:
Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Static/Dynamic Testing and Database Development
Bihrle
has been involved in an extensive wind tunnel test program in support
of F/A-18E/F development since 1994. A number of static, dynamic, and
pressure tests were conducted to define the configuration’s aerodynamic
characteristics. These data were utilized to create a flight simulation
database of the aircraft for control law development.
During the tests conducted by Bihrle, baseline static and rotational
aerodynamic characteristics were determined as well as the influence
of aircraft components, control deflections and store loadings. Rotary-balance
test data determined the aircraft’s rotational damping characteristics
and provided an analytical assessment of spin modes and spin recovery
characteristics. 
Forced
oscillation tests were conducted to assess the aircraft’s body-axis
damping characteristics. Pressure data were measured over the entire
configuration at static and dynamic test conditions to investigate basic
flow field features, including flow development on the LEX, wing and
LEX flow separation and the strong vortex flow on the forebody at high
angles of attack. Visualization of the measured pressure data was also
used to correlate the resulting aerodynamic forces and moments with
with observed flow characteristics.
see Basic F/A-18E Pressure Distribution as a Function of Angle of Attack
Ωb/2V=0, β=0
see Basic F/A-18E Forebody Flow Field as a Function of Rotation Rate
α=60, β=0
In
support of F/A-18E/F Super Hornet EMD flight tests, the U.S. Navy continually
refined and updated their simulation database to provide the highest
fidelity engineering simulation of the configuration. 
The
simulation model proved to be a highly effective tool for predicting
flight response through the majority of the aircraft’s flight regime.
Nevertheless, certain departed conditions exhibited extreme variations
in angle of attack and sideslip, well beyond the limits of the simulation
database. As a result, Bihrle conducted additional wind tunnel tests
of the F/A-18E/F at extreme angles of attack and sideslip, under static
and dynamic test conditions, to collect the data necessary to extend
the range of the existing simulation, as well as to provide insight
about the configuration’s characteristics at these large angles.
As part of this effort, Bihrle built and integrated incremental tables
of the newly acquired data for implementation and evaluation in the
simulation database. As a result of this effort, comparisons of the
flight extracted coefficient data with results predicted from the original
simulation and the revised large-angle database showed a significant
improvement to the simulation fidelity in this flight regime over the
original model, which held table values for off-table excursions.
see
Comparison Of Flight Extracted Coefficients With Results Predicted From
The Original And Revised Simulation Database
Reference: AIAA 2000-4584
Bihrle Applied Research has also conducted a number of follow-on wind tunnel tests for evaluation of the F/A-18E/F. These tests have been conducted in the Bihrle LAMP facility as well as in the Langley Full-Scale Tunnel (LFST), where, again, data were collected to further augment the
aerodynamic database of the F/A-18E/F aircraft simulation and in support of control law development.
Other Dynamic Testing Success Stories
Boeing T-45 Goshawk Inverted
Spin/Spiral Mode and Hinge Moment Testing
General
Aviation Configuration Development Support
Review
of Dynamic Testing SBIR Results
Bibliography
1. Dickes, Edward: Wind Tunnel Investigation for the F/A-18E/F at High Angle of Attack and Large Sideslip in the Old Dominion Langley Full-Scale Tunnel, Test Entry #77, Bihrle 01-13, October 2001.
2. Hultberg, Randy S., Kloc, Stefan J., Barnhart, Billy P.: Effects of LEX Vent on Dynamic Damping for F-18E, Bihrle 00-07, May 2000.
3. Dickes, Edward, Ralston, John and Lawson, Ken: Application of Large-Angle Data for Flight Simulation, AIAA 2000-4584, AIAA Modeling and Simulation Conference, August 2000.
4. Dickes, Edward, Ralston, John and Kloc, Stefan: F18E Large-Angle Testing: Static and Dynamic Characteristics From Rotary Balance Wind Tunnel Test Data and Aeromodel Increments, Bihrle 99-05, June 1999.
5. Kay, Jacob, Hultberg, Randy, Houlden, Heather, and Ralston, John: F-18E Body-Axis Damping Data Obtained During Forced Oscillation Wind Tunnel Tests, Part 1: Test Results, Bihrle 98-2, February 1998.
6. Kay, Jacob and Ralston, John: F-18E/F Aerodynamic Model Issues (OCT96AERO)September 1997., Bihrle 97-8M,
7. Kay, Jacob and Ralston, John: F-18E RPV Flight Test & Instrumentation Issues/Observations, Bihrle 97-7M, July 1997.
8. Kay, Jacob, Ralston, John, Hultberg, Randy, and Houlden, Heather: F-18E Body-Axis Damping Data Obtained During Forced Oscillation Wind Tunnel Tests, Part 2: Mechanization of Nonlinear Forced Oscillation Data. Bihrle 97-5, Aug. 1997.
9. Houlden, Heather, Hultberg, Randy: F-18E Body-Axis Damping Data Obtained During Forced Oscillation Wind Tunnel Tests, Part 1: Test Results, Bihrle 97-2, April 1997.
10. Hultberg, Randy, Houlden, Heather, Kloc, Stefan: Analysis of F-18E Forced Oscillation Dynamic Data and Acquisition Techniques During Low Body Axis Rates, Bihrle 96-10, September 1996.
11. Houlden, Heather: Three-Dimensional Aerodynamic Analysis of the F/A-18E Remotely Piloted Vehicle Using PMARC, Bihrle 96-6, August 1996.
