This new column will feature a brief description, photo/video, and or reference that talks about a Flight Test Technique that students at USAF Test Pilot School are currently learning. It’s an alphabetical list of FTTs together with a chronological account of what future test pilots and flight test engineers are doing right now. It will complement the previous Friday’s FTT tweets as well.
Cruise Data and Check Climbs are both types of Performance Flight Test Techniques (FTTs).
The check climb FTT validates climb performance predictions: airspeed within +/-2 knots is the typical tolerance.
Check climbs are sometimes flown at a constant rate of deceleration to validate optimum Ps climb schedules.
This video shows a descent FTT in a C-17 from a point of view camera–this particular descent is known as a tactical descent.
The USAF Flight Test Engineering Handbook from the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB explains more about performance flight test.
Would you like to contribue to the growing index of Flight Test Techniques? Please contact me–I would be delighted to feature guest bloggers for FTT posts.
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This post summarizes references and #FTT tweets from the previous Friday. What is #FTT Friday?
#FTT Friday
Each Friday, @FlightTestFact will deliver examples, definitions, and explanations of flight test techniques for the entire day. You can view these tweets by searching for #FTT and #flighttest as depicted below. You can also click on the picture below to be taken to the twitter search results. What FTT would you like to know more about?
