TORNADO LIFE EXTENSION PROGRAMME

摘要

Tornado is the primary strike aircraft for UK, Germany and Italy and was designed and subsequently certified to an assumed duty cycle based on a combination of typical cold war mission profiles. The Nations have stated their continued requirement to operate the Tornado aircraft beyond its original life to the year 2020+. The environment and duty cycle to which the in-service aircraft operate are known to be different from the assumptions used during the original design; this is a significant factor in the approach to re-certification and flying within the original clearance. The Life Extension programme addresses three primary aspects: structure, engine and equipment. A safety case based approach is being utilized to identify safety relevant areas and sub-systems. Specific re-qualification activities are underway to confirm that the risk of operating the aircraft to an extended life remains within acceptable bounds. The definition of a common approach for the three Nations, who not only have different usage patterns but also have different national policies for certification, has provided an added dimension to the project. An essential requirement of the task is the need to provide clearances that allow each airforce to define and plan their respective support activities without major disruption to front line operations. The lessons learnt are discussed, highlighting the close partnership required between Industry and Services/Nations in order to meet the overall objectives of the Life Extension programme.