A control and measurement system for aeroelastic model tests

Abstract

A semi-automatic data handling system has been constructed at the R.A.E. for use in wind tunnel and laboratory tests on aeroelastic models. The system can accept fifty inputs of static information and fifty oscillatory inputs; the latter can be analysed to yield the components of each input that are in-phase and in-quadrature with a sinusoidal reference signal. The system can be programmed to handle, automatically, sequences of input data and, after analysis, to output the data in printed form and on punched paper tape. Graphical presentation of analysed oscillatory data is provided. The equipment has been used in several wind tunnel test programmes resulting in an economical use of wind tunnel test time and skilled manpower.