Flight Test Support

Next Generation Digital Flight Data Recorder - ACI conducted a flight test of the Next Generation Digital Flight Recorder on board a U.S.M.C.'s AV8B Harrier. The Marine Corp's AV8B has an old style data recorder, which records a very limited number of data channels. The new flight data recorder records every single event on the MIL-Std-1553 bus. The Marine Corp provided two AV8B aircraft to be modified for the installation of the new data recorder. All data were taken during the normal operational training flights. The training missions included day/night ground attack and air combat, as well as vertical take-offs and landings. All test flights took place at the U.S.M.C. Yuma Air Station in Yuma, AZ.

ARIES Program - ACI Researchers, based at NASA Langley Research Center, perform data processing support for the ARIES program including development, modification, and maintainance of current and future flight data processing software. They also supply researchers with flight data.

Quieter Airplanes - ACI participated in a NASA-sponsored acoustic flight test. The goal of this test was to reduce the aerodynamic noise generated during landing approaches by the high lift devices currently used by large transport airliners. Reducing aerodynamic noise has become increasingly important as engines for the new generation of transport aircraft have become quieter. In order to save cost, NASA used a small aircraft, a Lancair IV, for the tests. The Lancair IV aircraft provides a perfect scale model of a large transport aircraft wing because it uses similar Fowler flaps. Spectrum analysis was used to isolate the aerodynamic noise from noise generated by the propeller and the exhaust of the reciprocating engine, etc.

The noise lowering device is a NASA patented technology. Due to its sensitive nature, we can neither show close up photos of the device nor give a description of the device. (NASA calls it Competitively Sensitive Information and details are available only to U.S. aircraft designers, manufacturers, and citizens that sign non-disclosure agreements with NASA.) However, we are permitted to indicate that the device demonstrated its capability to lower the airframe noise. The entire test was performed at Redmond airport in Oregon, home of Lancair International, and at Prineville, an airport adjacent to Redmond. ACI has supported many other acoustic research efforts at NASA Ames Research Center.