In 1986, at DLR Braunschweig the Dornier 228 replaced the by this time already quite aged Do 28. Like its predecessor it serves as a universal flying research platform for various experiments: Laminar flow investigation, testing of sensors which are capable of creating synthetic outside view, validation of flight guidance systems for traffic flow control on ground and in the air, remote sensing, data link tests and much more. Many of those projects require very particular equipment which has to be designed, certified and installed especially for the project.
For most of the experiments some of the basic requirements are identical: All of them need electrical power and attachment points where sensors, computers and various kinds of "black boxes" can be safely fixed. Many installations require openings in the fuselage for the installation of quick-change antennas or vertically downward looking cameras. In order to facilitate the installation of this special purpose equipment, D-CODE offers joints for the attachment of outside loads beneath the wings, under the fuselage or at the nose as well as additional attachment points within the cabin for internal installations. In order to be able to deliver easily accessible electrical power, D-CODE has more powerful generators (2x300A) than the standard airplane. Besides 28VDC produced by the generators two static inverters deliver also 230 VAC with 50 Hz and 115 VAC with 400 Hz.
An inertial laser navigation system, a digital airdata computer and a GPS-sensor deliver all relevant data as altitude, airspeed, position, course, flight state and other. The computed data is not only for the cockpit crew – via ARINC- and serial ports it is available for every user onboard.
Technical Data