The max approved g for an F-111C at medium weights up to about 72,000 pnds is 6.5g reduced for non combat in the interests of longevity to 4.0g. Other variants having shorter wings were released to 7.33g which is two thirds of ultimate of 11g. All of that was predicated on a Mil8866 g exceedence spectrum to which the fatigue test structures eventually went to 4 lifetimes.
Max F-111C NzW was thus about 470,000 and there continues to be a small insignificant error in the flight manual graph.
Cold (-40 degrees) proof load tests give confidence in airframe structure out to 5,000 hours of normal unrestricted flight loads to which is applied a safety factor of 0.5 = 2,500 hours.
There should be plenty of life in the old girls/pigs yet which is more than one can say for many types which have not been through the same intensive structural investigation.
Last edited by Milt; 6th Jan 2008 at 08:50.
Reason: correct error 10 = 11