Masters Theses

Date of Award

5-1998

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Aviation Systems

Major Professor

William Lewis

Committee Members

George Garrison

Abstract

This study deals with the methods a program manager may use to reduce the size of an Ordnance Separation Flight Test Matrix. A program manager involved in military flight test and evaluation of ordnance separation projects has various concerns which must be contended with throughout the life-cycle of the program. One of these is minimizing the size of the flight test matrix. This can be done in various programmatic and technical ways. One programmatic solution is the formulation of an integrated test team which uses an integrated approach to the flight test. Another programmatic solution is properly applied risk management, including configuration control and store release restrictions. Accurately modeling the performance of the system is a technical solution to minimizing the size of the flight test matrix, particularly in the HMD phase. By using current flight test performance predictors such as wind tunnel analysis and demonstrations based on analogy, the program manager has shown that one can avoid unnecessary incremental build-up. Computer-based simulations are increasing test team confidence so that critical areas can be identified and appropriate testing can be accomplished. CFD such as SPLITFLOW and using unstructured grids are the most accurate modeling techniques currently available for the ordnance separation modeling problem. Future applications such as virtual prototyping and virtual piloting are giving the program manager new methodologies in his desire to keep cost and schedule demands low. When applied in an integrated manner, they give the program manager a way to safely minimize his flight test matrix, avoiding unnecessary incremental build-up and keeping the overall costs of his program down.

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