The Definition of the Load Spectrum for SU-22 Fighter-Bomber Full Scale Fatigue Test

The Su-22 fighter-bomber is a military aircraft used in the Polish Air Force since the mid 1980’s. By the decision of the Polish Ministry of Defense the predicted service life for this type of aircraft will be extended to 3200 flight hours. Due to the fact that some aircraft were nearing the end of the service life guaranteed by the manufacturer, the actual service life, determined based on the flight profile in the Polish Air Force, had to be validated. Consequently, the Full Scale Fatigue Test (FSFT) had to be carried out in order to verify that the required service life was attainable.

This article describes the process of preparation of the load spectra used in the Su-22 FSFT. Due to the fact that the Su-22 has a variable sweep wing the whole test was divided into three Stages (landing, flight and flap loads) carried out at different wing sweep angles (30°/45°/30°).

The spectra were developed using the historical data gathered from Flight Data Recorders (FDR), strain signals acquired during the Operational Load Monitoring program (OLM) and aerodynamic calculations.