The Israeli air force is testing a system developed in-house to monitor the manoeuvres of its helicopters in order to inform more efficient fatigue treatments.
A team of Israeli air force engineers designed the new system after industry had failed to offer a solution, and the equipment is now in flight-test, says a senior service official. The plan is to install the system on all of the air force's helicopters following the completion of test activities, the source adds.
Until now, helicopter pilots have been required to self-report carrying out any manoeuvres that have a "fatigue potential". Operational experience has proved that this method is insufficient.
Air force engineers have also developed a "smart patch": an electronic chip that is attached to crack-prone fuselage sections of an aircraft and produces early warning about their emergence.
Source: Flight International