We are very pleased to have successfully completed the first test campaign with an aeroelastic wing model in the DNW-HST, using the recently commissioned gust generator.
The test is part of UP WING, a Clean Aviation project co-funded by the European Union and coordinated by Airbus Operations.
The objective of the campaign is to identify the static and dynamic aeroelastic characteristics of the model, including:
• Static and dynamic wing deflections
• Aeroelastic eigenfrequencies of the wing and control surfaces
• Actuator dynamics under aerodynamic loads
The tests cover a Mach range of 0.4–0.81, at both 104 kPa ambient pressure and 74 kPa reduced pressure. The reduced-pressure condition lowers the wing's eigenfrequencies by almost 20%, providing valuable conditions for aeroelastic system identification.
The aeroelastic model was designed and manufactured by NLR, with measurements carried out through close cooperation between DLR and DNW.
Following a short break to assess the data and prepare the control system, the next campaign will focus on the exciting next step: demonstrating active aerodynamic load reduction under controlled gust excitation.
A great team effort and an important milestone towards active load alleviation!