Elevated-temperature effects on strain gages on the YF-12A wing

A general study is made of the effects of structural heating on calibrated-strain-gage load measurements on the wing of a supersonic airplane. The primary emphasis is on temperature-induced effects as they relate to slope changes and thermal shifts of the applied load/strain relationships. These effects are studied by using the YF-12A airplane, a structural computer model, and subsequent analyses. Such topics as the thermal environment of the structure, the variation of load paths at elevated temperature, the thermal response characteristics of load equations, elevated-temperature load-measurement approaches, the thermal calibration of wings, and the correlation of strains are discussed. Ways are suggested to measure loads with calibrated strain gages in the supersonic environment.