Productivity
Productivity for Aircraft and Isolated Store Models
The productivity of wind tunnel testing can be measured in terms of the number of configurations or builds that are tested in a day and the number of polars for which data is measured in a day. The absolute amount of each of these that can be achieved will be dependent upon the precise details of a test programme. The figures given in the table below show the high levels of productivity that can be achieved typically within the ARA transonic wind tunnel for both the continuous and pitch-pause model movement approaches.
Typical Productivity Levels
| Type of Model Movement | Configurations per hour |
|---|---|
| Continuous | 10 |
| Pitch & Pause | 4 |
Productivity for Store Release Testing
Typically, a store release test will be composed of taking data for a number of trajectories of the store from the parent aircraft and a number of grid traverses of the store through the aircraft flow field. The table below gives representative figures for the number of trajectories and grids that can be performed in an hour; demonstrating the highly efficient levels of data gathering that can be achieved with ARA’s captive trajectory capability.
Productivity for Store Release Testing
| Typical Grid (24″, 0.6m movement) | 15-30 grids per hour |
|---|---|
| Trajectory | Up to 15 per hour |
| Free Air Data | 12-15 polars per hour |
| Typical test: 600 grids, 200 trajectories, 50 Free Air polars | 70 hours occupancy |
