Structural Integrity Recording System (SIR) for U.S. Army AH-1G Helicopters
Abstract
A Structural Integrity Recording System (SIRS) was designed and developed to track the fatigue damage accumulation on 10 critical helicopter components for the subsequent timely replacement of such components for safer and more economical helicopter operation. SIRS comprises three discrete but interrelated subsystems: an airborne microprocessor-based recorder, a portable flight-line data retrieval unit, and a software system. The validation of SIRS, initially configured for the AH-1G helicopter, consisted of two phases. Phase I (Development Test and Evaluation - DT E) covered the design, fabrication, laboratory qualification testing, reliability analysis, and flight-testing of the prototype SIRS recorder. Phase II (Initial Operational Test and Evaluation - IOT E) covered the evaluation of the entire system operation and the resultant data acquired during a 3-month recording period with five AH-1G's, each equipped with a SIRS recorder. As the documentation of both DT E and IOT E, this report describes the characteristics and functions of the entire system and details the successful performance of the SIRS recorder in the laboratory qualification testing and the flight environment. The SIRS recorder performed as designed, operated reliably, and yielded valid data.
- Publication:
-
Final Report
- Pub Date:
- March 1981
- Bibcode:
- 1981tein.rept.....F
- Keywords:
-
- Ah-1g Helicopter;
- Airframes;
- Component Reliability;
- Damage Assessment;
- Data Recording;
- Fatigue Life;
- In-Flight Monitoring;
- Computer Programs;
- Data Processing;
- Microprocessors;
- Pressure Sensors;
- Tables (Data);
- Instrumentation and Photography