Flight Test Data Analytics.1 - Level Acceleration and Specific Excess Power

Determination of aircraft specific excess power (Ps) via the level acceleration flight test technique. Includes flight test demonstration, explanation of governing equations, and Python coding tutorial to create calculations and plots.

How fast can you make that aircraft climb?

Learn the analysis methods to set world records, while also making your flight operation more efficient

Aircraft acceleration and climb rates are all about specific excess power, but excess power is not a constant throughout the flight envelope. If you know how your aircraft design is optimized, you can get better performance. The same aircraft can be flown on the same route, but by using different climb profiles the enroute time and fuel burn could be very different.

Minimizing time to climb and the ability to efficiently accelerate clearly have both civil air carrier as well as tactical military advantages. These factors are the result of the aircraft's total performance, both in terms of the propulsion system and also its total aerodynamic efficiency. 

So how can designers and flight test engineers measure  aircraft performance across the entire envelope? The Naval Test Pilot School's Flight Test Manual 108 describes the mathematical theory governing these principles. This course demonstrates how to gather quality data using the level acceleration flight test technique, then thoroughly explains the governing equations, followed by step by step application of the equations to analyze representative flight test data collected in a high fidelity simulator.

This course gives aircraft designers, flight test engineers, and aerodynamic students the understanding and analysis tools to generate plots of Specific Energy Power for any fixed wing aircraft.

The course is designed around a complementary open-source code repository on GitHub, plus free access to the Daedalus Aerospace community for flight test data analytics professionals. Collaborate on your code and data challenges with our world-wide community!

Learn Python-Based Flight Test Data Analytics and Visualization

• Flight Test = Big Data
  Flight test data from an instrumented prototype aircraft approaches the scale of banking or financial systems. Is Microsoft Excel the right tool for the job?
• Real-World Flight Test Techniques
  Flight test techniques as taught by the world's leading Test Pilot Schools, with theory and equations explained from the US Naval Test Pilot School Fixed Wing Flight Test Manual.
• Line-by-Line Python Code Tutorial
  Learn Python with immediate practical use in aerospace applications. We explain how to use libraries such as SciPy, ADRPy, and more!
• Github Repositories are Good
  Use our open-source modules to build your own applications with straightforward tutorials and examples of real flight test data.
• Flight test problems require flight test solutions
  You could learn Python other ways... but this course is taught by professional flight testers, for professional flight testers - for contemporary flight test use cases.
• Community for Flight Test Data Analytics
  The Flight Test Data Analytics online community is free to students enrolled in any Flight Test Data Analytics course. Please introduce yourself, ask questions and offer ideas! The learning goes beyond course content into direct applicability for your current challenges.

Testimonials

"This introduction to Python is pretty awesome. The team have managed to pull off one of the more tiresome tasks and break down the task of data analysis into a far more simple, digestible video that can clearly be replicated by the learner. If you have another monitor, this course can essentially hold your hand the whole way as it introduces these concepts and relevant software." - Michael M.

"It's very good course for flight test team to improve their skill in data analytics." - Mitra K.

"An apt introduction to data analytics used in flight test engineering. I was quite intrigued by the tutorial on how we can use python to organize flight test data and make our work much more effective. The course outlines the basic outline of how to use python quite well. I was able to follow through satisfactorily considering this is my first time using python." - Hari V.

"Exactly what is needed for the flight testers! This course will be of great help to flight testers as instead of getting frustrated with excel by spending most of the time on data massaging. Flight testers will actually able to automate these and concentrate their energy in making the sense out of data. Highly recommended." - Vikrant S.

Free Access to the Flight Test Data Analytics Community: