Flexible airplane structures in the presence of excitation forces may oscillate with bounded or unbounded motion. Vehicle safety and durability depend on control and reduction of this vibration. Designers can generally safeguard against its occurrence by tuning the airframe. Supplementing the design function are experimental studies that identify and verify dynamic response characteristics for aeroelastic and fatigue considerations.
This paper will discuss an experimental methodology which is based on fundamental engineering principles and basic laboratory instrumentation. Examples are included in an attempt to demonstrate the directness and efficiency obtainable.
