Automated Source Identification Using Modal Acoustic Emission

As defense budgets are reduced, military aircraft are being flown well beyond their expected lifetimes. An example of this is the Boeing B-52 bomber. Introduced in 1954, the B-52 is still one of the Air Force’s primary bomber aircraft, as evidenced in Desert Storm. Currently, it is expected to fly until the year 2024, well past is original design goal. Because of this extended duty, fatigue crack growth in the airframe has become a concern, and methods to detect these defects are being implemented.