A Study on the Test Load Simulation Technique for T-50 Full Scale Durability Test

The general requirements to achieve the structural integrity of the airframe are described in the military specification, MIL-HDBK-1530. One of these requirements is the durability and damage tolerance of the airframe, which should be shown through the analysis and test based on the related specifications. This paper describes the full scale durability test load simulation to evaluate the structural safety and durability of the advanced trainer, T-50. The test load simulation was performed according to the procedure in the military specification and the KAF contract requirements. The durability test design technique which involve the floating test set-up, the optimal test load simulation method, and the 6-DOF test article balance method to secure the real flight conditions as many as possible. It was confirmed that this method will be available in a similar full-scale airframe structural test in future.