The air deforms the structure of an aircraft, while the aircraft's vibrations modify the air flow... But the air and the aircraft'sstructure are not unrelated: they interact with one
These atmospheric agitations generate very strong mechanical stresses that may damage an aircraft'sstructure. This is why, during takeoff and landing, the rules of aerial navigation insist on a minimum distance between two aircraft
The first studies on structures related to the absolute need to control the aeroelastic flutter phenomenon in aircraftstructures; this phenomenon can have catastrophic consequences, such as the fatal crash of the Arsenal VG 90 02 jet piloted by Claude Dellys in 1952. Since that date, no French prototype has flown without having been previously subjected to ground tests based on methods developed at ONERA
