|
First, no...I am not an engineer. But aircraft do fly with known cracks (at least in the military realm). I worked as both a machinist/welder and managed a NDI (Non-Destructive Inspection) Lab and know for a fact that some structural elements on aircraft are allowed to crack. It's quite common to find cracks, schedule hourly inspections and track crack progression. Once the crack gets to the known fatigue limit...parts are replaced or repairs are made.
|