Flight Test to Determine Feasibility of a Proposed Airborne Wake Vortex Detection Concept.

Abstract

An investigation was conducted jointly by the FAA and NASA to determine the radial extent of the circulatory flow field around the lift-induced vortex system of an aircraft in flight. This flow field, if found to be of sufficient strength and span to activate instrumentation onboard a following aircraft, may provide the basis for designing a feasible airborne wake detection and avoidance system. A small probe aircraft was flown behind a larger wake generator aircraft to measure the lateral separation distance at which the vortex could be detected using conventional instrumentation. This report discusses the results and mechanics of the flight test and proposes recommendations for future tests. (AN)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1991
Accession Number
ADA294884

Entities

People

  • E. C. Hastings Jr.
  • James C. Patterson Jr
  • James R. Branstetter

Organizations

  • Langley Research Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Airplanes
  • Altitude
  • Cameras
  • Center Of Gravity
  • Charge Coupled Devices
  • Detection
  • Detectors
  • Flow Fields
  • Instrumentation
  • Measurement
  • Observation
  • Observation Aircraft
  • Recording Systems
  • Trailing Edges
  • Video Cameras
  • Video Recording

Readers

  • Aerodynamics.
  • Aviation Safety and Air Traffic Management
  • Sensor Fusion and Tracking Systems.