Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Flight data”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 163 records · Page 9

Measurement of the Correlation and Coherence Lengths in Boundary Layer Flight Data

Wall pressure data acquired during flight tests at several flight conditions are analyzed and the correlation and coherence lengths of the data reported. It is shown how the frequency bandwidth of the analysis biases the correlation length and how the convection of the flow acts to reduce the coherence length. Coherence lengths measured in the streamwise direction appear much longer than would be expected based on classical results for flow over a flat plat.

Palumbo, Daniel L.↗

Determining Correlation and Coherence Lengths in Turbulent Boundary Layer Flight Data

Wall pressure data acquired during flight tests at several flight conditions are analysed and the correlation and coherence lengths of the data reported. It is found that the correlation and coherence lengths are influenced by the origin of the structure producing the pressure and the frequency bandwidth over which the analyses are performed. It is shown how the frequency bandwidth biases the correlation length and how the convection of the pressure field might reduce the coherence measured between sensors. A convected form of the cross correlation and cross spectrum is introduced to compensate for the effects of convection. Coherence lengths measured in the streamwise direction appear much longer than expected. Coherent structures detected using the convected cross correlation do not exhibit an exponential coherent power decay.

Palumbo, Dan↗

Stability-Derivative Determination from Flight Data

A comprehensive discussion of the various factors affecting the determination of stability and control derivatives from flight data is presented based on the experience of the NASA High-Speed Flight Station. Factors relating to test techniques, determination of mass characteristics, instrumentation, and methods of analysis are discussed. For most longitudinal-stability-derivative analyses simple equations utilizing period and damping have been found to be as satisfactory as more comprehensive methods. The graphical time-vector method has been the basis of lateral-derivative analysis, although simple approximate methods can be useful If applied with caution. Control effectiveness has been generally obtained by relating the peak acceleration to the rapid control input, and consideration must be given to aerodynamic contributions if reasonable accuracy is to be realized.. Because of the many factors involved In the determination of stability derivatives, It is believed that the primary stability and control derivatives are probably accurate to within 10 to 25 percent, depending upon the specific derivative. Static-stability derivatives at low angle of attack show the greatest accuracy.

Holowicz, Chester H.↗

An analysis of flight data from aircraft landings with and without the aid of a painted diamond on the same runway

The usefulness of a painted diamond on a runway as a visual aid to perform safe landings of aircraft was studied. Flight data on glideslope intercepts, flight path elevation angles, and touchdown distances were collected and analyzed. It is concluded that an appropriately painted diamond on a runway has the potential of providing glideslope information for the light weight class of general aviation aircraft. This conclusion holds irrespective of the differences in landing techniques used by the pilots.

Swaroop, R.↗

Some flight data extraction techniques used on a general aviation spin research aircraft

Some methods for obtaining flight data from a highly instrumented general aviation spin research aircraft are developed and illustrated. The required correction terms for the measurement of body accelerations, body velocities, and aircraft orientation are presented. In addition, the equations of motion are utilized to derive total aerodynamic coefficients for comparison with model tests and for analysis. Flight test experience is used to evaluate the utility of various instruments and calculation techniques for spin research.

Sliwa, S. M.↗

Flight Data Reduction of Wake Velocity Measurements Using an Instrumented OV-10 Airplane

A series of flight tests to measure the wake of a Lockheed C- 130 airplane and the accompanying atmospheric state have been conducted. A specially instrumented North American Rockwell OV-10 airplane was used to measure the wake and atmospheric conditions. An integrated database has been compiled for wake characterization and validation of wake vortex computational models. This paper describes the wake- measurement flight-data reduction process.

Vicroy, Dan D.↗

Estimation of aerodynamic parameters from flight data of a high incidence research model

A procedure for the determination of an aerodynamic model structure and aerodynamic parameters is applied to flight data from a high-incidence research model (HIRM) within an angle of attack range of 18 to 40 degrees. The HIRM is a three-surface unpowered model with a swept wing, an all-moving canard and stabilator, and a vertical tail with rudder. The motion of the HIRM was excited first by its release from the helicopter and then by the activation of control surfaces. This paper briefly describes the model, flight and wind tunnel data available, equations of motion and techniques for data analysis. The results presented contain an example of a measured data compatibility and the variation of some important stability derivatives with the angle of attack and canard setting. The derivatives were obtained from various maneuvers and subsets of joined data from several maneuvers by using a stepwise-regression technique. These derivatives agreed, in general, with the results of wind-tunnel measurements. The resulting lateral aerodynamic model equations could predict the motion of the HIRM reasonably well.

Klein, V.↗

Identification of M2/F3 stability and control derivatives from flight data containing gust effects

The application of the maximum likelihood identification technique to M2/F3 lifting body flight data containing wind gust effects is discussed. With the objective of this effort being the identification of the stability and control derivatives, it is shown first that the output error technique (or modified Newton-Raphson) fails to fit the recorded data accurately. The means of applying the maximum likelihood technique to this problem are then discussed and the results given which indicate an accurate fit to the data. The question of derivative signs opposite to the wind tunnel values is then addressed and the results of three techniques for dealing with this problem are presented. These techniques are a priori weighting, fixing parameter values, and rank deficient inverses.

Stepner, D. E.↗

Estimation of longitudinal stability and control derivatives for an icing research aircraft from flight data

The results of applying a modified stepwise regression algorithm and a maximum likelihood algorithm to flight data from a twin-engine commuter-class icing research aircraft are presented. The results are in the form of body-axis stability and control derivatives related to the short-period, longitudinal motion of the aircraft. Data were analyzed for the baseline (uniced) and for the airplane with an artificial glaze ice shape attached to the leading edge of the horizontal tail. The results are discussed as to the accuracy of the derivative estimates and the difference between the derivative values found for the baseline and the iced airplane. Additional comparisons were made between the maximum likelihood results and the modified stepwise regression results with causes for any discrepancies postulated.

Batterson, James G.↗

Aerodynamic parameters of High-Angle-of attack Research Vehicle (HARV) estimated from flight data

Aerodynamic parameters of the High-Angle-of-Attack Research Aircraft (HARV) were estimated from flight data at different values of the angle of attack between 10 degrees and 50 degrees. The main part of the data was obtained from small amplitude longitudinal and lateral maneuvers. A small number of large amplitude maneuvers was also used in the estimation. The measured data were first checked for their compatibility. It was found that the accuracy of air data was degraded by unexplained bias errors. Then, the data were analyzed by a stepwise regression method for obtaining a structure of aerodynamic model equations and least squares parameter estimates. Because of high data collinearity in several maneuvers, some of the longitudinal and all lateral maneuvers were reanalyzed by using two biased estimation techniques, the principal components regression and mixed estimation. The estimated parameters in the form of stability and control derivatives, and aerodynamic coefficients were plotted against the angle of attack and compared with the wind tunnel measurements. The influential parameters are, in general, estimated with acceptable accuracy and most of them are in agreement with wind tunnel results. The simulated responses of the aircraft showed good prediction capabilities of the resulting model.

Klein, Vladislav↗

Transitional, hypervelocity aerodynamic simulation and scaling in light of recent flight data

Simulation and scaling procedures applicable to maneuvering vehicles for the transitional hypervelocity flow regime are discussed with reference to certain discrepancies between lifting reentry flight data and predicted results. Low-density hypervelocity wind-tunnel data are compared with CFD and in-flight measurements. A general correlation parameter for transitional flow is produced by incorporation of a new geometric term into a form of Reynolds number. It is shown that normalized drag coefficients of a variety of shapes, including spheres, blunt-nosed cones, lifting bodies, and an STS orbiter are correlated by the parameter. A provisional bridging formula for the coefficients is presented.

Potter, J. L.↗

Robust Flutter Margin Analysis that Incorporates Flight Data

An approach for computing worst-case flutter margins has been formulated in a robust stability framework. Uncertainty operators are included with a linear model to describe modeling errors and flight variations. The structured singular value, mu, computes a stability margin that directly accounts for these uncertainties. This approach introduces a new method of computing flutter margins and an associated new parameter for describing these margins. The mu margins are robust margins that indicate worst-case stability estimates with respect to the defined uncertainty. Worst-case flutter margins are computed for the F/A-18 Systems Research Aircraft using uncertainty sets generated by flight data analysis. The robust margins demonstrate flight conditions for flutter may lie closer to the flight envelope than previously estimated by p-k analysis.

Lind, Rick↗

Matrix methods for determining the longitudinal-stability derivatives of an airplane from transient flight data

Three matrice methods are developed and presented for determining the longitudinal-stability derivatives from transient flight data. In these methods the expressions for some of the stability derivatives are in the form generally used in stability calculations. The first method requires the combination of four measurements in time-history form, two of which must be incremental elevator deflection and incremental tail load and the other two measurements can be chosen from a possible three, namely incremental load factor, pitching velocity, and angle of attack. The method demonstrates the use of the tail load to separate the pitching-moment derivatives and to determine the downwash derivative. (author)

Donegan, James J↗

Review of boundary layer transition flight data on the Space Shuttle Orbiter

Both thermocouple data and flight-derived axial force coefficients have been used to determine the freestream flight conditions at which boundary-layer transition occurs on the windward surface of the Space Shuttle Orbiter during reentry. Boundary-layer-edge local flow conditions corresponding to transition at thermocouple locations on the Orbiter windward centerline have also been computed. Tables of the freestream conditions and the local flow conditions at transition are included. Transition occurred over a freestream Mach number range of 6.6 to 17.9 and Reynolds number range of (2.3-9.6) x 10 to the 6th. The roughness state of the Orbiter vehicles is also discussed and correlated to the occurrence of transition. Using the distributed roughness transition correlation of Bertin et al. (1982), a flight-derived roughness height of 0.061 inches was obtained. An average flight-derived roughness height of 0.103 inches for a discrete roughness element in the nose region was obtained using the correlation of Van Driest and Blumer (1968).

Bouslog, S. A.↗