Fatigue testing involves placing the 787 Dreamliner test airframe into a test rig that simulates multiple lifecycles to test how the aircraft responds over time.
"Unlike static tests, where loads are applied to the airplane structure to simulate both normal operation and extreme flight conditions, fatigue testing is a much longer process that simulates up to three times the number of flight cycles an airplane is likely to experience during a lifetime of service," explains Jim Ogonowski, structures vice president, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
While the structural test programme already has validated the strength of the airframe, fatigue testing looks at long-term, continued use. This is the natural progression of testing on a new airplane and part of the process to achieve US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification.
A video of the fatigue testing can be viewed on the Boeing website.