Use of flight simulation to complement flight testing of low-cost UAVs

2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastien Fontaine ◽  
Eric Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Flight Simulation ◽  
Flight Testing

scholarly journals A Review of Current Research in Subscale Flight Testing and Analysis of Its Main Practical Challenges

Aerospace ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 74
Author(s):  
Alejandro Sobron ◽  
David Lundström ◽  
Petter Krus
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Research And Development ◽  
Rapid Prototyping ◽  
Experimental Method ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Interesting Application ◽  
Flight Testing ◽  
Scale Characteristics ◽  
Vehicle Technologies

Testing of untethered subscale models, often referred to as subscale flight testing, has traditionally had a relatively minor, yet relevant use in aeronautical research and development. As recent advances in electronics, rapid prototyping and unmanned-vehicle technologies expand its capabilities and lower its cost, this experimental method is seeing growing interest across academia and the industry. However, subscale models cannot meet all similarity conditions required for simulating full-scale flight. This leads to a variety of approaches to scaling and to other alternative applications. Through a literature review and analysis of different scaling strategies, this study presents an overall picture of how subscale flight testing has been used in recent years and synthesises its main issues and practical limitations. Results show that, while the estimation of full-scale characteristics is still an interesting application within certain flight conditions, subscale models are progressively taking a broader role as low-cost technology-testing platforms with relaxed similarity constraints. Different approaches to tackle the identified practical challenges, implemented both by the authors and by other organisations, are discussed and evaluated through flight experiments.

A low cost prototyping approach for design analysis and flight testing of the TURAC VTOL UAV

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yucel Orkut Aktas ◽  
Ugur Ozdemir ◽  
Yasin Dereli ◽  
Ahmed Farabi Tarhan ◽  
Aykut Cetin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Design Analysis ◽  
Flight Testing ◽  
Vtol Uav

A Flight Simulation Vision for Aeropropulsion Altitude Ground Test Facilities

2005 ◽  
Vol 127 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milt Davis ◽  
Peter Montgomery
Keyword(s):  
System Performance ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Aircraft Engine ◽  
Flight Simulation ◽  
Propulsion System ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Flight Testing ◽  
Test Environment ◽  
Ground Test ◽  
Aircraft System

Testing of a gas turbine engine for aircraft propulsion applications may be conducted in the actual aircraft or in a ground-test environment. Ground test facilities simulate flight conditions by providing airflow at pressures and temperatures experienced during flight. Flight-testing of the full aircraft system provides the best means of obtaining the exact environment that the propulsion system must operate in but must deal with limitations in the amount and type of instrumentation that can be put on-board the aircraft. Due to this limitation, engine performance may not be fully characterized. On the other hand, ground-test simulation provides the ability to enhance the instrumentation set such that engine performance can be fully quantified. However, the current ground-test methodology only simulates the flight environment thus placing limitations on obtaining system performance in the real environment. Generally, a combination of ground and flight tests is necessary to quantify the propulsion system performance over the entire envelop of aircraft operation. To alleviate some of the dependence on flight-testing to obtain engine performance during maneuvers or transients that are not currently done during ground testing, a planned enhancement to ground-test facilities was investigated and reported in this paper that will allow certain categories of flight maneuvers to be conducted. Ground-test facility performance is simulated via a numerical model that duplicates the current facility capabilities and with proper modifications represents planned improvements that allow certain aircraft maneuvers. The vision presented in this paper includes using an aircraft simulator that uses pilot inputs to maneuver the aircraft engine. The aircraft simulator then drives the facility to provide the correct engine environmental conditions represented by the flight maneuver.

A Flight Simulation Vision for Aeropropulsion Altitude Ground Test Facilities

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milt Davis ◽  
Peter Montgomery
Keyword(s):  
System Performance ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Aircraft Engine ◽  
Flight Simulation ◽  
Propulsion System ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Flight Testing ◽  
Test Environment ◽  
Ground Test ◽  
Aircraft System

Testing of a gas turbine engine for aircraft propulsion applications may be conducted in the actual aircraft or in a ground-test environment. Ground test facilities simulate flight conditions by providing airflow at pressures and temperatures experienced during flight. Flight-testing of the full aircraft system provides the best means of obtaining the exact environment that the propulsion system must operate in but must deal with limitations in the amount and type of instrumentation that can be put on-board the aircraft. Due to this limitation, engine performance may not be fully characterized. On the other hand, ground-test simulation provides the ability to enhance the instrumentation set such that engine performance can be fully quantified. However, the current ground-test methodology only simulates the flight environment thus placing limitations on obtaining system performance in the real environment. Generally, a combination of ground and flight tests is necessary to quantify the propulsion system performance over the entire envelop of aircraft operation. To alleviate some of the dependence on flight-testing to obtain engine performance during maneuvers or transients that are not currently done during ground testing, a planned enhancement to ground-test facilities was investigated and reported in this paper that will allow certain categories of flight maneuvers to be conducted. Ground-test facility performance is simulated via a numerical model that duplicates the current facility capabilities and with proper modifications represents planned improvements that allow certain aircraft maneuvers. The vision presented in this paper includes using an aircraft simulator that uses pilot inputs to maneuver the aircraft engine. The aircraft simulator then drives the facility to provide the correct engine environmental conditions represented by the flight maneuver.

scholarly journals Flight Testing for SUAV Using Log Analysis of Low-Cost Autopilot

2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (AEROSPACE SCIENCES) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
M. Zakaria ◽  
A. Hammad ◽  
M. Moattasem
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Log Analysis ◽  
Flight Testing
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