This Division is responsible for program management, system integration and engineering, ground and flight testing for aeronautical systems. Design and construction of test equipment featuring integration of mechanical and electronic systems is also trademarking this unit. The main activities carried out are:
System engineering and integration
This capability supports the design, construction and integration of electronic and mechanical systems in support of ground and flight testing activities for in-house and customer projects. The available engineering know-how allows to support definition of both hardware and/or software architectures for experimental set-up, the development of software application for remote operation of experimental set-up or data acquisition systems, the design of scaled models or entire test rigs, for ground testing in general.
Icing testing
CIRA is home of the largest refrigerated facility in the world, a unique capability for ground testing in support of ice protection system development and qualification by simulation for cloud condition responsible for ice accretion in flight is made available to interested research partners and industrial customers. Testing capability include simulation of air intakes operation in icing condition, ice protection simulation for rotor blades, wing section and engine inlet lips, etc. In addition to the test engineering capability, specific attention is paid to both non intrusive and intrusive measurement techniques and testing instrumentation for the characterization of icing and aerodynamic conditions such as Phase Doppler Particle Analizer (PDPA), Particle Image velocimetry (PIV), etc.
Transonic testing
Transonic and supersonic testing using small scale models for supporting the first stages of development of wing profiles, rotor blades and air and space vehicles as well as full scale testing of flight probes (air data sensors, etc) using the available small pilot facility PT1. The available know-how allows to manage transonic and supersonic testing in external large scale facilities on behalf of industrial customers. Additional testing capability using specific cost effective rigs is available for high speed base flow and jet noise characterization.
Crash testing
A full scale crash testing capability, with a world unique operative envelope, is available for both space and aeronautical vehicles in support of research activities such as crashworthy design, development of new passive safety devices, certification support. Special care is dedicated to improve survivability of air vehicle passengers or mission payloads in the case of hard landing of space vehicles. Other facilities such as drop tower and horizontal sleds are also available for scaled models. All activities to support testing are provided high speed movies analysis, instrumented anthropomorphic test dummies and wi-fi data acquisition system, test data post processing and numerical/experimental correlations.
Flight testing
Supporting flight testing activities is of a key importance for the achievement of the test goals in the case of flight campaign with experimental flying test beds. The activities span from overall flight test engineering to coordination of ground crew and pilots, pre-flight and post-flight checks to the handling of the relationship with the Airworthiness Authorities for the acquisition of the related permit-to-fly. The configuration control of flying test beds and their ground station is also a specific action carried out in the aeronautical systems division .
Contact
Ing. Ludovico VECCHIONE
e-mail l.vecchione@cira.it
Tel.: +39 0823 623918 - Fax: +39 0823 969272