The objective of the handbook is to serve as a practical reference guide to aircraft usage and operational statistics that can be used to establish rational repeated loads criteria for aircraft structure. The aircraft structure is understood to include the fuselage, wing, empennage, landing gear, control system and surfaces, engine mounts, and structural operating mechanisms. The handbook will consolidate available aircraft usage and operational statistics obtained from many in-service aircraft into a single document. It is intended to serve as a reference document for those individuals charged with developing aircraft usage and repeated load spectra. The information in the handbook will allow those individuals to make intelligent selection of the expected operating statistics where such information is not otherwise readily available. It will allow the determination of repeated loads for new designs or for use in the evaluation of previously designed aircraft. The handbook is divided into eight separate volumes. Volume 1 covers the criteria and methodology used in the derivation of usage and operational statistics from measured data. Successive volumes cover seven main aircraft categories consisting of refueling, cargo, bomber, fighter, attack, trainer, and special aircraft. For each aircraft within a category the specific volume of the handbook includes statistical data for four loading environments consisting of aircraft mission usage, ground operations, flight operations and system operations are shown. Also included, is a listing of the recorded parameters used to derive the loading statistics.
