Course detail

Aircraft Testing

FSI-OZK-AAcad. year: 2027/2028

The course provides a basic overview of methods and procedures used in experimental aircraft testing. It covers test preparation and planning, fundamental measurement methods, calibration of measurement systems and processing of experimental data.

In the field of flight testing, attention is paid to airspeed measurement and calibration of the Pitot-static system, measurement and evaluation of aircraft performance, reduction of results to standard and reference conditions, and basic methods for experimental assessment of aircraft stability and controllability.

Ground testing covers the principles of static, fatigue and basic dynamic testing of aircraft structures, determination and application of test loads, strain measurement using resistance strain gauges, and selected tests of aircraft systems and structural components.

A significant part of the course is practical training focused on application of fundamental testing methods. Students perform selected measurements on real or simulated aircraft systems, such as determination of aircraft performance in a simulated environment, practical aircraft weighing and centre-of-gravity determination, calibration of a measurement system and strain-gauge measurement. The results are processed in the form of technical test reports.

Language of instruction

English

Number of ECTS credits

4

Assignment to study programme types

Master's

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

doc. Ing. Ivo Jebáček, Ph.D.

Department

Institute of Aerospace Engineering (LÚ)

Entry knowledge

Basic knowledge of mechanics, flight mechanics, aerodynamics and strength of aircraft structures. Basic knowledge of physical quantities and their measurement, processing of experimental data and graphical presentation of results.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

The course-unit credit is awarded upon attendance of at least 80% of exercises and laboratory exercises, completion of compulsory practical measurements, and submission of the required calculations and laboratory reports at the required standard.

The course-unit credit is a prerequisite for admission to the examination.

The examination consists of a written and an oral part. The written part primarily assesses the student's ability to apply fundamental aircraft-testing and measurement-evaluation methods to a specific technical problem. The oral part assesses understanding of the principles, procedures and relationships involved in ground and flight testing.

In exceptional and duly justified cases, a missed exercise may be replaced by an alternative assignment specified by the instructor. A practical laboratory measurement may only be replaced by an activity that allows the corresponding practical skills to be assessed.

Aims

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the fundamental methods, procedures and organization of ground and flight testing of aircraft and to teach them how to apply these methods in practical experimental tasks.

After completing the course, the student will be able to:

  • explain the purpose, basic classification and procedures of aircraft testing,

  • prepare a simple test plan and define the quantities to be measured,

  • select suitable basic sensors and measurement methods,

  • perform basic calibration of a measurement system and determine a calibration characteristic,

  • identify fundamental sources of measurement error and consider them during data evaluation,

  • perform basic evaluation of a Pitot-static airspeed system,

  • measure and evaluate selected aircraft performance parameters and reduce the results to defined reference conditions,

  • evaluate basic stability and controllability parameters from experimental data,

  • determine aircraft mass and centre-of-gravity position from practical weighing,

  • explain the principles of static, fatigue and basic dynamic testing of aircraft structures,

  • design a basic static-test arrangement and method of load application,

  • install and use resistance strain gauges for basic strain measurement,

  • process measured data and prepare a basic test report.

Study aids

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

DANĚK, Vladimír. Mechanika letu I: Letové výkony. Brno: Akademické nakladatelství CERM, 2009. (CS)
DANĚK, Vladimír. Mechanika letu II: Letové vlastnosti. Brno: Akademické nakladatelství CERM, 2011. (CS)
GREGORY, James; LIU, Tianshu. Introduction to Flight Testing. Hoboken: Wiley, 2021. (EN)
KIMBERLIN, Ralph D. Flight Testing of Fixed-Wing Aircraft. Reston, VA: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2003. (EN)

Recommended reading

DANĚK, Milan. Zkoušení letadel za letu. Brno: VUT, 1993. (CS)
DREXLER, J. a kol. Pevnost a zkoušky leteckých konstrukcí. Brno: VAAZ, 1965. (CS)
Aktuální předpisové a metodické dokumenty EASA, FAA a dalších organizací vztahující se k probíraným metodám zkoušení letadel. (EN)

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme N-AST-A Master's 2 year of study, winter semester, compulsory
  • Programme N-ENG-Z Master's 1 year of study, winter semester, recommended course

  • Programme N-LKT-P Master's

    specialization STL , 2 year of study, winter semester, compulsory

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

26 hours, optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. Ing. Ivo Jebáček, Ph.D.

Syllabus

  1. Introduction to aircraft testing. Purpose, classification of ground and flight tests, development, compliance and certification testing.

  2. Fundamentals of experimental measurement. Measurands, sensors, measurement chains, accuracy, repeatability and basic measurement errors.

  3. Calibration of measurement systems. Reference quantities, zeroing, sensitivity, linearity, hysteresis and calibration characteristics.

  4. Airspeed measurement. Pitot-static system, IAS, CAS, EAS and TAS, error sources and basic calibration methods.

  5. Measurement of aircraft performance. Level flight, climb, descent and glide. Experimental determination of characteristic performance parameters.

  6. Reduction of flight-test results. International Standard Atmosphere, influence of mass, density and operating conditions, reduction to reference conditions.

  7. Flight testing of aircraft handling qualities. Basic methods for assessment of stability, controllability and selected dynamic characteristics.

  8. Aircraft mass and balance. Principles of aircraft weighing, determination of mass, moments and centre-of-gravity position.

  9. Introduction to structural ground testing. Purpose of static, fatigue and dynamic tests, limit and ultimate loads.

  10. Planning and preparation of ground tests. Test programme, test article preparation, boundary conditions, test fixtures and safety.

  11. Application of structural loads. Load distribution, discrete representation of distributed loads, whiffletree systems and other loading methods.

  12. Strain and stress measurement. Resistance strain gauges, Wheatstone bridge, basic configurations and evaluation principles.

  13. Test evaluation and documentation. Data checking and processing, graphical presentation, comparison with requirements, test reports and final documentation.

Laboratory exercise

8 hours, compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. Ing. Ivo Jebáček, Ph.D.

Syllabus

  1. Practical aircraft weighing and centre-of-gravity determination
    Aircraft preparation, use of weighing equipment, determination of individual loads, calculation of total mass, moments and centre-of-gravity position, assessment of result accuracy.

  2. Calibration of a measurement system
    Practical calibration of a simple measurement chain, determination of a calibration characteristic, assessment of linearity, repeatability and basic error sources.

  3. Strain-gauge measurement
    Surface preparation, installation of resistance strain gauges, bridge connection, zeroing, loading of a specimen and evaluation of strain.

  4. Practical test of an aircraft structural component
    Test preparation, load application, measurement of strain or displacement, observation of structural behaviour and processing of results.

Exercise

5 hours, compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. Ing. Ivo Jebáček, Ph.D.

Syllabus

  1. Basic processing of experimental data and determination of a calibration characteristic.

  2. Evaluation of pressure and temperature measurements.

  3. Aerodynamic correction of the Pitot-static airspeed system.

  4. Evaluation of climb-performance measurements.

  5. Reduction of flight-performance results to standard conditions.

  6. Practical determination of selected aircraft performance parameters using a flight simulator as a controlled experimental environment. Test planning, execution of a series of test flights, data recording and comparison of results with a theoretical model.

  7. Evaluation of longitudinal-stability measurements and determination of selected characteristic parameters.

  8. Calculation of aircraft mass and centre-of-gravity position from measured data.

  9. Basic design of a static structural test arrangement.

  10. Calculation of load distribution and a simple whiffletree loading system.

  11. Evaluation of strain-gauge measurements and preparation of a test report.