Section_L_Atch_12-Flight_Test_Procedures.pdf

Solicitation FA8617-17-R-6219 Section L – Attachment 12

Flight Test Procedures

- 1 -

Attachment 12

The following ground rules apply to all maneuvers described below:

(a) The offeror shall submit time-stamped cockpit audio and video, including head-up type display information, of all maneuvers in a format compatible with Microsoft Windows Media Player on a read only Digital Video Disk (DVD) compatible with the USAF standard desktop configuration.

(b) Data shall be normalized to Standard Day conditions using International Standard Atmosphere model as defined by MIL-STD-3013A, Department of Defense Standard Practice: Glossary of Definitions, Ground Rules, and Mission Profiles to Define Air Vehicle Performance Capability, Appendix A, Atmospheric Characteristics.

(c) Two-person aircrew (average nude aircrew member weight of 200 pounds each) with 26 pounds of personal flight equipment each, or equivalent ballast

(d) All aircraft systems and subsystems operating normally

(e) Standard Configuration as defined in Aircraft System Specification

(f) The operating weight of the aircraft used to generate data will include ballast (if required) to load the aircraft to the estimated operating weight for the final proposed production configuration. Ballast shall include contingency weight for Space, Weight, Power and Cooling (SWaP-C) as specified in the Aircraft System Specification, Paragraph 3.11.3, Space, Weight, Power and Cooling Margins. Alternatively, flying the maneuvers at an equivalent higher fuel weight would also be acceptable.

1 High G Maneuver

1.1 Ground Rules: (Reference Aircraft System Specification 3.1.2.1 and

A.1 High G Maneuvering)

(1) Fuel weight at or above 80% fuel weight (relative to maximum fuel capacity)

(2) No power setting is specified for this maneuver

(3) The maneuver shall begin at 15,000 feet, pressure altitude (PA) ±200 feet

(4) The aircraft shall descend to no lower than 13,000 feet PA during any portion of the entire maneuver

(5) The maneuver shall begin at or below 0.9 Mach

(6) The aircraft shall lose no more than 10% of the initial airspeed during the maneuver

(7) The flight path angle shall be no lower than 15 degrees nose low during the maneuver

- 2 -

(8) The pilot shall attempt to maintain a load factor of at least 6.5 G’s for a minimum of 140° of heading change

(9) The lowest load factor (rounded down to the nearest 0.1 G) registered during the 140° period shall establish the G-loading for the maneuver. For example, if the aircraft maintains 7.2 Gs for less than 140° and then drops to 6.9 Gs by the end of the 140° period, the maximum sustained G is 6.9 Gs. There is no requirement to exceed 7.5 Gs

1.2 Procedures:

(1) The aircraft shall be set up at the flight conditions specified above. The maneuver shall begin in level flight (flight path angle no lower than zero and no higher than 2° nose high), wings level (≤ 5° of bank)

(2) The pilot shall immediately initiate bank and back pressure to achieve the highest maintainable G-loading.

(3) The G-loading shall be maintained for a minimum of 140 continuous degrees.

(4) The pilot may begin reducing the load factor and rolling out after a minimum of 140° in order to roll out at approximately 180° of turn.

(5) The maneuver is terminated after the aircraft completes 180° of turn or anytime flight safety considerations dictate.

2 Pitch and Bank Angle Captures

2.1 Ground rules in accordance with Aircraft System Specification, 3.1.2.6 High Angle-of-Attack Maneuvering Fuel weight at start of maneuver at least 50%, initial stabilized one-G level flight must be at or above pressure altitude (PA) of 15,000 feet, airspeed no greater than 0.9 Mach.

Tolerance band for Angle-of-Attack (AOA) is ± 3° during this maneuver unless otherwise specified (e.g. stabilizing prior to maneuvering) in procedures. Data band for altitude during this maneuver is 15,000 feet PA ±1500 feet unless otherwise specified (i.e. initial stabilizing at or above 15,000 feet PA prior to maneuvering) in procedures. Positive bank angle is defined as right bank, and negative bank angle is defined as left bank.

(1) Stabilize in 1 G level flight (≤ 5° of bank) at or below 0.9 Mach, and at or above 15,000 feet PA

(2) Reduce power to idle

(3) Adjust pitch attitude to minimize descent during deceleration

(4) Add power as required as aircraft slows to maintain desired AOA

(5) Stabilize at or slightly above (<0.5°) target AOA no less than 20°

(6) Decrease pitch attitude by 2° within 2 seconds and maintain that attitude for at least

7 seconds. Add power as required. Aggressively maintain zero (0) degrees of pitch

- 3 -attitude error at the new condition. The pilot shall provide verbal qualitative comments on the aircraft handling qualities to be recorded during the maneuver

(7) Increase pitch attitude by 2° within 2 seconds and maintain that attitude for at least 7 seconds. Attempt to maintain 0° of error. The pilot shall provide verbal qualitative comments on the aircraft handling qualities to be recorded during the maneuver

(8) Re-stabilize at or slightly above (<0.5°) target AOA and at or above 15,000 feet PA

(9) Roll to +30° of bank angle within 3 seconds and maintain a +30° banked turn for at least 7 seconds. Attempt to maintain 0° of error at the +30° bank angle. The pilot shall provide verbal qualitative comments on the aircraft handling qualities to be recorded during the maneuver

(10) Roll to -30° of bank angle (60° bank angle change) within 6 seconds and maintain a -30° banked turn for at least 7 seconds. Attempt to maintain 0° of error at the -30° bank angle. The pilot shall provide verbal qualitative comments on the aircraft handling qualities to be recorded during the maneuver

(11) Re-stabilize at or slightly above (<0.5°) target AOA. Climbing within the data band to set up the maneuver is acceptable

(12) Roll to -30° of bank angle within 3 seconds and maintain a -30° banked turn for at least 7 seconds. Attempt to maintain 0° of error at the -30° bank angle. The pilot shall provide verbal qualitative comments on the aircraft handling qualities to be recorded during the maneuver

(13) Roll to +30° of bank angle (60° bank angle change) within 6 seconds and maintain a +30° banked turn for at least 7 seconds. Attempt to maintain 0° of error at the +30° bank angle. The pilot shall provide verbal qualitative comments on the aircraft handling qualities to be recorded during the maneuver

2.2 Performance Standards for Pitch and Bank Angle Captures

(1) Pitch Captures:

(a) Desired: No overshoots beyond ±1°. No objectionable couple motion.

(b) Adequate: No more than one overshoot beyond ±1°.

(2) Bank Angle Captures:

(a) Desired: No overshoots beyond ±5°. No objectionable couple motion.

(b) Adequate: No more than one overshoot beyond ±5°.

- 4 -

2.3 Pilot Comments

The pilot shall provide verbal (where applicable during the maneuvers) and written comments on the following to support a qualitative handling qualities assessment:

(1) Initial response of the aircraft

(2) Suitability of roll rate response at target AOA

(3) Perceived time delay

(4) Pilot-in-the-loop Oscillations (PIO) tendencies

(5) Any undesired or objectionable motions of the aircraft

(6) Acceptability of Control Harmony and Forces/Displacements

(7) Workload required during the task

(8) Pitch, Roll and/or Yaw oscillations

(9) Adverse/Proverse yaw tendencies

(10) Roll Ratcheting

(11) Overshoot tendencies and cycles to damp

3 1 G Roll (360°)

3.1 Ground rules in accordance with Aircraft System Specification, Paragraph 3.1.2.6, High Angle-of-Attack (AOA) Maneuvering Fuel weight at start of maneuver at least 50%, airspeed no greater than 0.9 Mach. It is not necessary to maintain target AOA during this maneuver after initiation of the roll.

(1) Stabilize in 1 G flight with power and aft stick as required, at or slightly above (<0.5°) the target AOA (no less than 20°), and between 15,000 feet PA and 16,500 feet PA.

(2) Rapidly apply full lateral stick force (or displacement) and allow aircraft to roll through the target bank angle change of +360°. Maintain constant longitudinal stick force (or displacement) and no rudder inputs.

(3) After rolling through the target bank angle change of 360°, abruptly release the control stick from the full lateral stick force (or displacement). Do not check or arrest the pitch, roll, or yaw rates.

(4) Remain hands and feet-off the controls for approximately five (5) seconds and provide verbal qualitative comments on the aircraft handling qualities to be recorded during the maneuver.

(5) Recover to 1 G level flight and continue to provide verbal qualitative comments on the post maneuver aircraft recovery characteristics to be recorded during the maneuver. Comments shall be simple and relevant, and limited to post maneuver observations.

(6) Repeat all of the above steps, rolling in the opposite direction for Step 2.

- 5 -

3.2 The pilot shall provide verbal (where applicable during the maneuver) and written comments on the following to support a qualitative flying qualities assessment:

(1) Initial response of the aircraft

(2) Suitability of roll rate response at target AOA

(3) Any undesired motions of the aircraft during the 360° roll and after stick release

(4) Perceived Time delay

(5) Acceptability of Control Harmony and Forces (or Displacements)

(6) Pitch, Roll and/or Yaw oscillations

(7) Adverse and Proverse Yaw tendencies

(8) Roll Ratcheting

(9) Departure Susceptibility