scope:

This handbook establishes guidelines for data and test procedures, that should be completed prior to the issuance of a Contractor Flight Release (CFR) or Airworthiness Release (AWR) to conduct flight testing of armament on U.S. Amy aircraft. A CFR/AWR is required for aircraft ground firing tests with the rotors turning, and for aircraft flight tests, both non-fuing (captive carriage) and firing. The guidelines include documentation on armament configuration/design, analyses, component tests and aircraft ground tests. The documentation is required so the Government can conduct an airworthiness assessment in order to ensure that U.S. Amy aircraft are safe to flight test. The requirements should be tailored based on the nature, magnitude, complexity and integration risk associated with the new or modified armament system. The difference between an "airworthy" system and a "qualified" system is the degree to which the system meets specification requirements and provides the system "performance" expected by the user. For a tutorial on the overall helicopter airworthiness qualification process, including flight releases, see ADS-51- HDBK. For purposes of this handbook, the terms "armament" and "weapon" are interchangeable.

intended Use: