Flight service evaluation of advanced composite ailerons on the L-1011 transport aircraft

This report covers flight service evaluation of composite inboard ailerons on the L-1011 under contract NAS1-15069 for a period of five years. This is the fifth and final annual report of the maintenance evaluation program, and covers the period from July 1986 when the fourth yearly inspections were completed, through May 1987. Four shipsets of graphite/epoxy composite inboard ailerons were installed on L-1011 aircraft for this maintenance evaluation program. These include two Delta and two TWA aircraft. A fifth shipset of composite ailerons was installed in 1980 on Lockheed's flight test L-1011. The previous four annual inspections had been visual exterior inspections only. For this final inspection, the lower covers were removed for access and both interior and exterior surfaces, spars and ribs, and fastener holes were inspected. No damage or defects were observed on any of the composite ailerons, and no maintenance actions had occurred except for repainting of areas with paint loss. Flight hours on the airline components at the time of inspection ranged from 14,597 to 17,180 hours, after approximately 5 years of service