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A graphite/epoxy composite rudder for the Gulfstream Aerospace G-III executive jet aircraft was designed, tested and certified by the Lockheed-Georgia Company. The design replaces a conventional skin-stiffened aluminum structure, and achieves a 50% increase in acoustic fatigue life with a 22% weight savings. The design incorporates an innovative rib cap design with greatly improved fatigue and damage resistance over conventional composite rib cap designs. Details of the design as well as the FAA certification plan are presented in this paper. The certification plan, based on FAA Advisory Circular No. 20-107 (Reference 1), outlined the design details as well as all requirements for element, component and full-scale testing. Both static and acoustic fatigue element and component tests were conducted, with applied impact damage representive of initially detectable damage levels that could be incurred in the rudder skins.

This paper describes the results of parametric design studies of the application of filamentary composite materials in the structure of high-subsonic-speed transport aircraft. System costs and weight savings are presented as a function of percent utilization of composite materials from zero to 80%. The weight savings potential of composites for direct material substitution and for resized aircraft show gains of up to 25 and 50%, respectively. The state-of-the-art in structural design, analysis, fabrication, and test is discussed. Structural design concepts are shown and test validation is given, along with cost analyses.

During the early part of 1967 the Lockheed-Georgia Co. initiated a program to determine the feasibility of utilizing the Lockheed JetStar as a trainer for airline pilots in order to reduce the flight time required in line equipment. Most U.S. airlines were contacted; airlines, as well as FAA operations personnel, evaluated the airplane in flight as a trainer, and participated in developing the techniques to provide the most useful training. This paper summarizes the development of this program and presents some preliminary conclusions on the economic advantages gained from utilizing the small jet in the airline training syllabus. Some discussion of the future development of the small jet required to simulate such aircraft as the 747 and SST is also included.