Aircraft full-scale fatigue tests are expensive and time-consuming to conduct but are a critical item on the certification path of any aircraft design or modification. This paper outlines a proposal that trades cycling hours for increased detail in the teardown of a metallic test article. A method for determining the equivalent demonstrated crack size (and crack growth curve) at the mandated test life utilising the lead crack framework is demonstrated. It is considered that the test duration can be significantly reduced, whilst still achieving all the desired outcomes of a certification program.
