Chapter 25 - Armament Testing and Stores Separation

To ensure that specified weapons and stores (bombs, missiles, pods, guns, and fuel tanks) will safely and successfully operate from a particular aircraft platform, compatibility flight testing is usually required. The objective of this testing is to demonstrate that the aircraft can fire its gun and carry its intended stores safely and satisfactorily and achieve the required levels of maneuverability and performance for each stores configuration. In addition, the store must be capable of withstanding the captive flight environment, separate cleanly, and follow a predictable trajectory to its target. Note that aircraft limits and the flight envelope may be significantly reduced when carrying stores. Before beginning any tests or analyses, checks must be accomplished to assure that the store configuration selected is physically compatible with the aircraft. This initial fit test, using scale drawings, is often referred to as a "paper fit check". If the configuration passes the paper fit test, an "all-up fit check" using the actual hardware should be conducted as early as possible using the standardized fit test procedures specified in MIL-STD-1289.