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ST-A PER AFSWC LTR, 19 SEP 1973

THIS PAGE IS UNCLASSIFIED

 AFSWC-TR-68-31 AFSWC-TR-
68.31
CO
00
o
PROOF TESTING OF THE BRU-4/A BOMB RACK

00
^2^ Mahlon E. Traylor, Jr.

AIR FORCE SPECIAL WEAPONS CENTER

Air Force Systems Command
Kirtland Air Force Base
New Mexico

TECHNICAL REPORT NO. AFSWC-TR-68-31

January 1969
FE84 )9e3

TMi dociaant Is subjact to apaclal axport cootrola and aach transmittal

to foralgn govamsiants or foralgn nationals nay ba mads only with prior
approval of AFSWC (SWEE) . Kirtland ATb, W, 87117.

St I
AFSWC-TR-68-31

PROOF TESTING OF THE BRU-4/A BOMB IG'iCK

Mahlon E. Traylor, Jr.

TECHNICAL REPORT NO. AFSWC-TR-68-31

This document is subject to special

export controls and each transmittal
to foreign governments or foreign
nationals may be made only with prior
approval of AFSWC (SWTEE), Kirtland AFB,
NM, 87117. Distribution is limited
because of the technology discussed in
the report.
 H'-s-i ’t*- E"..

L
AFSWC-TR-68-31

AIR FORCE SPECIAL WEAPONS CENTER

Air Force Systems Command
Kirtland Air Force Base
New Mexico

When U. S. Ctovernment drawings, specifications, or other data are used for

any purpose other than a definitely related Government procurement operation,
the Goverment thereby incurs no responsibility nor any obligation whatsoever,
and the fact that the Government may have formulated, furnished, or in any
way supplied the said drawings, specifications, or other data, is not to be
regarded by implication or otherwise, as in any manner licensing the holder
or any other person or corporation, or conveying any rights or permission to
manufacture, use, or sell any patented invention that may in any way be
related thereto.
This report is made available for study with the understanding that
proprietary interests in and relating thereto will not be impaired. In
case of apparent conflict or any other questions between the Goverment's
rights and those of others, notify the Judge Advocate, Air Force Systems
Conmand, Andrews Air Force Base, Washington, D. C. 20331.

DO NOT RETURN THIS COPY. RETAIN OR DESTROY.

....
tfITI
•

. .

tWT.
AFSWC-TR-68-31

FOREWORD

This report was prepared under Project 324A06, Program Element 2.71.29.F,
by the Physical Engineering Branch of the Systems Engineering Division,
Directorate of Test and Engineering, Air Force Special Weapons Center. Testing
was performed at the request of the Air Force Weapons Laboratory (WLDM).

Testing was performed from 12 August to 2 October 1968. The report was
submitted by the Test Director, Mr. Mahlon E. Traylor, Jr. (SWTEE), in
December 1968.

Information in this report is embargoed under the Department of State

ITIARs. This report may be released to foreign governments by departments or
agencies of the US Government subject to approval of AFSWC (SWTEE), Kirtland
AFB, NM, 87117.

This technical report has been reviewed and is approved.

MAHLON E. TRAYLOR, JR
Test Director Chief, Systems Engineering Division

DAVID E. CHADWICK, Technical Advisor A. G. JWAN, Colonel, USAF

Directorate of Test and Engineering Director of Test and Engineering

ii
AFSWC-TR-68-31

ABSTRACT

(Distribution Limitation Statement No. 2)

The BRU-4/A is a modification of the MAU-12B/A universal bomb ejection rack.

The modification consists of replacing aluminum sideplates by steel sideplates,
strengthening the sway brace arms, and retrofitting higher strength shackles.
The purpose of this testing was to determine if the BRU-4/A bomb rack could
withstand certain specified F-lll flight loads. Test results prove that the
BRU-4/A can withstand these specified loads when they are appliad statically
in the laboratory.

iii
 ..i!« »i!’« »«tiifpíKfiifff'‘«rppf*

AFSWC-TR-68-31

CONTENTS

Page
Section

1
I TEST ITEM

2
II TEST PROCEDURE

4
III TEST RESULTS

5
IV CONCLUSIONS

6
APPENDIX

18
DISTRIBUTION

..
AFSWC-TR-68-31

ILLUSTRATIONS

Figure Page

1 Fuel Tank Test Setup 9

2 Spacer Block Detail 10

3 MER Hardware 11

4 Ejection Frame 12

5 Rack No. 1, Condition 1 13

6 Rack No. 1, Ultimate 14

7 Rack No. 1, Condition lb 15

8 Rack No. 1, Condition 2 16

9 Rack No. 2, Condition 3b 17

vi
AFSWC-TR-68-31

SECTION I

TEST ITEM

The BRU-4/A is a bomb rack which was developed by the Air Force Weapons

Laboratory (WLDM) for the purpose of providing the F-lll fighter-bomber with

a greater capability. During sampling tests on the MAU-12B/A universal bomb

rack it was discovered that the standard aluminum sideplates on this rack were

adversely affected by the heat associated with supersonic flight.* Further

testing revealed that the sway brace arms and shackles would fail under certain

F-lll mission profiles.** The AFWL, consequently, retrofitted sample MAU-12B/A

bomb racks with steel sideplates, stiffer sway brace arms, and stronger

shackles for testing to specified F-lll flight loads. The newly modified

MAU-12B/A is designated BRU-4/A.

The BRU-4/A is to provide the F-lll with the capability of carrying such

items as the Mk-43, the MER (Multiple Ejection Rack), or an auxiliary 600-

gallon fuel tank. Two pairs of mutually ..oupled hooks allow for weapon lug

spacing of either 30 or 14 inches. The payload can be forcibly ejected or

allowed to fall free from the aircraft. The BRU-4/A is compatible with a

variety of store casings whose external diameter is 10.7 inches to a maximum

of 33 inches. When forced ejection is used, the pistons which kick the weapon

free of the aircraft retract into the rack, thus presenting a clean profile

to the airstream. Another feature of this bomb rack is the nuclear safety

interlock which must be actuated before the store can be released. The weight

of the BRU-4/A is 75 pounds, or 8 pounds more than the MAU-12E/A with its

aluminum sideplates.

*Traylor, Mahlon E., Jr., Sample Testing of MAU-12B/A Bomb Ejection Rack.
AFSWC-TR-68-4, AF Special Weapons Center, Kirtland AFB, NM, July 1968.

**Traylor, Mahlon E., Jr., Proof Testing of Modified MAU-12B/A Bomb Rack.
AFSWC-TR-68-20, AF Special Weapons Center, Kirtland AFB, NM, October 1968.
AFSWC-TR-68-31

SECTION II

TEST PROCEDURE

To apply the static couples and axial loads specified, a large structural

steel frame is employed. Affixed to the frame and in line with the points of

resultant load application are hydraulic cylinders. Pressures in these cylin¬

ders are controlled by technicians at a hydraulic control console. Carefully

calibrated load cells are placed in seriei with the hydraulic cylinders and

are connected directly to electronic readout gages. These latter gages are

bridge balanced in such a manner as to enable each technicial to set his

cylinder pressure in terms of percent of total load. In this way, accurate

control of incremental application of force is maintained. Constant crosscheck

between cylinder pressure gages and electronic strain readings provides an

instant indication should anything go wrong with the test setup.

Response of the test specimen to these imposed loads is determined by

strain gage instrumentation. In the case of the BRU-4/A the location of

interest is on the sway brace arms at 1.5 inches from the sideplates. A

secondary location of interest is the actuating rods: the connecting links

from the centrally located actuating bell crank to the 14-inch shackles. When

such strain data are recorded, all channels are calibrated at zero load. The

sway brace pads are then torqued and a new zero reading is obtained. Load

application is interrupted at each 5 percent increment and all strains are

recorded on a fully automated printout up to specimen failure or full specified

load.

After 100 percent of the specified load for any given condition has been

achieved and held for 3 minutes, the load is released, the rack is fired to

assure that an unacceptable degree of distortion has not occurred, and the

test is repeated with the rack in the reversed orientation.

Figures 1 and 2 show a typical setup for the 600-gallon fuel tank test

pulls. The spacers under the sway brace pads provide the proper external

diameter simulation. Figure 3 shows how the actual HER hardware was employed

in the second series of pulls. Figure 4 is the self-contained ejection frame.

In this picture the rack is installed in an F-104 pylon and a 2,000-pound dummy

store is suspended from the rack. The box below the unit contains a sand

cushion into which the unit is fired.

2
 AFSWC-TR-68-31

The appendix contains the schedule of specified static pulls and the

manner in which the loads were applied.

3
AFSWC-TR-68-31

SECTION III

TEST RESULTS

Figure 5 is a plot of the strain readings from the sway brace arms on the

first static test pull of the simulated 600-gallon fuel tank. A marked non¬

linearity is demonstrated beyond 80 percent of maximum load. It is also

reasonable to assume that the locations of gages 5 and 6 were ¿trained well

beyond the elastic limit of the material. On the other hand, when the load was

removed from the rack there was absolutely no evidence of any hysteresis of

either the gage or the material. Figure 6 represents the strains resulting

from forces 30 percent higher than those associated with figure 5, and yet the

strains appear to be considerably less in every case. No attempt will be made

to explain the anomalous records, since in each case the rack exhibited a

completely elastic return to its pretest geometry. Figure 7, which is the

same pull with the rack reversed, appears to be more reasonable as compared

with figure 6. Pull No. 2, as represented by figure 8, apparently strained the

rack only to about half the values produced by the first pull.

Where the HER pulls (figures 4 through 7) are concerned, all of the plots

of the pulls are so similar in characteristics as to be almost congruent.

Considering the extreme diversity of imposed loads for various conditions, the

strain records again appear to be suspect. Figure 9 is presented as represent¬

ative of the other HER plots, although slightly higher. Strain records from

the actuating rods indicate strains of from one-fourth to one-third those of

the sway brace arm gages.

The Mk-43 load configurations were successfully tested under another

program.*

*Traylor, Mahlon E., Jr., Proof Testing of Modified MAU-12B/A Bomb Racks,
AFSWC-TR-68-20, AF Special Weapons Center, Kirtland AFB, NM, October 1968.

4
 ^nii 1IIIBII P WHWIIlMWiyiHWP-1

AFSWC-TR-68-31

SECTION IV

CONCLUSIONS

1. The BRU-4/A is structurally suitable to carry the Mk-43, the MER (multiple

ejection rack), and the 600-gallon fuel tank on the F-lll aircraft

2. Strain gage instrumentation, for this type of testing, may provide data for

rough comparison purposes but is not thought to be suitable for detailed

quantitative analytical purposes.

5
AFSWC-TR-68-31

APPENDIX

STATIC TEST SPECIFICATIONS

Pz

Pull Px P^ Pz Mz

1 3510 20,200 -14,150 335,800 -189,750

2 3510 14,680 -23,350 441,600 -126,500

3 4575 26,350 -18,450 438,000 -247,600

4 7590 25,890 -24,150 23,000 104,490

5 7590 26,900 -15,410 -103,500 51,090

6 7590 25,400 - 5,170 -212,750 16,590

7 9900 33,760 -31,500 30,000 136,100

NOTE: Loads are pounds; moments are pound-inches.

Pull No. 1 is Condition 1, 600-gallon fuel tank elastic limit load

Pull No. 2 is Condition 2, 600-gallon fuel tank elastic limit load

Pull No. 3 is 600-gallon fuel tank ultimate load

Pull No. 4 is Condition 1, HER elastic limit load

Pull No. 5 is Condition 2, HER elastic limit load

Pull No. 6 is Condition 3, HER elastic limit load

Pull No. 7 is HER ultimate load

6
 , "i" 'H

AFSWC-TR-68-31

Center of gravity locations for the above pulls:

1 through 3: 18.34 in. below and

15.00 in. aft of forward hook face

4 through 7: 16.40 in. below and

15.94 in. aft of forward hook face

The combinations of axial loads and moments were applied to the dummy units

as follows:

Pull No. 1

3,510 lb aft through eg

20,200 lb left, 9-3/8 in. aft of eg

14.150 lb down, 23-3/4 in. aft of eg

Pull No. 2

3,510 lb aft through eg

14,680 lb left, 8-5/8 in. aft of eg

23.350 lb down, 19 in. aft of eg

Pull No. 3

4,575 lb aft through eg

27.350 lb left, 9-3/8 in. aft of eg

18,450 lb down, 23-3/4 in. aft of eg

Pull No. 4

7,590 lb aft through eg

25,890 lb left, 4 in. fwd of eg

24.150 lb down, 1 in. aft of eg

Pull No. 5

7,590 Id aft through eg

26,900 lb left, 1-7/8 in. fwd of eg

15,410 lb down, 3-7/8 in. fwd of eg

7
AF SWC-TR-6 8-31

Pull No. 6

7,590 lb aft through cg

25,400 lb left, 5/8 in. fwd of cg

5,175 lb down, 41-1/8 in. fwd of cg

Pull No. 7

9,900 lb aft through cg

33,770 lb left, 4 in. fwd of cg

31,500 lb down, 1 in. aft of cg

8
AFSWC-TR-68-31

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Figure 4. Ejection Frame

12
 AFSWC-TR-68-31

PERCENT MAX.LOAD
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13
AFSWC-TR-68-31

PERCENT MAX. LOAD vO

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 AFSWC-TR-68-31

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Rack No. 1, Condition Ib

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Figure 7.
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15
 AFSWC-TR-68-31

FWD

16
PERCENT WAX. LOAD
 »

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AFSWC-TR-68-31
RtSW

Figure 9. Rack No. 2, Condition 3b

mm

«lÂ
 UNCLASSIFIED
Security Cl«»»ific»tion
DOCUMENT CONTROL DATA - R & D
(Stcurity c/rnttiflctfion oí tille, body of abstract and indexing annotation must be entered when the overall
1 ORIGINATING ACTIVITY (Corporate avihot) 2«. REPORT SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

Air Force Special Weapons Center (SWTEE) UNCLASSIFIED

Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico 87117 2Ò. GROUP

S REPORT TITLE

PROOF TESTING OF THE BRU-4/A BOMB RACK

4. DESCRIPTIVE NOTES (Type ot report and Incluaive dates)

-12 August-2 October 1968_

8 AUTMOR(S) (First name, middle Initial, last name)

Mahlon E. Traylor, Jr.

6 REPORT DATE 7a. TOTAL NO. OF PAGES 76. NO. OF REFS

.January
I«
8« CONTRA!
im.
CONTRACT OR GRANT NO
26
9«. ORIGINATOR'S REPORT NUMBER(S)
_

Ò. PROJEC T NO 324A06 AFSWC-TR-68-31

9b. OTHER REPORT NO(S) (Any other numbers that may be aasioned
this report)

10 r™.
DISTRIBUTION STATEMEN
. . . ,.
This document is subjeel: to special export controls and each trans-
mittal to foreign governments or foreign mitionals may be made only with prior approv-
al of AFSWC (SWTEE), Kirtland AFB, NM, 871] .7. Distribution is limited because of the
terhnnlnpy dlsniSRPH -fn the report.
Il- SUPPlEMÉfcfTARY NOTES 12. SPONSORING MILITARY ACTIVITY

AFSWC (SWTEE)
Kirtland AFB, NM 87117
13 ABSTRACT . . .. . _ _ . .

The BRU-4/A is a modification of the MAU-12B/A universal bomb ejection rack. The
modification consists of replacing aluminum sideplates by steel sideplates,
strengthening the sway brade arms, and retrofitting higher strength shackles. The
purpose of this testing was to determine if the BRU-4/A bomb rack could withstand
certain specified F-lll flight loads.f/Iest results prove that the BRU-4/A can
withstand these specified loads when the^Nare applied statically in the laboratory.

FORM
DD 1 NOV 68 1473 UNCLASSIFIED
Security Classification