Ground Experimental Tests and Flight Test Design for a Flexible Aircraft Flying Demonstrator

Kurzfassung

This work presents the development and experimental validation of a structured, low-risk, bottom-up approach for airworthiness assessment and flight-test preparation of a flexible aircraft demonstrator using the TU-Flex platform. The proposed methodology extends the experimental validation block within the overall design workflow by incorporating full-aircraft characterization and ground testing to provide consistent feedback for model updating. The approach integrates center of gravity and inertia measurements, full-aircraft ground vibration testing, system integration checks, and progressive ground maneuverability and taxi tests. These activities enable the identification of the aircraft mass and structural dynamic properties, the verification of system functionality, and the assessment of operational readiness prior to flight. The resulting data are used to update a flexible aircraft model implemented in a simulation testing environment, which supports the definition of flight-test maneuvers and pilot training. The experimental results show good agreement between measured and predicted structural dynamics, while highlighting the importance of experimental characterization of inertia properties. Ground tests confirm stable communication links, adequate controllability, and reliable system performance. The first flight test demonstrates safe take-off, stable flight behavior, and consistent aeroelastic response, with observed structural deformations remaining within the expected range. The proposed framework provides a systematic connection between ground testing, model validation, and flight-test preparation, supporting the use of the TU-Flex platform as a representative flexible aircraft demonstrator for future aeroelastic and flight dynamics studies.