Sharif Digital Repository

Many airlines operate different fleets under different service conditions. These aircraft fleets need to be maintained in service. Safety, reliability and economic reasons motivate manufacturers, airlines and airworthiness authorities to investigate about different approaches to aircraft maintenance. At first, corrective maintenance which was developed for other industries was used by the aircraft industry but due to increasing complexity of aircrafts and their systems the industry started using time based maintenance. After years of operation and fleet experience, this industry started developing a program of its own i.e., MSG-1, MSG-2 and MSG-3. These maintenance programs have been evolved... 

In this project, the structure of an aircraft and its sensitive areas has been studied for fatigue damages and then the design philosophies have been analyzed. Subsequently, relevant analysis and calculations have been conducted on a critically important part of the airframe (due to its location), which has suffered fatigue due to the age of the aircraft. This part belongs to the airframe of a Boeing 747, known as frame 360 in section 41 of the body of the aircraft, in which the numerous flight cycles have led to the creation and propagation of fatigue crack.
In the first stage of this project, the remaining life time of the frame has been estimated using theoretical relationships. In...