Transcript FAA BASA Technical Assessment - Civil Aviation Authority

David Gill
Team Leader Airworthiness
 Introduction to Performance and Flying
Qualities Flight Testing
 Two Week Short Course May 8 – 19, 2006
 Intended to provide practical experience in
aircraft performance, stability and control
handling qualities, flight test instrumentation
and data handling
7th Sept 2007
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 This two week short course is designed to satisfy the demand for engineers,
pilots and flight test support personnel who require practical experience in
aircraft performance, stability and control, handling qualities, flight test
instrumentation data handling, as well as a working knowledge of FAA and
military specifications pertaining to piloted aircraft.
 Classroom academics are tailored to prepare the students for practical in-flight
tests. Seven flights are performed in a medium weight transport aircraft. These
aircraft have been instrumented to serve as in-flight laboratories. On each of
the sorties the students participate as flight test engineers, gathering data for
post-flight analysis. Four additional sorties are flown in light aircraft to allow
the students to give practical hands-on experience in performing the various
flight test techniques as a pilot. At the conclusion of the course, students
present their findings and recommendations on both mission suitability and
regulatory compliance in an oral report to the staff.
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 Basically the course consisted of lectures in the morning on a
particular subject, followed by explanation of the flight test
exercise to be carried out on that subject.
 Each of the two groups would then prepare their test cards for
the flight. Each group would be assigned a different aircraft
c.g. configuration.
 The flight would then be undertaken with each person
recording their own results.
 After the flight the data would be processed using the NTPS
programs and analysed. This was then collated and graphed,
and checked against design requirements.
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Test Aircraft –
Swearingen Merlin III
 840 shp Garrett 311-393G Turboprops
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 Pitot-Static Calibration/Position Error Correction
 (Using a trailing bomb)
 Cruise Performance, CL-CD and Drag Polar
 Sawtooth Climb and Level Acceleration
 Longitudinal Static Stability (stick-fixed and stick-free),
and Neutral Point Determination
 Manoeuvering Stability, Turns, Pull-Ups, Pushovers
 Lateral/Directional Static Stability
 Aircraft Dynamics and Stalls
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 Cruise Performance
 Objects:
 To obtain cruise performance data and fuel
flow information for various
configurations.
 Determine the specific range and drag
polar for the aircraft.
 Technique:
 Stabilize the aircraft at the test altitude and
airspeed by using the “backside”
technique.
 Record fuel flow, power, altitude and
airspeed, along with ambient conditions.
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The bottom of the curve shows denotes
speed for best endurance.
Maximum slope of curve, from origin,
denotes speed for maximum range.
Top of curve indicates maximum range
at standard weight.
99% of maximum Specific Range is the
speed for long range cruise.
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Drag Polar extrapolates to CD0 at the y axis.
The slope of the line through the origin
indicates maximum lift-to-drag ratio.
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 As well as the Group exercises in the Merlin all course students
had the opportunity to carry out individual “hands-on” flights in
the NTPS light aircraft fleet.
 This was not intended to teach test pilot techniques, but to
introduce the student to the various manouevres, so they could
understand what they were asking the pilot to do.
 The test exercises were:
 Position error Correction
 Performance
 Flying Qualities
 Asymmetric Power Test Techniques
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Left: Beech 36 Bonanza
Middle: Cessna 150
Right: Beech 76 Duchess
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• DH.104 Dove
 SA226T Merlin III
• Cessna 150 and 152
 Turboprop DC-3
• Beech 36 Bonanza
 Cessna 441 Conquest
• Beech 76 Duchess
 AM-3 Bosbok
• Hughes 500
 MS-760 Paris
• Bell OH-58
 NDN-1 Firecracker
• MB326 Impala
 Saab J35XD Draken
• DHC-1 Chipmunk
 Piper PA-28
• Cirrus SR-22
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