The use of calibrated strain gauges for flight load determination

Abstract

An American statistical technique was evolved for the measurement of flight loads, but is of restricted use when applied to low aspect ratio multispar structures. This Report describes a modification in which a mixture of distributed loads (assembled by superposition of individual loads) and individual loads together with their corresponding strain gauge responses is used as a regression sample. This method is demonstrated on test results from a flight programme to measure fin loads on a Lightning aircraft.