Flight testing the Black Hawk: a sophisticated software program is helping Army test pilots and data analysts evaluate helicopter airworthiness.(PUTTING SENSORS TO WORK)(United States. Army Aviation Technical Test Center)

Sensors Magazine, November, 2004 by Bryant, Daniel R.; Frank, Randy

The flight test engineering team in the U.S. Army Aviation Technical Test Center (ATTC) has a dual mission: Optimize aviation war fighting capability, and give the fighting troops a full-spectrum dominance of the battlefield. The ATTC plans, conducts, analyzes, and reports on the developmental and airworthiness qualification of aircraft. The tests focus on the handling qualities of the aircraft and its performance in various maneuvers, including operation under icing conditions.

The team consists of experimental test pilots and engineers working together to create a well-documented and highly graphical report that serves both as an archival reference and a record of the tests that were conducted. The collected data are reviewed by the U.S. Army Aviation...