The 1000 chapter of the EAA boasts a flight test engineer who was on the team that tested the MiG-25. The report is available here.
Archive - Flight Test
RSS Feed
T-38 Handling Qualities Flight Test Technique
The test pilots at the USAF Test Pilot School evaluate the handling qualities and PIO susceptibility using the boundary avoidance tracking (BAT), switch induced oscillation method, and handling qualities during tracking (HQDT) as seen here.
Check out @FlightTestFact on Twitter for more flight test safety references, videos, and information daily.
Where Do We Go From Here – Analytical Tools to Help Leaders Navigate Uncertainty and Risk
Are aerospace and flight test risky?
Is the ability to collect aerospace data growing very rapidly?
Is data science advancing daily?
Are we keeping up?
Are we failing ourselves and our fallen colleagues because we have not kept up? Have we–even unintentionally–left safety to chance?
It’s time to stop gambling: We can save lives and prevent more accidents, go farther-climb higher, and break more aerospace barriers, but only if we have a strategy for navigating the risk and uncertainty that comes with the deluge, the flood of information and data — models and simulations, opinions and articles, and the cold, hard data from flight test, accident reports, and FOQA.
This post announces the publication of the white paper manifesto: Where Do We Go From Here – Analytical Tools to Help Leaders Navigate Uncertainty and Risk.
This book charts a course for leaders for transforming uncertainty and risk into decisive action. The goal is to:
1. Inspire those leaders and those who would be leaders–the ones who are surrounded by scarcity of resources, time, finances, and energy–it’s time to charge.
2. Inform technical leaders who are leading the charge–of the tools they need to navigate effectively from data to decisions.
3. Invest in you, with strategy and tools to implement today, that will multiply your leadership and equip you to transform your team into energized leaders too.
Invest in Yourself
Read it–it is brief and direct. Then master it and use the analytical tools it contains to lead your team.
You can download the pdf free.
It is also available on the Kindle.
If you are interested in the workbook supplement that will be released soon, please contact me directly mark at multiplyleadership dot com.
The ideas and spreading them are most important, and I will be happy to share.
2007 Flight Test Safety Workshop Keynote Address
Roger Beazley, a distinguished pilot from the UK gave the keynote address to the 2007 Flight Test Safety Workshop. He noted three characteristics about flight test programmes:
1. The “errors” are usually knowable (there are no new mistakes).
2. The process does not prevent all the errors.
3. The human element is our greatest asset for prevention and recovery.
You can download it from flightestsafety.org by clicking here.
Boeing X-45A UAS Formation Test Flight
A two-ship formation of X-45A UAVs complete a technology demonstration test flight at Edwards AFB, CA. One of the enormous advantages of UAS technology is the ability to test scale models of prototypes before manned testing in full scale versions.
Check out @FlightTestFact on Twitter for more flight test safety references, videos, and information daily.
Standard Airspeed Calibration Procedures
Air data calibration has been one of the most data rich disciplines in flight test for some time. Here the Air Force Flight Test Center released Technical Information Handbook 81-5 discusses flight test techniques for air data calibration.
In fact, the science of air data calibration is so well-defined, that you can see a “trailing cone” air data calibration device hanging from the back of the tail on this Boeing 787 (photo credit: flightglobal.com/flightblogger).
F-15 Weapons/Stores Separation Flight Test
This video shows an F-15 flight test for weapons/stores separation certification with unusual results.
Check out @FlightTestFact on Twitter for more flight test safety references, videos, and information daily.
Government Approaches to Accelerate Test and Evaluation using Design of Experiments
Presented in 2005 at the National Defense Industrial Association, this slide show presents an elementary introduction to statistical design of experiments as applied to test and evaluation.
F-16 Flight Test Instructional Video on g-command Flight Control Laws
The F-16 has a unique flight control law in the pitch axis that commands g. Thus even at high angles of attack (AOA), the aircraft flight controls will maintain the AOA required to generate 1g (as commanded by the pilot/stick input) during an aileron roll. This results in a large circular track of the nose around the roll axis.
Check out @FlightTestFact on Twitter for more flight test safety references, videos, and information daily.
Boeing 777 Review of Lateral Stability Event – Flight Test Safety Committee 2006 Proceeds
Proceeds from the 2006 Flight Test Safety Symposium in which Boeing Flight Test presented results from an incident that occurred during 777 lateral/directional flight test are here.
T-38 Formation Weapons Delivery Flight Test Technique and Chase/Aerial Photography
This video demonstrates weapons delivery and chase ship flight test techniques with test pilot students flying Northrop T-38 aircraft from Edwards AFB, USAF Test Pilot School.
Check out @FlightTestFact on Twitter for more flight test safety references, videos, and information daily.
Analytical Tools of Mathematics and Statistics (ATOMs) – Small Steps to Innovation
The International Test and Evaluation Journal recently published my thoughts on the necessary analytical tools for innovation in flight test here.
Fuel Subsystems Flight Test Handbook
The Fuel Subsystems Flight Test Handbook, Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) Technical Information Handbook (TIH) 81-6, is available for download from DTIC here.
Check out @FlightTestFact on Twitter for more flight test safety references, videos, and information daily.
F-35C Catapult Launch/Takeoff Flight Test
The F-35C is the variant of the JSF that the US Navy will use aboard its aircraft carriers. This is a steam launch catapult test rig at Pax River, the Navy’s flight test center. You can read more about the JSF here.
Check out @FlightTestFact on Twitter for more flight test safety references, videos, and information daily.
T-33 Pitot-Static Calibration Technical Report
The Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) public site provides this 1985 copy of the technical report detailing flight test of the T-33 to calibrate the pitot static system.
Effects of Uncertainty in Structural Testing on Aircraft Safety
This paper examines the effect of measurement and model uncertainty and propagation on structural testing interpretation and application to FAA certification standards.
