PRINCIPAL STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS
1. General
A. The Mustang is certified to the Damage Tolerance and Fatigue requirements. PSE's are defined as, “Those elements
which contribute significantly to carrying flight, ground, and pressurization loads, and whose failure could result in
catastrophic failure of the airplane.”
B. Airplane principal structural element (PSE) inspections and safe life limits must be based on an engineering durability and
damage tolerance assessment (i.e., crack growth analysis for the airframe structure, and classical fatigue analysis for the
safe life limited landing gears and landing gear attachment fittings).
C. Repairs to PSE’s must have a durability and damage tolerance assessment before returning the airplane to service.
Additionally, repairs to PSE’s must be approved by the FAA or a DER authorized in damage tolerance.
D. The following structures are PSE’s. They are listed to make sure structural inspections and safe life limits, as defined in the
Maintenance Manual, will remain valid after a field repair to a PSE.
PRINCIPAL STRUCTURAL ELEMENT
(PSE)
DESCRIPTION
Spars Wing
Vertical fin
Horizontal tail
Upper engine beam caps
Stringers Wing, lower
Stabilizer, upper
Pressure vessel
Skins Lower wing
Pressure vessel
Vertical fin (all)
Horizontal stabilizer (upper)
Splices and fittings Horizontal tail centerline splice
Horizontal tail attachment fittings
Wing centerline splice
Wing-to-fuselage links and attachment fittings
Vertical fin attachment fittings
Engine mounts and isolators
Main landing gear trunnion support
Main landing gear side-brace support
Nose gear trunnion support
Nose gear retraction support
Flap hinge
Ribs Wing BL 0.00
Wing side-of-body (near attachment fittings)
Horizontal stabilizer BL 0.0
Fuselage Bulkheads/Frames Pressure bulkheads (forward and aft)
Tailcone forward canted bulkhead
Tailcone aft canted frames (fin attachment)
Fuselage openings Cabin entry door frames
Escape hatch frame
Windshield frames
Cabin Entry Door Latches and pins and supporting structure
Control Surfaces Hinges
Actuators and actuator fittings
Torque tubes