A multi-node sensor system to monitor the structural health of a structure, the system comprising: a structure to be monitored having a body; a plurality of separate and spaced apart health monitoring sensor nodes each connected to or embedded within the body of the structure to monitor data related to parameters of a portion of the body of the structure, each node including a sensor element to sense parameters of a respective portion of the body of the structure to define sensed parameters, a processor coupled to the sensor element to receive sensed parameters, and memory coupled to the processor to store data and operating instructions therein, the sensor element of at least one of the plurality of health monitoring sensor nodes spatially positioned along the body of structure at a related or a complementary location to the sensor element of at least one other of the plurality of health monitoring sensor nodes to form a special correlative relationship therebetween, the special correlative relationship being the functional behavior of a strain distribution curve along a portion of the body, and formed by positioning the health monitoring sensor nodes along a plane parallel to an axis of symmetry of the body; a data collector having a transceiver positioned to gather sensed parameter data from each of the plurality of health monitoring sensor nodes; a central computer in communication with the data collector and having a processor and memory coupled to the processor to store requested data and operating instructions therein; and parameter processing program product stored in the memory of at least one of the central computer or one of plurality of health monitoring sensor nodes and including instructions that when executed by the respective processor perform the operations of: analyzing the sensed parameter data from each of the plurality of health monitoring sensor nodes, spatially correlating the sensed parameter data from each of the plurality of health monitoring sensor nodes to detect a change in the special correlative relationship, and inferring a state of health of the structure responsive to the spatial correlation to provide damage or incipient failure detection. a structure to be monitored having a body; a plurality of separate and spaced apart health monitoring sensor nodes each connected to or embedded within the body of the structure to monitor data related to parameters of a portion of the body of the structure, each node including a sensor element to sense parameters of a respective portion of the body of the structure to define sensed parameters, a processor coupled to the sensor element to receive sensed parameters, and memory coupled to the processor to store data and operating instructions therein, the sensor element of at least one of the plurality of health monitoring sensor nodes spatially positioned along the body of structure at a related or a complementary location to the sensor element of at least one other of the plurality of health monitoring sensor nodes to form a special correlative relationship therebetween, the special correlative relationship being the functional behavior of a strain distribution curve along a portion of the body, and formed by positioning the health monitoring sensor nodes along a plane parallel to an axis of symmetry of the body; a data collector having a transceiver positioned to gather sensed parameter data from each of the plurality of health monitoring sensor nodes; a central computer in communication with the data collector and having a processor and memory coupled to the processor to store requested data and operating instructions therein; and parameter processing program product stored in the memory of at least one of the central computer or one of plurality of health monitoring sensor nodes and including instructions that when executed by the respective processor perform the operations of: analyzing the sensed parameter data from each of the plurality of health monitoring sensor nodes, spatially correlating the sensed parameter data from each of the plurality of health monitoring sensor nodes to detect a change in the special correlative relationship, and inferring a state of health of the structure responsive to the spatial correlation to provide damage or incipient failure detection.