The SFTE EC Jesualdo Martinez Award In Flight Testing has been created to commemorate our colleague and board member Jesualdo Martines Rodanes, who tragically deceased in the accident of A400M MSN 23, in Seville in May 2015.
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Flight Testing the Nimrod MRA4
Sun, 2015-03-22 09:12 — ecadmin
Andrew Gill, BAE Systems Flight Test (W427E) Warton Aerodrome, Preston, United Kingdom
Alex Bellamy, BAE Systems Flight Test (W427E) Warton Aerodrome, Preston, United Kingdom
Abstract
The Nimrod MRA4 has been designed to replace the Nimrod MR2 maritime patrol aircraft currently used by the Royal Air Force. Whilst drawing on the airframe configuration of the existing Nimrod, the MRA4 is essentially a new aircraft comprising 95% new design and a new fully integrated mission system. It is undoubtedly the most complex aircraft built by BAE SYSTEMS, with the most challenging flight test programme in terms of time scale.
The flight trials are being conducted as a Joint Trials Team in conjunction with, the Defence Procurement Agency, the RAF and Qinetiq. Such trials support can be provided both on board (using flight test observers) and/or via a telemetry down link to the Warton flight test ground station.
This paper is to give an overview on the progress of the Nimrod MRA4 flight trials and highlight the innovative methods being used to deliver an efficient and affordable flight test programme.
Date:
Mon, 2005-05-09