US Air Force to greatly enhance aircraft safety with digital twin system

The US Air Force is addressing challenges in maintaining safety and data continuity for its legacy aircraft, such as the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, which has been in service for over 70 years. To manage decades of scattered records and evolving safety practices, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is developing a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system. This system will centralize and organize historical and current data across various formats and servers, forming part of the US Air Force Academy project aimed at enhancing aircraft efficiency and safety through prognostic engineering—a data-driven approach that predicts maintenance needs before failures occur. The PLM system will integrate with existing Air Force analysis tools to create a closed-loop maintenance and engineering decision process, ensuring traceability by linking analyses to exact versions of aircraft models or components. This approach supports consistent and improved safety practices and lays the groundwork for future digital twin development—virtual replicas of aircraft that incorporate detailed mechanical and engineering data for comprehensive lifecycle management. Ultimately, the PLM system aims to