and components. In general, fatigue tests replicate the variety of veering conditions structures are expected to experience during operation.

The goal of fatigue testing is to simulate flights as quickly as possible to understand how the structure will perform over the expected life of the aircraft. These tests run for years, so it is critical to conduct tests and make fatigue information available as rapidly as possible. Because flight-by-flight spectrum tests are designed to reveal data about the long-term reliability of the aircraft, they involve lower loads than static testing. However, proper application of these loads to compliant structures is extremely complex, as is data capture.

MTS is the industry leader in fatigue testing for the aerospace industry. With our experience, expertise and innovative testing technology, MTS can provide everything manufacturers need to accelerate test schedules without compromising accuracy. Specific offerings include:

• High-performance, fatigue-rated actuators
• State-of-the-art software that seamlessly integrates control and data acquisition 
   channels and is optimized for large channel counts and large amounts of data
• Innovative data analysis tools, including trend monitoring and profile self-optimization
• Cross-coupling compensation to account for complex interactions of the airframe
   and maintain accurate loading
•  Versatile digital controllers for high-speed, real-time 
   closed loop control, data acquisition, function generation and transducer conditioning