04.1 - Aerospace Grade Materials, Structural Analysis, Fatigue and Damage Tolerance

FIVE DEACADES OF T-38 WING TEARDOWNS: DATA, INSIGHT, AND IMPACT

T. Moran¹, I. Grothe¹, C. King, United States Air Force, United States; L. Hunt¹, P. Clark¹; ¹Southwest Research Institute, United States

For five decades, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and the United States Air Force (USAF) have been performing wing teardowns that drive design improvements, damage tolerant analysis refinement, risk assessments, and maintenance plans. These efforts have extended the fleet’s lifespan providing vital insights into aging aircraft durability and supporting 64 years of USAF pilot training operations.

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DOI: 10.71945/icas2026_0830