A flight test evaluation of the Beechcraft 58P lead plane mission profile for the U.S. Forest Service

A flight test evaluation of the U.S. Forest Service's lead plane mission profile has been undertaken. The Forest Service operates 20 Beech 58P Barons for the purpose of command and control of airtanker aircraft during forest fire fighting operations. The main purpose of the Baron lead planes is to mark the fire retardant drop zone for the airtankers and to evaluate the retardant drop. The objectives of the testing were to determine if this maneuver required modification for improved safety. Another aspect of the flight test involved evaluating a commercially available vortex generator kit modification for the Baron to determine if it increases the safety margin of the lead plane maneuver. The thesis discusses the methodology, results, and conclusions drawn from the flight tests that included; determination of the Baron's airspeed position error, stall characteristics and maximum angle of attack determination, level flight performance, lead plane pull-up maneuver, critical engine determination, and flow visualization. It was determined from the flight tests that the existing lead plane maneuver as instructed in the U.S. Forest Service training program is safe and allows for adequate control of the airplane throughout the entire maneuver. In addition, the vortex generator kit does not significantly increase the safety margin of the lead plane maneuver and, therefore, purchase of the kit for the Forest Service fleet of B-58P aircraft is not recommended.