A Transformative Approach to Flight Test for Autonomous Vehicles

There are well established processes to conduct developmental and certification flight test of conventional Parts 23 and 25 fixed wing aircraft and Parts 27 and 29 rotorcraft. Further, organizations such as NASA and the Department of Defense also have well established processes to conduct developmental test and evaluation (DT&E) and operational test and evaluation (OT&E) of prototype and experimental aircraft. The classical sequence of the two processes features test pilots that are actively engaged in the flight test assessments. For the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) marketplace that will feature vehicle designs with increasing automation to full autonomous operations, new flight test technologies are needed to execute flight test maneuvers safely and repeatedly when a human pilot is no longer in-the-loop. Further, new test technologies can facilitate extraction of data/information relevant in aircraft development from non-classical developmental type maneuvers. The expected high relevance of Mission Task Elements (MTEs) in the emerging AAM certification process offers and requires the opportunity to merge developmental and operational test concepts and practices from first flight to certification. Building upon the flight test capabilities established in the X-KIT suite of tools by S-PLANE Automation (S-PLANE), the team of Systems Technology, Inc. (STI) and S-PLANE propose the Aircraft Standardized Source for Integrated System Testing (ASSIST) that will embed with X-KIT to facilitate the flight test process from initial parameter and system identification to envelope expansion to mission suitability and certification testing using MTEs. This system will leverage STI and S-PLANE technology in the creation of ASSIST to facilitate the acquisition of critical information for aircraft development from refined flight test practices including the execution of MTEs.

ASSIST applies to the ARMD FDC that “operates, sustains and enhances the specific flight research and test capabilities…needed to achieve technical goals in ARMD’s Strategic Plan, other NASA mission directorate activities and national strategic needs.” Further, it applies to the AAM National Campaign that “…bring together aircraft manufacturers and airspace service providers to identify maturity levels for vehicle performance, safety assurance, airspace interoperability, etc., and to develop and demonstrate integrated solutions for civil use.”

ASSIST and X-KIT together provide a complete flight test suite to the AAM market including passenger aircraft operated autonomously in what JP Morgan recently called the $1 trillion electric flying vehicle market. This flight test technology can also be introduced to military markets such as the AFWERX Agility Prime program that is seeking introduction of electric flight vehicles into the USAF.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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