In-flight measurement of static pressures and boundary-layer state with integrated sensors

Abstract

Advanced wing designs for transport aircraft using adaptive geometries for performance optimization and load control need reliable integrated sensors for feedback to the control system. More efficient air data sensing, eliminating the pitot-static piping, is also required, as in highly integrated modern flight management systems. Absolute pressure transducers from different manufacturers were tested and adapted to the flight-test environment. In laboratory and different flight tests, their applicability for steady measurements was proven in comparison to scanivalves. It was shown that sensing of pressure fluctuations in the buffet regime will improve the prediction of operational buffet limits. The pressure transducers were also used to investigate the laminar/ turbulent transition in the attachment-line flow of a swept wing in comparison to hot-film probes and were found to be an effective tool for such an experiment.