Overview of Dynamic Test Techniques for Flight Dynamics Research at NASA LaRC

TLDR

Dynamic test techniques have been employed at Langley Research Center since the 1920s and are categorized as captive, wind tunnel single degree‑of‑freedom, free‑flying, and outside free‑flying. The paper provides a partial overview of dynamic test techniques at Langley Research Center, including scale‑model flight dynamics characterization and the dynamic scaling needed to meet similitude requirements. The authors present each technique’s test facilities, specifications, data‑reduction methods, issues, and future work. Tests on the Blended Wing Body aircraft demonstrate that combined techniques can characterize vehicle flight dynamics across a wide range of critical conditions.

Abstract

An overview of dynamic test techniques used at NASA Langley Research Center on scale models to obtain a comprehensive flight dynamics characterization of aerospace vehicles is presented. Dynamic test techniques have been used at Langley Research Center since the 1920s. This paper will provide a partial overview of the current techniques available at Langley Research Center. The paper will discuss the dynamic scaling necessary to address the often hard-to-achieve similitude requirements for these techniques. Dynamic test techniques are categorized as captive, wind tunnel single degree-of-freedom and free-flying, and outside free-flying. The test facilities, technique specifications, data reduction, issues and future work are presented for each technique. The battery of tests conducted using the Blended Wing Body aircraft serves to illustrate how the techniques, when used together, are capable of characterizing the flight dynamics of a vehicle over a large range of critical flight conditions.