Damage tolerance demonstration testing for the Australian F/A-18

Over recent years Australia has been involved in a number of full-scale fatigue testing programs in support of the through-life structural integrity of the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) F/A-18 fleet. It was recognised early in the acquisition cycle that the certification testing conducted by the manufacturer failed to considered damage tolerance requirements and would be unlikely to cover the typically more severe and diverse RAAF operations. Given similar aircraft structural integrity management philosophies, major benefits were to be realised through collaboration with the Canadian Forces (CF). In particular, as fatigue testing under representative CF/RAAF loading was the basis for both countries’ structural integrity management, the International Follow-On Structural Test Project (IFOSTP) was successfully concluded. This paper emphasises the Australian components of IFOSTP, including the damage tolerance testing and demonstration for the aft fuselage that incorporated the simultaneous application of both manoeuvre and dynamic buffet loads. Many of the innovations and consequences of this work program are highlighted, and may be applicable to future fighter aircraft structural integrity programs.