First in-flight simulation accomplished with the fly-by-wire/light aircraft VFW 614 ATTAS. ATTAS is the only European transport-type research aircraft with a flexible nonlinear model following flight control architecture (Dial-a-Model). Until 1998 flight experience of about 1200 hours of digital-electronic flight control has been accumulated.
Member of transatlantic working group for up-grading the Military Helicopter Handling Qualities Specification (ADS-33). These activities provided the basis for the definition of the NH90 Handling Qualities Requirements (1993-1996).
Finalization of the Handling Qualities Definition Document (HQDD) for the EF 2000 Eurofighter. This document was prepared by DLR, WTD 61, and IABG, to become the reference document for all multilateral government handling qualities acceptance flight testing.
Member of the US-German X-31A Integrated Flight Test Team. The technology demonstrator aircraft X-31A incorporates three-dimensional thrust-vectoring paddles to perform high-angle-of-attack maneuvering in the post-stall flight regime under operational conditions. Responsible for system identification and leading role in designing the separate effector excitation concept for generating physically plausible, reliable, and reproducible simulation models (cooperation with Dasa, RI, NASA, WTD 61).
Member of European industrial team for Helicopter ACT (Active Control Technologies). DLR´s airborne simulator Bo 105 ATTHeS was used as national flight demonstrator for advanced flight control and sidestick technologies.
Annual test pilot training campaigns with DLR in-flight simulator Bo 105 ATTHeS at the French and English test pilot schools EPNER (Ecole du Personnel Navigant d´Essai et de Reception, Istres) and ETPS (Empire Test Pilot´s School, Boscombe Down).
Organization of the first International Symposium on In-flight Simulation at DLR Research Site in Braunschweig. Display and flight demonstration of In-flight Simulators ATTAS and ATTHeS (sponsored by AIAA, AHS, RAeS, AAAF, DGLR, and DLR). More than 100 national and international flight test engineers and pilots attended the meeting and shared with DLR the flight demonstrations of the airborne simulators.
ATTAS in-flight simulation of Hermes spaceplane. Flight demonstration for European astronauts Haigneré and Reiter.
Instrumentation, flight testing, data-gathering, and model development for C-160 Transall Mission-Simulator accomplished in 15 months. Contract work for Thomson-CSF in cooperation with German Air Force Transport Squadron LTG 62 (Wunstorf) and German Forces Flight Test Center WTD 61 (Manching). A challenging single-engine take-off was demonstrated within the 80-hour flight test program and subsequently modeled for simulation purposes.
Unsteady rotor blade pressure measurements and complementary far field BVI (Blade-Vortex-Interaction) noise measurements gathered with ROTOS test rig in DNW. Nearly real-time pressure data analysis in the frequency domain accomplished with innovative TEDAS technology (Throughput Enhanced Data Acquisition System) developed by the Institute. The program was started at DLR (CP-ROT) and transformed to the European Program Helinoise (cooperation with DLR-Institutes of Design Aerodynamics, Aeroelasticity, and Fluid Mechanics, ECD, and Agusta).
World Class Glider prototype assessment. The International Glider Commission of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) organized an international flight assessment. Seven glider prototypes coming from five different nations entered final World Class Glider evaluation. This Institute successfully provided world-unique flight test methodologies and instrumentation for the prototype evaluation of handling qualities and flight performance.