TESTS ON A HUNTER F.2 OF TWO STRAIN GAUGE METHODS FOR MEASURING TAILPLANE LOADS IN FLIGHT, WITH SOME LOADS MEASURED IN LEVEL FLIGHT, PITCH-UPS AND TRANSONIC DIVES

Abstract

Two methods for measuring tailplane loads have been tested in flight on a Hunter F.2 aircraft. One method used modified tailplane mountings which provided a satisfactory means of checking, in flight, the datums of their strain gauge bridges. Although hysteresis and other non linearities in the load calibrations, together with fairly rapid temperature drift, limited the measuring system's usefulness in the flight tests, it appears that, with refinements in de sign, it should offer a good method for measuring absolute tail loads. The second measuring system, using shear strain gauges attached to the fuselage sides ahead of the tailplane, gave suitable load calibrations but were subject to considerable temperature drift. Reasonable agreement was obtained between the two systems, on incremental changes in aerodynamic load, over short time intervals (less than 30 seconds). In all cases the maximum loads measured were well below the structural strength limitations of the aircraft.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1963
Accession Number
AD0413666

Entities

People

  • O. P. Nicholas

Organizations

  • Royal Aircraft Establishment

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Bending Moments
  • Center Of Gravity
  • Dynamic Response
  • Fighter Bombers
  • Fuselages
  • Horizontal Stabilizers
  • Mach Number
  • Measurement
  • Recording Systems
  • Spars
  • Standards
  • Swept Wings
  • Time Intervals

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Geodesy
  • Structural Dynamics.