1 / 34

777 Freighter First Flight Preparation and Conduct

P. 777 Freighter First Flight Preparation and Conduct. Flight Test Safety Workshop – Europe Vienna, Austria 12 November, 2009. Van Chaney, Boeing 777 Deputy Chief Pilot Paul Bolds-Moorehead, Boeing 777 Stability & Control Senior Lead Engineer. V. …… following Capt. Cashman.

telamin
Download Presentation

777 Freighter First Flight Preparation and Conduct

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. P 777 Freighter First Flight Preparation and Conduct Flight Test Safety Workshop – Europe Vienna, Austria 12 November, 2009 Van Chaney, Boeing 777 Deputy Chief Pilot Paul Bolds-Moorehead, Boeing 777 Stability & Control Senior Lead Engineer

  2. V …… following Capt. Cashman • 14 years later, much is the same • 6th generation of 777 • Confidence built on past success • Not a new airplane • Pressure to do less (time, conditions, money) • “Keep it simple” 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  3. V Agenda • 777F Airplane Description/Background • Preparation Activities • First Flight Day • First Flight Part 2 • Subsequent Events • Lessons Learned • Summary 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  4. V Agenda • 777F Airplane Description/Background • Preparation Activities • First Flight Day • First Flight Part 2 • Subsequent Events • Lessons Learned • Summary 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  5. V 777 Freighter First Flight 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  6. P 777 IntroductionFamily Evolution 777-300 1998 777-300ER 2004 660,000-lb TOW 84k-98k Thrust 775,000-lb TOW 115k Thrust 777-200ER 2000 777-200LR 2006 777-200IGW 1997 777-200ER 1998 777-200 1995 632,500-lb TOW 84k-90k Thrust 648,000-lb TOW ≤90k Thrust 656,000-lb TOW ≤94k Thrust 766,000-lb TOW 110k & 115k Thrust 535,000-lb TOW 74k-84k Thrust 777F 2009 766,000-lb TOW 110k & 115k Thrust 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  7. V Summary of Changes: 777-200LR to 777F MTOW766,800 lb (with revised c.g. envelope) MLW 575,000 lb(a 17% increase) • No aerodynamic changes • Same wing • Same fuselage • Same empennage Addition of Maneuver Load Alleviation (MLA) function in Primary Flight Computers 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  8. P 777F Airplane DescriptionFlight Envelope 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  9. V 777F Airplane DescriptionGW/CG Envelope 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  10. P 777F Airplane DescriptionManeuver Load Alleviation Maneuver Load Alleviation (MLA) • Purpose: Reduce wing bending loads due to positive maneuver conditions • Function: Symmetrically deflects some lateral control surfaces as a function of normal load factor • Benefit: Forward CG expansion without additional structure • Application: 777F uniqueto-date. 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  11. P 777F Airplane DescriptionMLA Details Design Intent: a) Handling Qualities unchanged during normal maneuvers b) Handling Quality changes during elevated “g” maneuvers to be imperceptible 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  12. P Agenda • 777F Airplane Description/Background • Preparation Activities • First Flight Day • First Flight Part 2 • Subsequent Events • Lessons Learned • Summary 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  13. P 777F First Flight Preparation • Predicted Flight Characteristics document • Very thorough, rigorous evaluation of many different maneuvers and characteristics • Mapped across entire flight envelope • Less breadth than for a new airplane • Pilot training in engineering simulator • Procedure review/modification • Flight condition reasonableness/attainability • Familiarization with handling • Crew Resource Management development • Establish or refine abort/safety criteria 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  14. P 777F First Flight Preparation (cont’d) • Control law issues • MLA/HOSP interaction (HOSP = Hardened Overspeed Protection) • First flight dry run • Simulator used with most test participants • Treated as actual flight • Ground testing • System specific component tests • “Gauntlet” • Flight test tools in use at BCA • Engineering CAB / Fixed Based Simulator • Flight Emulation Test System (FETS) • LabVIEW Airplane Display System (LADS) • Airborne Data Acquisition & Monitoring System (ADAMS) 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  15. V 777F First Flight Preparation (cont’d) • Developed Contingency Plans • Plan A: • Full first flight profile with a landing at Boeing Field test center • Plan B: • In case of telemetry failure or other mechanical problems • only do low and med risk test conditions (no high risk) • return landing at origination base (Paine Field manufacturing center) • Added a temporary limitation to prevent activation of MLA function • turned out to be very wise as we essentially chose the time and place to do battle with any “discoveries” 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  16. V Agenda • 777F Airplane Description/Background • Preparation Activities • First Flight Day • First Flight Part 2 • Subsequent Events • Lessons Learned • Summary 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  17. V 777F First Flight Day • 14 July, 2008 • At the airplane • Final prep activities • Taxi testing • Telemetry (control) room activities • Anticipating reception of telemetry data • Successes • Airplane flew exactly as predicted (simulator) and the same as the parent model (777-200LR pax airplane) • Failures or “Opportunities” • Telemetry failure – followed “Plan B”, e.g. aborted and returned to origination field (PAE) 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  18. V Agenda • 777F Airplane Description/Background • Preparation Activities • First Flight Day • First Flight Part 2 • Subsequent Events • Lessons Learned • Summary 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  19. V 777F First Flight – Part Two • 16 July, 2008 • Completed what had been planned for first flight profile • Telemetry repeater van local for this test attempt • Arrived at primary Boeing test facility (Boeing Field, Seattle) (originally planned for completion of first flight) • Planned layup and inspections followed 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  20. V Agenda • 777F Airplane Description/Background • Preparation Activities • First Flight Day • First Flight Part 2 • Subsequent Events • Lessons Learned • Summary 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  21. V 777F Aileron Vibration • Major discovery on third flight: • Significant aileron vibration present with MLA function active • Occurs at 1.8-2.0 g with a specific aileron deflection • Could have encountered on first flight without TM had the limitation not been present 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  22. V Aileron vibration discovery flights • Flutter-type testing • 2 altitudes and increasing Mach numbers • Manual controller “kicks” • Elevator frequency sweeps • Roller Coasters and “kicks” in turns (elevated g) • Aileron vibration occurred with trailing edge up deflections of ailerons. • Ailerons had never been used previously at these speeds due to aileron lock-out function. • With additional MLA g bias applied (e.g.- PFC thinks it’s under a 1.8 G load): column kicks, shallow bank turns exhibited vibration • Without MLA g bias: 60 deg bank turns and roller coaster maneuvers to higher g levels showed vibration 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  23. V Aileron Vibration Details • Pilot comments on Aileron Vibration: • “Alarming.” • “Feels like driving over a washboard road.” • “Feels like something is going to come off.” • “Distracting and you naturally want to unload and slow down” • Causal factor unknown. • Potential contributing factors include: • Aileron deflection angle for vibration corresponds to approximately zero hinge moment • A “scoop” is created between the mass balance tower and the lower surface of the wing when the aileron is deflected 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  24. V Aileron Vibration Video 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  25. P Aileron Vibration Data 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  26. P Aileron Vibration Mapping 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  27. P 777 Outboard Aileron Balance Tower Air Flow 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  28. P Aileron Vibe - Potential remedies • Aerodynamic modifications • External wing treatments • Aerodynamic sealing • Internal flow diversion • Flight control software modifications • Change to basic MLA aileron travel schedule • Addition of aileron “No-Dwell zone” function Chosen solution 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  29. P Re-test flights : MLA Aileron “No Dwell” Zone Success ! 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  30. V Agenda • 777F Airplane Description/Background • Preparation Activities • First Flight Day • First Flight Part 2 • Lessons Learned • Summary 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  31. V 777F Lessons Learned • Thorough checkout of ALL systems for the test program is crucial • Although telemetry is not a flight critical system, it is necessary for test success • Past success doesn’t guarantee future success • Fly-By-Wire airplane control laws present opportunities to remedy issues such as this • Team approach to problem solving is required • Especially when pilot opinion and engineering data differ • The “right thing” will still prevail once thorough communication occurs • Important to capture lessons learned on specific technical “discoveries” to share between programs • Pilot distraction needs to be considered as certification issue • Contingency planning (“Plan B”) is a necessary step • Envelope expansion for new functionality (MLA limitation) is required 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  32. P Agenda • 777F Airplane Description/Background • Preparation Activities • First Flight Day • First Flight Part 2 • Subsequent Events • Lessons Learned • Summary 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  33. P Summary Never assume that a test program will escape problems, no matter how seemingly “minor” the effort is ! 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

  34. P Questions? 777F First Flight - FTSW Europe 2009

More Related