2009 International CDIO Conference
June 7-10, 2009
Singapore Polytechnic
DWC FLIGHT TEST EDUCATION
AT UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL IN
REALIZATION OF CDIO
INITIATIVES
M. Sadraey, D. Joyce, J. O’Donnell, N. Bertozzi
1
Why flight test in an undergraduate
Aeronautical Engineering curriculum?
2
….The Motivation
• The “Conceive-Design-ImplementOperate” (CDIO) initiative
• DWC joined the CDIO initiative in May
2006
3
CDIO at DWC
• Features of the DWC Application of CDIO
– Students will be well-grounded in theoretical bases of
engineering;
– Small class size will allow for regular presentations and one-onone communication;
– Students will get extensive machine shop experience beginning
with the first semester;
– Students will have multiple open-ended design experiences
beginning with the first semester;
– Students will receive multiple concurrent engineering
experiences, taking a product from design and analysis to
simulation to manufacturing to assembly and testing; and
– Students will have systems integration experience: sensors,
controls, software.
4
CDIO at DWC
• Features of the DWC Application of CDIO
– Students will be well-grounded in theoretical bases of
engineering;
– Small class size will allow for regular presentations and
one-on-one communication;
– Students will get extensive machine shop experience beginning
with the first semester;
– Students will have multiple open-ended design experiences
beginning with the first semester;
– Students will receive multiple concurrent engineering
experiences, taking a product from design and analysis to
simulation to manufacturing to assembly and testing; and
– Students will have systems integration experience: sensors,
controls, software.
5
CDIO and
Flight Test
Evaluate selected aspects of aircraft performance/flying
qualities/systems for a customer to support decisions
concerning system development, acquisition, specification or
regulatory compliance, and operational use.
Implement - Operate
Conduct research and advance applied technology
Conceive - Design
6
CDIO and
Flight Dynamics
In line with CDIO Standard 8--active learning--that is, “Teaching and
learning based on active experiential learning methods,” a flight test
engineering experience was integrated into the Aeronautical Engineering
program.
An educational tool was developed to allow students to
Master a deeper working knowledge of technical fundamentals
in Flight Dynamics
An “inflight laboratory exercise” supporting:
• EG 418 Flight Dynamics I – Aircraft Performance
• EG 419 Flight Dynamics II – Aircraft Stability and Control
7
The Tools
The Aircraft
8
The Tools
The Aircraft
The Flight Test Instrumentation
9
The Tools
The Aircraft
The Faculty
The Flight Test Instrumentation
10
Test Aircraft
• Cessna 172R Registration N688DW
– Production Normal/Utility Category C-172
• Modified with Engineering Instrumentation
– Designed, manufactured, and installed by
Calspan Corporation
– Modification approved by FAA under a Form 337
– Aircraft retains Normal/Utility Category
11
Aircraft Instrumentation
• Calspan Miniaturized Flight Data
Recording System
• Engineering Quality Data
– High sample rate
– High data quantity
– Easily employed inflight
– Easily downloaded to a laptop
– 32 parameters simultaneously recorded
12
Control Surface Transducers
and
Magnetometer (Heading Transducer)
Aileron Position Transducer
Elevator & Rudder Transducers
and Magnetometer
13
Independent Pitot-Static System
and
Independent GPS Receiver
Pitot Probe on Right Wing
GPS Receiver on Instrument Glare Shield
14
The heart of the system…
15