Appendix B
DARKSTAR FLIGHT TEST DATA
Table B.1 contains information on the DarkStar flight test program.
Data include sortie numbers, sortie dates, flight hours, objectives, results of the mission, and additional comments regarding significant
events during the test. These data were used to create the charts
used in Chapter Three.
The data in the table were derived from the flash reports and quicklook reports that documented the results of each sortie.
77
4/22/96
6/29/98
2
3
Utopia
3/29/96
Date
1
Sortie
Number
AV02
AV01
AV01
Air
Vehicle
696 F2-1
0.73
0.73
Official
Cumulative
Sortie
Flight Time
Flight
Designation (hours)
Hours
II
II
II
Phase
Objective
Airworthiness,
instrument
calibration
Airworthiness,
instrument
calibration
Airworthiness,
instrument
calibration
DarkStar Flight Test Data
Table B.1
Objectives
met
Objectives
not met
Results
Oscillation and climb
rate problems.
CRASH.
“Wheelbarrowing”
down runway;
discrepancy between
model predictions
and flight test data.
Comments
78
Innovative Development: Global Hawk and DarkStar
9/30/98
10/27/98
5
6
Utopia
9/13/98
Date
4
Sortie
Number
AV02
AV02
AV02
Air
Vehicle
696 F2-4
696 F2-3
696 F2-2
1.17
0.77
0.77
3.43
2.26
1.50
Official
Cumulative
Sortie
Flight Time
Flight
Designation (hours)
Hours
II
II
II
Phase
Objective
Fleet SATCOM
demonstration;
envelope
expansion
Mission replan
demonstration;
fleet SATCOM
demonstration;
flight envelope
expansion
Pitch oscillation
investigation
Table B.1—continued
Objectives
partially
met
Objectives
not
met
Objectives
met
Results
Initial climb rate still
problem.
Oscillation
continued; mission
abort decision after
fault message
received on replan
execute command.
Wing loads near limit
during flight and
landing; brake
pulsing; climb rate
problem; oscillation
better.
Comments
DarkStar Flight Test Data
79
1/29/99
8
AV02
AV02
Air
Vehicle
696 F2-6
696 F2-5
n/a
2.63
n/a
6.06
Official
Cumulative
Sortie
Flight Time
Flight
Designation (hours)
Hours
II
II
Phase
n/a
Envelope
expansion
Objective
Utopia
SOURCE: HAE UAV JPO flash reports, quick-look reports, and flight test summary data charts.
1/9/99
Date
7
Sortie
Number
Table B.1—continued
n/a
Objectives
not met
Results
Stop work
order/program
termination.
Brake system
continued to fail;
climb rate; aircraft
kept reaching flight
limits on attempted
envelope expansion
tests; flight
termination signal
tested on ground due
to detection of
spurious signal from
elsewhere on range.
Comments
80
Innovative Development: Global Hawk and DarkStar