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A testbed aircraft is an aeroplane, helicopter or other kind of aircraft intended for flight
A testbed aircraft is an aeroplane, helicopter or other kind of aircraft intended for flight research
Research is "creativity, creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular att ...
or testing
An examination (exam or evaluation) or test is an educational assessment intended to measure a test-taker's knowledge, skill, aptitude, physical fitness, or classification in many other topics (e.g., beliefs). A test may be administered verba ...
the aircraft concepts or on-board equipment. These could be specially designed or modified from serial production aircraft.
Use of testbed aircraft
For example, in development of newaircraft engine
An aircraft engine, often referred to as an aero engine, is the power component of an aircraft propulsion system. Most aircraft engines are either piston engines or gas turbines, although a few have been rocket powered and in recent years many ...
s, these are fitted to a testbed
A testbed (also spelled test bed) is a platform for conducting rigorous, transparent, and replicable testing of scientific theories, computational tools, and new technologies.
The term is used across many disciplines to describe experimental rese ...
aircraft for flight testing, before certification. For this adaptation it is required, among other changes, that new instrumentation wiring and equipment, fuel system and piping, as well as structural modifications of wing.
The Folland Fo.108
The Folland Fo.108, also known as the Folland 43/37 and by the nickname Folland Frightful (or Frightener), was a large monoplane engine testbed aircraft of the 1940s.
Design and development
The Fo.108 was Folland's response to Air Ministry Spe ...
(nicknamed the "Folland Frightful") was a dedicated engine testbed aircraft of the 1940s. The aircraft had a mid fuselage cabin for test instrumentation and observers. Twelve were built and provided to British aero-engine companies. A large number of aircraft-testbeds have been produced and tested since 1941 in the USSR and Russia by the Gromov Flight Research Institute
The Gromov Flight Research Institute or GFRI for short (russian: link=no, Лётно-исследовательский институт имени М. М. Громова, russian: link=no, ЛИИ) is an important Russian State Researc ...
.
AlliedSignal
AlliedSignal was an American aerospace, automotive and engineering company created through the 1985 merger of Allied Corp. and Signal Companies. It subsequently purchased Honeywell for $14.8 billion in 1999, and thereafter adopted the Honeywell n ...
, Honeywell Aerospace
Honeywell Aerospace is a manufacturer of aircraft engines and avionics, as well as a producer of auxiliary power units (APUs) and other aviation products. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, it is a division of the Honeywell International conglome ...
and Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is an American aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies. Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation (especially airlines) and military aviat ...
and other aerospace companies used Boeing
The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product ...
jetliners as flying testbed aircraft.
See also
*List of experimental aircraft
As used here, an experimental or research and development aircraft, sometimes also called an X-plane, is one which is designed or substantially adapted to investigate novel flight technologies.
Argentina
* FMA I.Ae. 37 glider – testbed for p ...
* List of aerospace flight test centres Flight test centers around the world all have similar missions: to conduct flight research and testing of new aircraft concepts and prototypes. Notable centers are listed below (by year of foundation):
Government establishments
* U.K. Aeroplane an ...
* Development mule
A development mule (test mule, or simply mule) in the automotive industry is a testbed vehicle equipped with prototype components requiring evaluation. They are often camouflaged to cover their designs.
Application
Mules are necessary because a ...
* Iron bird (aviation)
An iron bird is a ground-based test device used for prototyping and integrating aircraft systems during the development of new aircraft designs. Aircraft systems are installed into the iron bird so their functions can be tested both individually ...
References
Aerospace engineering Experimental aircraft Aviation industry Civil aviation Military aviation Aircraft operations History of aviation {{Aero-stub