VTOL is not only a very suitable technology for UAVs due to the convenience and concealment mission requirements of UAVs, but also very important for both military and civil MAVs due to the advantages of less or even no dependency on airports/air fields. VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) capabilities are desired features of both UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and MAVs (Manned Aerial Vehicles) on condition that a comparable flight performance is achieved. However, whilst these hurdles may be challenging, it is shown that they are not insurmountable and some suggestions are presented on how these may be tackled. Whilst this approach has been made possible by a unique DSTO-developed technology that allows fatigue hotspots to be identified, its eventual success will also require some other technical problems to be solved. Borrowed from the control systems engineering field, the hardware-in-the-loop simulation (HiLS) approach is adapted to provide the best of both worlds – the realism of actual testing for the critical components, together with the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of modelling. In this paper, rationale for both sides of the argument is presented, but concludes that the important question is not so much whether the FSFT can be done away with, but rather how FSFT can be performed more efficiently? To this end, a new concept is proposed that is a hybrid of the conventional FSFT and the complete digital model. At the same time, however, analyses or models have been playing an increasing role in the qualification/certification process, and the question beckons whether the FSFT can one day be dispensed with. The costs and times associated with Full Scale Fatigue Tests (FSFTs) are enormous, but to date, they have proved to be the only reliable means for verification and validation of aircraft durability and safety and are thus mandated by aviation regulators for any new aircraft type.
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