Comparative Study of the Mechanical and Fatigue Behavior of Aluminum Alloys in Aircraft Fuselages
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31272/jeasd.2701Keywords:
Aircraft Fuselage, Aluminum Alloys, Fatigue Life, Mechanical PropertiesAbstract
Aluminum alloys are widely used in aircraft fuselages due to their high strength, light weight, and corrosion resistance. This paper investigates the fatigue and mechanical properties of two aluminum alloys, AA2014 and AA7075-T651, to improve the durability of aircraft fuselages, particularly in high-stress areas such as fuselage joints. Tensile and fatigue tests were conducted according to ASTM E8M-16a and E466 standards in order to determine the properties of the materials in this research. In these tests, the yield (YS), elastic parameter (E), tensile strength (UTS), ductility, and fatigue life were measured under constant and variable load conditions. AA7075-T651 shows a 17% higher yield strength and a 16% higher fatigue strength than AA2014, according to the results. For instance, at 244 MPa, AA7075-T651 endured over 400,000 cycles compared to less than 16,000 cycles for AA2014. The investigation of fatigue crack growth showed that small cracks in AA7075-T651 propagate faster than long cracks due to microstructural interactions. AA7075-T651 exhibited better corrosion resistance than AA2014. These findings indicate that AA7075-T651 is highly suitable for critical, high-pressure aircraft components and contributes to improved safety, longevity, and performance in aerospace applications.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Zainab H. Lafta, Khuder N. Abed, Saad T. Faris (Author)
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