05722. STRUCTURAL FATIGUE IN AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION AND OPERATION. Structural fatigue of components and assemblies is a major consideration in aircraft production and operation. This paper reviews basic types of metal fatigue and the procedures followed in assessing fatigue characteristics of aircraft during design and development. A model of flaw definition is cited which is appropriate to fatigue assessments of composite structural materials. As illustration of a damage-tolerance methodology for a specific aircraft, the Boeing 747, fatigue integrity program is described. This program integrates design analysis, materials selection, and fatigue testing in a systematic treatment of fatigue problems during aircraft evolution. 10 pages, 14 footnotes, 5 bibliographic sources. 2 Charts.