Title: Operational Loads Monitoring for Business Jet Aircraft
1Operational Loads Monitoring for Business Jet
Aircraft
- Doug Marshall
- CGAR Annual Meeting
2Introduction
- The aviation industry has long been concerned
with many operational and safety variables, which
can be analyzed and used to assess aircraft
design and structure of airframes. - Usage data from typical operations can offer
insights into the safety, aerodynamics, aircraft
performance, and useful life spans of those
platforms.
3(No Transcript)
4Pilot error? Ground crew mistake? Fatigue failure?
5FOQA Programs
- For commercial airliners and military aircraft,
programs such as Flight Operations Quality
Assurance have been implemented to monitor many
aspects of pilot and aircraft performance. - Similar programs for assessing airframe lives are
not widely available in the general aviation
community, if they exist at all.
6Prior Collected Data
- To date the FAA has collected considerable
amounts of typical in-service usage for airplane
models - B-737/400
- MD-82
- B-767/200
- A-320
- B-747/400
- B-777/200
- F27/28
- CRJ/100
- BE-1900D
- Cessna-172
7Prior Collected Data
- A number of airplanes used in the firefighting
and agricultural roles. -
- Plans are in place to acquire service data from
the A-340/300/600, A-380 and ERJ-135/145 models. -
- In almost all cases, the usage information is
acquired via the download of data from the
airplanes Digital Flight Data Recorders (DFDR). - Missing from the list above are the Business Jet
airplanes.
8Benefits
- The FAA uses these data to
- Assess/reassess the technical basis for its
regulations and advisory circulars. - Special studies can/have be/been conducted to
prevent future surprises. (B787, A380
composites)
9Benefits
- Aircraft manufacturers use these data to
- Update the fatigue and damage tolerance loads on
the current fleet, and -
- Provide accurate fatigue and damage tolerance
loads for both repair of current airframes and
design of new airframes.
10Benefits
- The airlines benefit from these data as well for
improved maintenance scheduling and they can
conduct trade studies of operational procedures. - The data can also provide insight into future
service problems. - Finally, the general public benefits from the
additional level of safety attained from the
knowledge of commercial airplane measured
operational service usage.
11Benefits
- The data provided by digital flight recorders are
very useful and provide unique information on the
performance of that particular aircraft. - For the business jet operators, it is of even
greater importance to acquire and analyze the
data for a wide variety of types and models that
are being introduced to the fleet already
equipped with digital flight recorders.
12Data Acquisition
- Systematic acquisition of data from these
aircraft that are delivered equipped with sensors
and other performance monitoring equipment. - Installation of DFDRs or QARs.
13Data Acquisition
- Aircraft that will be so equipped for purposes of
this study will enable the researchers to
quantify and analyze the stresses over the
lifespan of these airframes as they are flown at
high altitudes, airspeeds and numbers of cycles.
14Data Acquisition
- The collected data will be used to supplement the
existing database of transport aircraft usage so
as to continuously validate and update flight and
landing load airworthiness certification
standards on the basis of actual measured usage.
15Research Design
- Under the guidance of the Federal Aviation
administration and with the help and cooperation
of aircraft owners and operators, the statistical
data characterizing the operations of business
jets will be acquired by downloading and
analyzing raw data from digital flight data
recorders over fixed periods of time. - Some pilot sensitivity issues.
16Research Design
- Some newer business jet models are entering
service in the U.S. equipped with DFDRs, making
them prime candidates for inclusion in the FAAs
research efforts. - The flight parameters recorded are listed in CFR
Part121 Appendix B or Appendix M, depending on
the airplanes date of manufacture.
17Research Design
- Business jet owners/operators were approached to
volunteer their aircraft for inclusion in this
study, and appropriate nondisclosure agreements
were offered between the owners and the
universities responsible for collecting and
analyzing the data. - The operator would have the right to review all
results. - Data can be desensitized if necessary
18Research Goals
- The collected data is expected to reveal critical
information about the external loads to which
aircraft components are subjected during normal
flight operations.
19Research Goals
- The resulting data base will be utilized to
analyze aircraft usage patterns and to update
flight and landing load airworthiness
certification standards based upon actual
measured values. - It is anticipated that data from a minimum of
3,000-5,000 flights per aircraft type will be
necessary to secure meaningful results.
20Scope of Study
- Three different aircraft types in three size
categories will be selected for study. - The first aircraft with QARs installed by the
researcher is the Bombardier Global Express. - Industry partner operates two.
21Finding a Partner
- Desired an industry partner owner/operator
whose fleet is already equipped with DFDRs or
similar devices so that there would be no need
for installation of equipment or the cost of
acquiring Supplemental Type Certificates.
22(No Transcript)
23Pete Sparacino
Mike Edwards
24Challenges
- Lack of cooperation
- Flight Safety Foundation involved-FOQA
- Major fractional almost went along
- We dont fly aging aircraft
- Most business jets older than about 5 years are
not equipped with DFDRs or QARs - Had to purchase QARs for installation
- Will sell them to the operator at end of study
if they are not removed
25UNDs Tasks
- Acquisition of operational usage data in a format
selected by University of Dayton Research
Institute (UDRI) and assisting UDRI with the
statistical analysis. - Secure access to the aircraft selected for the
study -
- Ensure the integrity of the data acquisition
process - Identifying and preserving the data, maintaining
confidentiality, liaison with the owner/operators
- Negotiating and administering any payments to the
owner/operators that may become necessary to
carry out the study.
26UNDs Task
- UDRI will take the lead in the data reduction and
the statistical analysis -
- Utilize graduate students as much as possible to
perform all of these tasks.
27Expected Results
- This investigation will focus on providing
typical usage data for use in determining the
lifespan of various business jets. - Determine the current status of airframes in
service for the past 5, 10, 15 and 20 years. - Are they being flown the way they were designed?
-
28Data Collection
- The aircraft usage data includes statistics
on - Aircraft weights
- Flight distances
- Altitudes
- Speeds
- Flight attitudes
29Data Collection
- Flight loads data include statistical
information on - Gust and maneuver load factors
- Derived gust velocities
- Ground-air-ground cycles.
30Data Collection
- Ground loads data include statistics on
- Lateral, longitudinal, and vertical load factors
during different ground operational phases.
31Data Collection
- Systems operational data include statistics on
flap usage, thrust reverser usage, and engine fan
speed.
32Parameter Sampling Rate Parameter Sampling Rate
Vertical acceleration 10 per second Mach number 1 per second
Lateral acceleration 4 per second Pressure altitude 1 per second
Longitudinal acceleration 4 per second Gross weight 1 per second
Aileron position 4 right and 4 left (2 inboard and 2 outboard) 2 per second each Fuel quantity 1 per second
Elevator position 4 right and 4 left (2 inboard and 2 outboard) 2 per second each Bank angle 2 per second
Rudder position - upper and lower 1 per second Pitch angle 4 per second
Horizontal stabilizer position 1 per second Magnetic heading 1 per second
Flap position 2 right and 2 left (1 inboard and 1 outboard) 1 per second each True heading 1 per second
Spoiler/speed brake position - 4 and 12 1 per second each Latitude 1 per second
Slats position right and left 1 per second each Longitude 1 per second
N1 Engine - right and left 1 per second each Total air temperature 1 per second
N2 Engine - right and left 1 per second each Radio altitude 1 per second
Thrust reverser status right and left engine 1 per second each Autopilot - left, center, right 1 per second each
Exhaust gas temperature - 2 right and 2 left 1 per second each Ground speed 1 per second
Squat switch - main, left 5 per second Inertial vertical velocity 2 per second
Landing gear down and locked - main gear (right and left), nose gear 1 per second each Glide slope - left, center, right 1 per second
Computer airspeed 1 per second Wind speed (not available for all flights) 1 per second
True airspeed 1 per second Wind direction (not available for all flights) 1 per second
33Quick Access Recorder
34The Final Product (we hope)
35Past Studies
- Some interesting data
- Suggested that some aircraft are overdesigned
- Pilots dont fly large aircraft quite as hard as
the designers anticipated - Identify other unexpected phenomena
- Cleveland Airport
- Side loading
36Next Phase
- Agriculture Aircraft
- UASs?
37Questions?