Structural static test for validation of the structural integrity of an aircraft pylon

Aircraft components can only be mounted on an aircraft if the structural integrity has been validated under flight load conditions. Among the major components of an aircraft, a pylon is a structure that connects external equipment such as an engine and external attachments (e.g., instruments or weapons) to the main wing of an aircraft. The loads acting on the pylon are transmitted to the main structure of the aircraft. Pylons play a key role in the requirements of aircraft structure, aerodynamics, hydraulics, and electrical systems. In civilian aircraft, pylons also play a role in preventing fire from spreading to the wings in the case of a fire near an engine. This study presents the results of structural static tests performed to validate the structural integrity of a pylon used to mount external fuel tanks and weapons in military aircraft under all loading conditions. Test requirements consisting of flight-load and drop-load conditions are explained in the main text. A test set-up diagram consisting of test fixtures, hydraulic pressure unit, load control equipment, and data acquisition equipment is presented. Moreover, the software needed to control the actuator loads is introduced and the test load profiles for each test load condition are provided. As a result of the structural static test, it is shown that the actuator loads were properly controlled within the allowable error range in each test. It was also confirmed that the behavior of the pylon was well predicted through numerical analysis by comparing the results of the numerical analysis and the structural tests of the main parts of the test specimen. Moreover, it was found that the test specimen did not cause damage or buckling, which would cause serious structural defects for the required load. In conclusion, by performing structural static tests on the design limit load and the design ultimate load, it was proved that the newly developed pylon had sufficient static strength under all load conditions during flight.(c) 2022 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.