Abstract:
The effects of rate and duration of loading on the structural strength of aircraft have been investigated by comparing the failing loads of both wooden and metal tailplanes when tested at different rates of loading, the duration of test varying from about 6 seconds to 3¾ hours. With wooden structures, differences in strength due to rate of loading were much less than those predicted from the results of American tests on wood. With metal structures neither rate of loading nor sustained high loading had any appreciable effect on the failing load.
