Pre flight Calibration of Air Data Sensors of a Fighter Aircraft

About the Monograph

This monograph presents the latest tools and methods for pre-flight calibration of air data sensors of a fighter aircraft. A generic fighter aircraft that was designed and developed at Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), Bengaluru is used as a typical case in the study. The procedure of selection of optimal choice of locations of air data sensors is presented in detail. CFD methods have been extensively used to generate flow angularity and position error correction data tables for air data sensors for an extensive range of angles of attack, angles of side slip, and Mach numbers. Data from CFD tables are compared with the data from wind tunnel tests and a close match obtained proving the adequacy of CFD methods for pre-fl ight calibration. Validation results with the flight tests have also been presented. Though the procedure highlighted here in this monograph is for a generic fighter aircraft of ADA, it is highly applicable and adaptable for any fighter aircraft programme and will also serve as a guideline for future engineers and scientists for pre-flight calibration of air data sensors.

About the Author

Dr KP Singh obtained BE in Mechanical Engineering from the Institute of Technology, BHU, Varanasi in 1971; ME in Aeronautical Engineering from IIT, Kanpur in 1973; and PhD in Aeronautics from Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru in 1988. He worked as a Senior Aerodynamicist at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, during 1973 - 1988. In 1988, he joined Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), Bengaluru, to lead the CFD group. His responsibility involved making ADA selfsufficient in the application of CFD tools for design and development of combat aircraft. He worked in many areas of aircraft configuration design and development, aerodynamic loads, store separation studies, and pre-fl ight calibration of air data sensors, where he spent major part of time of his career. After superannuating as an Outstanding Scientist from ADA, Bengaluru in 2009, he continued as an Emeritus Scientist. He also served as Chairman, CFD Division, Aeronautical Society of India for nine years.