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Meeting	ACGS Committee Meeting 113 - Englewood, Colorado - March 2014
Agenda Location	4 GENERAL COMMITTEE TECHNICAL SESSION 4.2 Research Institutions, Industry, and University Reports 4.2.1 Research Institutions and Companies 4.2.1.1 Calspan
Title	Calspan
Presenter	Lou Knotts
Available Downloads*	presentation
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Abstract	Current work that was discussed includes continuation of the Navy Automatic Air Refueling flight test program. An inert air refueling probe has been installed on the Variable Stability Learjet #2. Initial flight test qualification of the installation had been completed earlier last year. Flight test clearance by NAVAIR for piloted refueling engagements were approved in early 2014. Calspan’s normal flight test approval which is usually done through the FAA under an experimental air worthiness certificate was in the case of probe and drogue refueling assumed by the Navy. As part of this flight approval, the design and safety monitoring circuits and manual disengage transients of the Learjet variable stability system were evaluated and deemed to be sufficient to allow safe refueling in the event of failures of the experimental autonomous control laws. A second air refueling probe was built and was installed on a Learjet nose section that had been beefed up the same way as Lear #2. This probe installation was then tested to ultimate design load to ensure that the structure was safe. Manual and autonomous control of the Learjet to within 5 feet of the refueling basket were successfully tested. A manually flown refueling hookup was flown to the contact position. The program was then postponed in mid-January because the window of available test time for both the Learjet and Omega B707 tanker was insufficient to complete the flight test program. An alternate sensor suite by General Electric for use by the air refueling control laws was then evaluated in late January. Other ongoing work at Calspan’s Aeronautics group includes modification of our 4th Learjet, a late Model 25, into a variable stability aircraft. It is expected the modifications will be complete during the late summer of 2014 and flight checkout will then take place. A program was flown using the Calspan Gulfstream III airborne test bed earlier this year. This flight test project provided flight support for the Airbus A350 Inmarsat SATCOM Program for Rockwell Collins. The project made use of the antenna radome on the top fuselage of the GIII. The Rockwell Collins SAT-2200A Satellite Communication System was installed. A 5 hour test flight took place over the northeastern US.