Estimates of Probability Distribution of Root-mean-square Gust Velocity of Atmospheric Turbulence from Operational Gust-load Data by Random-process Theory

Uunder the assumpiton that the operational gust or gust-load history of an airplane is a Gaussian random process with a single parameter, the root-mean-square values, relations are derived between the probability distribution of the root-mean-square acceleration and the associated number of peak accelerations above given values. These relations are then used in the analysis of available operational gust-load data in the form of peak counts to derive estimates of the probability distributions of root-square-mean acceleration. These probability distributions are then transformed on the basis of airplane-gust-response theory in order to derive the associated probability distribution of root-mean-square gust velocity. The application of these results to the calculation of load histories is also considered briefly.