Abstract

Today’s practice of airframe structure design and development, including certification, continues to rely heavily on extensive Physical Testing (PT) to validate analysis methods and substantiate structural capability.Within the aerospace industry this type of compliance has resulted in unparalleled levels of safety in aviation when compared to all other transportation industries.However, due to the ever-growing incorporation of new technologies and the expansion of the recommended flight envelopes, aircraft development costs and time to market have increased drastically.The traditional way of certifying aircraft structures, with extensive reliance on PT to demonstrate compliance, is affecting the ability to innovate and offer new products to market in an efficient timeframe.Additionally, the use of Modelling and Simulation (M&S) in the development of aerospace products has seen significant advancements in the past 20 years, and this trend is expected to continue in the coming years. This development will enable Certification Applicants to bring products to market quicker and support the introduction of more innovation in products and M&S capabilities.While today’s certification processes are valid and acceptable, the industry should be prepared to enable M&S to play a more prominent role in the certification practices of tomorrow based on best practices for Verification and Validation (V&V) and a Credibility Assurance Framework (CAF) to support risk-informed applications of M&S.Torben Syberg will provide an overview of the “Airframe Structures M&S for Certification” Working Group and the Industry Standard they are developing.