Mirosław Nowakowski

Evaluation of numerical modelling application for the crash test planning of the catastrophic Flight Data Recorder

ABSTRACT Catastrophic Flight Data Recorders (FDRs), the so-called black boxes, belong to the on-board equipment, the task of which is not only to operate properly while recording selected parameters under all flight conditions but also to protect the recorded data against the loss in the aircraft crash conditions. The requirements related to catastrophic resistance of FDRs are defined in the European standard EuroCAE ED-112 and the Polish standard NO-16-A200:2015. One of the requirements includes the catastrophic recorder’s resistance to the acceleration overload of 3400 g. The compliance with the standard is checked during crash tests. In this paper, a procedure of planning and carrying out the mentioned tests for S2-3a-K protected unit of S2-3a catastrophic FDR manufactured by the Air Force Institute of Technology was described. It is an iterative procedure involving consecutive experimental tests and both analytical and numerical calculations. The experimental tests were performed using a DPZ-250 pneumatic gun. The testing probe was shot at the target of sand deposits of modified geometry and mass characteristics. Effectiveness of the developed procedure was shown by comparing the experimental results, namely recordings of the probe deceleration captured with a fast camera, with results of numerical simulation of the probe terminal ballistic.

Testing the Catastrophic Recorder Resistance Against the Impact of Catastrophic Factors

Abstract The subject of the research was a catastrophic recorder of the S2-3a system for recording flight parameters, developed at the Air Force Institute of Technology. The article discusses tests of catastrophic recorders’ resilience to factors present at aircraft accidents. The document specifying the requirements for catastrophic recorders of flight parameters includes the defence standard: NO-16-A200, and the European standard: EuroCAE ED-112. According to NO-16-A200 and ED-112 standards, the protective unit should be resistant to: g-forces existing during crash, puncture, compression, fire, underwater pressure and aggressive liquids.

High reliability flash file system used into data unit of flight data recorder

Since the appearance of the solid-state flight data recorders, semiconductor memories are still modernized and equipped with new features and higher capacities. This process allows developing new functionality for FDR’s but entails effort to design reliable memory management algorithms. In order to provide usage the entire memory area of modern semiconductor memories, is required to assure flash file system utilities inter alia wear levelling, error corrections and bad blocks management. There are some open source file systems for flash memories but any can face strict requirements of flight data recording data unit. Due to this reasons Air Force Institute of Technology has been developed flash file system adapted to meet the requirements. The most significant issue was to ensure of stable work after sudden power cut in any moment. To cover the highest level of assurance, additional memory is held in idle mode. Recording system is implemented into ARM Cortex-M3 microcontroller, which handles two nand flash memory chips. Whole code is written in C language so it can be effortless migrated into processor architectures. Article explains source of strict necessities and difficulties of creating high reliability flash file system and presents main features of it. In addition, there are explanations of selected algorithms in order to clarify developed software.

A method for determination and standardization of performance parameters for aircrafts with electric drives

Abstract The study outlines the technique for flight tests carried out for a plane powered by an electric drive and the method for standardization of performance parameters applicable to evaluation of test results. Due to the relatively new type of drive, which is an electric motor, the literature references provide no descriptions of such issues. Therefore the solutions presented in the paper are the own contribution of the research team from Air Force Institute of Technology (ITWL).

Measuring and Recording Systems Used in Flight Tests of Aircraft

Flight tests and measurements are usually performed for newly built or modernised aircraft utilised by the Polish Armed Forces. In the course of flight tests the airborne equipment is also investigated. The main goal of the performed tests is to verify tactical performance and to identify technical parameters of aircraft and/or equipment under examination. The airborne experimental data is also applied to the aircraft flight dynamics modelling, subsequently used for the design and construction of a flight simulator. The equipment is usually arranged of the following components: ̶ sensors/measuring devices capable of converting physical parameters into optical, mechanical, or electrical signals (indicators, transmitters, sensors, transducers); ̶ conditioning systems - intermediary devices used to amplify and/or adjust any signal gained to some required value or form; ̶ recording and storing devices (data recorders, cameras, etc.); ̶ devices applied to the decoding and processing of the acquired data (decoders, computers). Some selected problems of aircraft flight tests will be discussed in the paper. A brief description of the applied experimental apparatus will be provided first. Next, the attention will be focused on the experimentally gathered data utilised in the identification of aircraft flight dynamics characteristics and on the data applied to the evaluation of selected design parameters.