ASSIGNMENT-1

ABHISHEK KULKARNI (13029)

Q. Why I want to learn about Aircraft Structural Integrity?
Being a future Aerospace Engineer Ive learnt a lot regarding an Airplane. I learned the
Aerodynamics which accounts for Lift and Drag of the Aircraft. Also I learned about various
structural components of an aircraft and the stress in each member and how it responds under
given stress conditions. And Flight Mechanics taught me about the various stability conditions
which are required for an aircraft. At last we learned about the engine that we use in aircraft to
provide thrust and we learned about various engines and their efficiencies. So, basically we have
everything required to finally manufacture an aircraft. Finally the question which remains after
all of this is, how long will my aircraft fly after Ive manufactured it? Will my aircraft fly forever
or will it fail after sometime? If yes, When? These are very important questions regarding an
aircraft and not after we have manufactured it but these are very important questions which
should be considered before I even start thinking of manufacturing an aircraft.
One major item of an air vehicle system that affects its operational readiness is the condition of
the structure. The complete structure, the airframe, includes the fuselage, wing, empennage,
landing gear, control systems and surfaces, engine section, nacelle, air induction, weapon
mount(if any), engine mounts, structural operating mechanisms, and other components. The
capabilities, condition, and operational limitations of the airframe of each air vehicle must be
established to maintain operational readiness. Potential structural or material problems must be
identified early in the life-cycle to minimize their impact on the operational force, and a
preventive maintenance program must be determined to provide for the orderly scheduling of
inspections and replacement or repair of life-limited elements of the airframe. Therefore the one
thing which I want to learn from this course is to ensure that the appropriate criteria and planned
usage are applied to an air vehicle design so that the specific operational requirements are met.
Another important criteria which should be incorporated in the design is Damage Tolerance. The
airframe should incorporate materials, stress levels and structural configurations which
minimizes the probability of loss of aircraft due to undetected structural damage( such as cracks,
corrosion etc.). This design methodology is required as there will be undetected flaws which can
exist in critical structural components despite all the measures taken during design and
fabrication.
Finally, even after learning so much about an aircraft, I cannot design an aircraft without
learning about the Structural Integrity of an Aircraft. In order to learn the answers to the above
questions, which I hope will make me a complete Structural Engineer someday, I want to learn
about Aircraft Structural Integrity.