Fractals and the lead crack airframe lifing framework

The physically short crack regime is primary region of interest in the design and sustainment of highly optimised metallic aircraft. The authors have previously shown that by characterising a fracture surface using fractals concept produces a crack growth model similar to that first proposed by Frost and Dugdale in 1958. This provides a scientific basis to the crack growth model. Further investigations revealed that for short cracks these models predict that crack growth is exponentially related to the applied load history. This observation has led to a practical aircraft lifing approach applicable to the short crack regime known as the lead crack framework. This paper summarises the fractality of metallic fracture surfaces, presents examples of the crack growth behaviour in complex structures, and summarises some useful crack growth tools.