The Inspection of Damaged Airframes: An Outline of Some of the Means Available for the Assessment of Repairs Available to Purchase

ONE of the most difficult jobs in airframe repair is that of the inspector whose duty it is to detect and assess damage to the airframe structure, and this article is an attempt to review the many problems and difficulties with which he is faced when inspecting damage of the type caused by enemy action or heavy landings. I have not dealt with damage due to such causes as wear in moving parts, as their inspection is regularly undertaken as part of the normal maintenance routine and no new problems are likely to arise; crash‐landing damage, on the other hand, is generally a much more difficult job than enemy‐action damage from the inspector's point of view, and it is therefore dealt with at greater length.