FAA AC 23-13 : 2005
Current
The latest, up-to-date edition.
FATIGUE, FAIL-SAFE, AND DAMAGE TOLERANCE EVALUATION OF METALLIC STRUCTURE FOR NORMAL, UTILITY, ACROBATIC, AND COMMUTER CATEGORY AIRPLANES
Hardcopy , PDF
English
01-01-2005
1 What is the purpose of this AC?
2 What is incorporated in this AC and, thereby, superseded?
3 What is the background for this AC and what time period
does this AC cover?
4 How should the information contained in this AC be applied?
5 What regulations are discussed in this AC?
6 What other publications are related to this AC?
7 What are the definitions for the common terms used in this
AC?
CHAPTER 1 SMALL AIRPLANE FATIGUE REGULATIONS
1-1 What is the goal of the small airplane fatigue requirements?
1-2 How have the fatigue requirements changed over time?
1-3 Can you summarize the current fatigue regulations for small
airplanes?
1-4 Which metallic components should I include in the fatigue
evaluation?
1-5 Are the small airplane fatigue regulations different in
other countries?
1-6 How do I show compliance to the fatigue requirements for
alterations, modifications, or changes to the design?
CHAPTER 2 SAFE-LIFE FATIGUE EVALUATION
2-1 What is a safe-life fatigue evaluation?
2-2 What is the definition of failure in a safe-life
structure?
2-3 What are the steps in evaluating the safe-life of a
structure?
2-4 What loading spectra should I use?
2-5 How were the load spectra in Appendix 1 developed?
2-6 Can I use other loading spectra in place of the Appendix
1 spectra?
2-7 What should I consider in developing a mission profile?
2-8 Does the FAA require a flight test to validate the loads
I use in my fatigue evaluation?
2-9 Does the FAA require validation of the stresses I use
in my fatigue evaluation?
2-10 How do I substantiate a fatigue safe-life with
full-scale fatigue tests?
2-11 What should I include in the test plan for my full-scale
fatigue tests?
2-12 Do I need to complete the test before the FAA will issue
the type certificate (TC)?
2-13 How do I calculate the fatigue safe-life using full-scale
fatigue test results?
2-14 How do I calculate the mean test life?
2-15 What are the scatter factors for full-scale fatigue tests?
2-16 What about statistical confidence intervals on full-scale
fatigue test results?
2-17 What counts as one test specimen, and what counts as two
test specimens?
2-18 Can I use a full-scale test scatter factor lower than that
obtained from Equation 4?
2-19 What about the '3-sigma' method of computing the safe-life?
2-20 How do you substantiate a fatigue safe-life with component
tests?
2-21 What loads do I apply in a component test?
2-22 For component testing, how many specimens do I need to test?
2-23 For component testing, what scatter factor should I use?
2-24 How do you substantiate a fatigue safe-life with analysis
supported by test evidence?
2-25 What are some concerns with substantiation by fatigue
analysis?
2-26 What scatter factors do I use in a fatigue analysis?
2-27 How can I extend the safe-life, or retirement life,
of my airplane?
CHAPTER 3 FAIL-SAFE DESIGN
3-1 What is a fail-safe design?
3-2 What is the history of fail-safe design?
3-3 How can I assure that my design complies with the
fail-safe design requirements?
3-4 What are some design considerations in achieving a
fail-safe design?
3-5 What is a Principal Structural Element?
3-6 How much fatigue damage should I consider in my
fail-safe evaluation?
3-7 How do I address inaccessible areas?
3-8 How do I account for dynamic effects?
3-9 How do I test principal structural elements?
3-10 Can I use analysis to substantiate a fail-safe design?
3-11 How do I select the critical areas?
CHAPTER 4 DAMAGE TOLERANCE EVALUATION
4-1 Are there any differences between the part 23 and part
25 damage tolerance regulations?
CHAPTER 5 ROTORBURST REQUIREMENTS
5-1 What are the requirements for turbine or turbopropeller
installations in small airplanes?
5-2 I thought there was not a discrete source damage
requirement in part 23?
CHAPTER 6 FLIGHT WITH KNOWN CRACKS
6-1 What is the purpose of this policy?
6-2 What is the policy for operational flight with known
cracks?
6-3 Are there any exceptions to this policy?
6-4 Which airplanes are covered by this policy?
6-5 What will the FAA consider before allowing operational
flight with known cracks?
REFERENCES
APPENDIX 1 FLIGHT AND GROUND LOAD SPECTRA
APPENDIX 2 S/N CURVES FOR ALUMINUM COMPONENTS
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