For

aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines ...

specification calculation in

aeronautics Aeronautics is the science or art involved with the study, design, and manufacturing of air flight–capable machines, and the techniques of operating aircraft and rockets within the atmosphere. The British Royal Aeronautical Society identifies ...

, limit load (LL) is the maximum load factor authorized during flight, Mathematically, limit load is LL = LLF x W, where LL = limit load, LLF = limit load factor, and W = weight of the aircraft. Limit load is constant for all weights above design

gross weight In science and engineering, the weight of an object is the force acting on the object due to gravity. Some standard textbooks define weight as a vector quantity, the gravitational force acting on the object. Others define weight as a scalar qua ...

. The limit load factor is reduced if gross weight is increased. But the LLF cannot be increased if the gross weight is decreased below the design gross weight. Engine mounts and other structural members are designed for the nominal LLF. The nominal or limit load B_n is the load which should only occur once (or only a very few times) during the lifetime of an

. B_n may therefore only occur once during (e.g.) 60,000 hours of flying. No

plastic deformation In engineering, deformation refers to the change in size or shape of an object. ''Displacements'' are the ''absolute'' change in position of a point on the object. Deflection is the relative change in external displacements on an object. Strain ...

is allowed at this level of a load. The limit load can be found relatively easily by statistically analysing the data collected during the many hours of logged flights (which is continuously being gathered).

References

Aeronautics {{aviation-stub

See also

References