From Days to Hours: Automating the Data Reduction Process for More Efficient Flight Tests and Quicker Flight Releases to Customers

1 ABSTRACT The University of Tennessee Space Institute’s (UTSI) active airborne science program often requires extensive modification to its fleet of aircraft in order to meet mission and customer requirements; such modifications can alter the flight characteristics of the aircraft. In order to determine if the aircraft is safe to fly and find any new flight characteristics resulting from the modifications, the flight test engineer (FTE) must plan and conduct limited flight testing on the aircraft and evaluate the resulting data to ensure safety of flight. The more efficient the data reduction and analysis process the quicker the aircraft can be released to the customer for flight operations. Flight-Data Analysis and RePorting System (F-DARPS) was developed in an attempt to decrease the time spent reducing data by automating the entire data reduction process. F-DARPS searches through a data file, determines when the aircraft is in a trim state, processes the data, and presents a limited number of performance and stability and control (S&C) parameters to the FTE in a meaningful manner. Because F-DARPS is in an early stage of development, the system requirements, architecture, code techniques, and a self case study with future revision recommendations will be discussed in detail.