Flight Test Automation Options

Abstract : Flight testing is often called the key component of test and evaluation. The cost of conventional flight testing is expected to escalate approaching the 21st century and beyond. Augustine noted several years ago that if this trend continues, a single advanced fighter aircraft would cost more than the entire DoD budget by the middle of next century. As the cost of flight testing continues to escalate in a predicted hostile fiscal environment, it is important to consider options to help minimize flight test cost. Suggestions range from completely eliminating developmental testing to employing a variety of flight test automation options. Flight test automation option concepts range from the fantasy of push a button, the test is done, to the more practical use of a personal computer to help with some repetitive flight test tasks and to help store large amounts of related data. Options to help automate specific aspects of flight testing are starting to gain acceptance. Several test automation options exist that have the potential to enhance flight testing by permitting it to be done better, faster, cheaper, and safer. This paper briefly discusses a variety of flight test automation options including the OSD Automated Test Planning System (ATPS) work to automate the test and evaluation master plan (TEMP), the Army Test and Evaluation Planning and Reporting System (TEPRS), the G&C System work on Test_Plan, the Calspan/Air Force Test Planning, Analysis, and Evaluation System (PAES) program, the Boeing Planning and Reporting Organizer For Test Engineers (PROFITE) program, and the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Automated Flight Test Engineering System (AFTES) program and high performance computing program on flight test automation.