X-HALE: Flight Testing for Control Development

Student : John Hansen, Maj. USAF

Sponsor : A2SRL


Summary:

As aircraft are increasingly optimized for high altitude, long endurance (HALE) missions, the designs have become characterized by long slender wings that have also become more flexible. This trend in aircraft design has highlighted the need to ensure that the unique characteristics of flexible aircraft are adequately considered during the test and evaluation of these aircraft. With this in mind, a test and evaluation plan will be developed and executed, based on the X-HALE aircraft, which was designed to demonstrate nonlinear aeroelasticity and flight dynamics.

This video shows highlights of the last flight testing campaign conducted with the X-HALE model: