Simulator-Based Flight Test Engineering as a Capstone to the Dynamics and Control Curriculum

Abstract

This paper details the development and curricular impact of Virginia Tech’s new course on “Flight Test Techniques.” By using the motion based flight simulator at Virginia Tech, students enjoy a semester-long flight testing experience that gives the realism of flight testing, without the costs, risks, and delays of actual aircraft. The first oering of this course, in the Spring of 2006, has shown high potential as a capstone course in the aerospace engineering curriculum assimilating material from dynamics and control courses with hands-on, real-world application. for the first time a course titled ‘Flight Test Techniques, AOE 4984’. The course is designed to expose senior level undergraduates to industry and government accepted methods used in flight testing aircraft by introducing real world problems into the department’s curriculum in a controlled environment. It also serves as a capstone course where concepts previously taught in several classes are integrated to give students an overarching view of aircraft operation. In order to facilitate a learning environment and mitigate safety issues associated with using real aircraft, two modern high performance aircraft models in the Virginia Tech Flight Simulation Laboratory are used instead of test aircraft. This allows for accomplishment of targeted learning objectives. It also gives students the ability and opportunity to serve in all of the various roles required to flight test an aircraft, from test pilot, to test conductor, to discipline engineer. The course is based on the principal that hands-on application of concepts learned in an academic setting is key to deep understanding. Due to safety issues, the cost of owning and operating aircraft and liability concerns, application of aerospace concepts learned in a classroom is often delayed until students arrive in industry. In industry employees are expected to perform their tasks without time to revisit concepts learned in school. This course oers students a means to apply lessons learned in a conventional classroom so that when students arrive in the workplace they already have the requisite experience in applying their academic skills to real-world problems. The goals of the course are threefold, namely to reinforce concepts taught in aircraft performance and stability and control classes, expose students to flight testing by reproducing the flight test environment in a classroom setting, and teach students flight test techniques based on currently used manuals in government evaluation of aircraft to prepare them for careers on flight test teams. The team teaching and supporting this course has unique credentials to enable this eort branching the fields of flight test engineering, test