A COMPACT OPTICAL AIR DATA SYSTEM FOR FLIGHT TEST APPLICATION

AN INNOVATIVE, ELECTRO-OPTICAL, PRIMARY, AIR-DATA SYSTEM CONCEPT THAT WILL PROVIDE ACCURATE AIRSPEED, ANGLE-OF-ATTACK, AND ANGLE-OF-SIDESLIP INFORMATION WILL BE EVALUATED. PATENTED TECHNOLOGY WILL ALLOW A COMPACT, LIGHTWEIGHT, EYE-SAFE-LASER VELOCIMETER SYSTEM TO BE CONSTRUCTED FOR AIRBORNE USE. PHASE I OF THE PROGRAM WILL INVOLVE PRELIMINARY FLIGHT TESTING OF AN EXISTING PROOF-OF-CONCEPT PROTOTYPE UNIT TO ESTABLISH SUITABILITY AS A PRIMARY, AIR-DATA FLIGHT-TEST INSTRUMENT. PHASE II WILL EXPAND THE FLIGHT ENVELOPE INTO THE SUPERSONIC AND HIGH-ANGLE REGIMES WITH A FULLY CAPABLE PROTOTYPE SYSTEM. AN INNOVATIVE, ELECTRO-OPTICAL, PRIMARY, AIR-DATA SYSTEM CONCEPT THAT WILL PROVIDE ACCURATE AIRSPEED, ANGLE-OF-ATTACK, AND ANGLE-OF-SIDESLIP INFORMATION WILL BE EVALUATED. PATENTED TECHNOLOGY WILL ALLOW A COMPACT, LIGHTWEIGHT, EYE-SAFE-LASER VELOCIMETER SYSTEM TO BE CONSTRUCTED FOR AIRBORNE USE. PHASE I OF THE PROGRAM WILL INVOLVE PRELIMINARY FLIGHT TESTING OF AN EXISTING PROOF-OF-CONCEPT PROTOTYPE UNIT TO ESTABLISH SUITABILITY AS A PRIMARY, AIR-DATA FLIGHT-TEST INSTRUMENT. PHASE II WILL EXPAND THE FLIGHT ENVELOPE INTO THE SUPERSONIC AND HIGH-ANGLE REGIMES WITH A FULLY CAPABLE PROTOTYPE SYSTEM.