Flight Loads Development

The stress analysis of a flight vehicle, or any flight rated hardware for that matter, consists of a rigorous analytical process used to determine if the hardware is capable of withstanding the design flight environment.

The analytical process is generally substantiated by a thorough qualification and acceptance test program used to validate many of the assumptions used during the design and analysis phases of the hardware development. One of the first items on the process to be completed is the development of the flight environment and subsequent life cycle loads analysis.

Once the general flight requirements have been established, the flight loads can be derived. Colley Aerospace can generate all of the environments and subsequent loads used to support the design and analysis of the flight hardware. Using numerical solutions, closed-form solutions, and evaluations of flight test data, we can generate the following loads to support the development of your flight hardware:

• Sound Pressure Levels Induced by Aerodynamic Buffeting
• Sound Pressure Levels Induced by a Rocket Motor
• Aerodynamic Loads on the Vehicle
• Core Vehicle Loads (i.e. Axial, Shear, Bending, and Torsion)
• Pressure Distributions on the Vehicle
• Overpressure Due to Motor Ignition
• Flight Vehicle Separation Loads
• Sinusoidal Vibration Induced by a Rocket Motor
• Random Vibration for System Sections and Components
• Air Transportation Loads
• Truck Transportation Loads
• Ground Loads (Erection, Tanking, Wind, etc.)
• Transportation Shock
• Aerodynamic Heating on the Structure