Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-1992

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Aviation Systems

Major Professor

Ralph Kimberlin

Committee Members

Peter Solis, Charles Paludan

Abstract

This thesis describes aircraft airspeed calibration using the Global Positioning System (GPS). GPS, which is expected to have three dimensional (3D), 24-hour, worldwide capability in 1993, was used as a tool in a pitot-static system calibration of the Ryan Navion aircraft, N66UT. The data obtained by GPS were compared with the data obtained by three standard airspeed calibration techniques: Speed Course, Tower Fly-By, and Pace Methods. The GPS receiver was a Navstar XR4-PC, a system recently donated to the University of Tennessee Space Institute Flight Research Group for research purposes. The Navstar XR4-PC GPS receiver was mounted in the aircraft and attached to a personal computer (PC). The test aircraft was a Ryan Navion, N66UT. For the pace method the Piper Saratoga PA-32-301, N22UT, was used as a test reference aircraft. This thesis explored the problems encountered during the flight test. All the data were thoroughly analyzed to determine whether GPS is accurate enough for use during Airspeed Calibration. In addition the thesis shows the problems associated with satellite update rate and GPS errors resulting from selective availability (SA) on the test program.

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