Ground resonance test and aeroelastic model validation of an innovative regional aircraft fitted with innovative wing tip (IWT) and adaptive morphing winglet (AMW)

ifasd2024 Tracking Number 95

These last years, many economic and financial efforts have been made by the European Commission to encourage more and more the manufacturing of Innovative Regional Aircraft all over the world. Leonardo is being the leadership of a variety of research project launched in the CLEAN SKY 2 field. The major challenge is the design first and then the fabrication of newer well-designed regional aircraft that can be equipped by either innovative wingtips or adaptive winglets aimed at in-flight load control & alleviation. On the roadmaps that bring to the permit to fly, aeroelastic clearances must be provided by theoretical analysis using a mathematical model validated by Ground Resonance Test (GRT) data. GRT is aimed at measurement of each Resonance structural mode of the aircraft in terms of frequency, structural damping and modal shape; it has always been a critical issue causing by both significant delay about the aircraft preparation for the flights and how much time is allowed for testing. All this hardly ever fit to the massive time frame asked for Ground Resonance Test. This paper will describe the GRT performed on the CLEAN SKY 2 demonstrator and the validation method applied for the aeroelastic models of the aircraft fitted with either Innovative Wing Tip (IWT) or Adaptive Morphing Winglets (AMW) that shall be tested in flight. The validated models have been used to provide initial flight clearances as concerns the flutter aspects. There will be dealt with all characteristic steps for the test campaign running, data post-processing and finally test data correlation with model. Starting off the needed test setup configuration, then moving on to the effective test procedure, next turning to most common algorithms used for the test data post-processing, and at last concluding with the matching between theoretical and experimental modal data for dynamic model updating in use for aeroelastic assessments. The final goal of GRT is nowadays a very charming chance for getting well-qualified aeroelastic predictions in a short time without any effects on the actual schedules relative to aircraft qualification before the first flight. In this paper it shall be mentioned all technical and operative methods and approaches to meet this commitment.