Testing the Nixus Fly-by-Wire Sailplane

Paulo Iscold
Jim Payne
Stretching the current
state-of-the-art…
• 92-foot span
• 53.3 aspect ratio
• Fly-by-wire

2
 Comparisons with Other Open Class Sailplanes 60.0

55.0

50.0

Aspect Ratio
14 45.0

40.0

35.0
13
30.0

25.0
12
20.0
Wing Loading [psf]

11

10
Co
9
210
190

Wing Area [sq. ft]

8 170
150
130
7 110
90
70
6
50
30
10

3
 International Team

• Paulo Iscold – Design and Fabrication (Brazil - USA)

• Dagfinn Gangsaas – FBW (Norway - USA)
• Loek Boermans – Aerodynamics (Netherlands)
• Jim and Jackie Payne – Flight Test (USA)
• Sergio Andrade – Project Owner (Brazil)

4
 Why Fly-by-Wire?
• Eliminates complex mixing systems
• Allows thinner wings/higher aspect ratios
• Allows tailored roll control strategies
• Provides automatic flap optimization
• Reduces pilot’s workload

5
Flap impact on laminar flow
6
Structural Design

2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0

10

-5

-10

0.6
0.4
0 0.2

Flexible structure aerodynamics and load calculation Detailed FEA model / proper material allowable

7
Materials Spar Caps
~40%

Typical Material Skin

~30% ~90%

8
Fabrication
• Start – November 2016

Autoclave (60psi – 250F) – November 2016

Inboard Wing close out - January 2017
9
 Sensors Computer Common
1 1 Sensors

Sensors Computer
2 2

Fly-by-Wire Design Sensors Computer

3 3

Aileron position

Aileron position
Flap position

Aileron position
Flap position

Flap position
Data Bus1

Data Bus2
Data Bus3

Node Node Node Node

6L 1L 1R 6R
Battery Battery
L R

Right Wing
Left Wing

Servo Servo Servo Servo

6L 1L 1R 6R

Power – Flaperon 1

Power – Flaperon 6 10
 Servo – 9.3x5.0x1.7in

Node – 1.0x2.0in

Flight computer – 6.3x4.0x3.0 in

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 FBW Display
FBW Master and CBs Servo Status Servo Temperature

Auto Flap Switch

Computer Switches

FBW Display
AutoFlap Computers
Flap Position

Flap Handle

Control Stick

Load Cell
(only for Neutral Point test flights)

Fly-by-Wire Operation
12
 Ground Structural Test

• Initial test June 29, 2018

• Failure
• Lesson learned – reaffirmed
• Retest December 15, 2018

13
14
15
 First Flight
• Castle Airport, California
• March 4, 2019

16
 Phase 1
• 80 KIAS maximum airspeed
• Seven flights
• Static Stability and Dynamic Stability Testing
• Fly-by-Wire testing
17
Ground Vibration Test
• October 25, 2019
• ATA – Cal Poly
• 148 accelerometers
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GVT FEA

19
 In-Flight Vibration Test
• Eccentric mass and FBW excitation
• Custom wireless data acquisition system
• Optional in-flight spectral analysis

20
In-Flight Vibration - Flutter
• Data collected from 64kts to 136kts TAS
• Currently, VNE – 130kts IAS
• Up to 21,000ft

21
FBW evaluation
22
 60.00

50.00 34
FBW Electric charge [Ah]

40.00
30
27
37
35 40
2631
30.00 25
33
42
41 36 38

20.00 24

32
29
10.00 39

28
0.00
0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0
Flight time [h]

FBW Power Consumption

• ~4A average consumption
• Difference between style of flights

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 FBW Results
• Manual and Auto modes

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Performance Test
• Level deceleration
• VectorNav VN-200
• Data reduction

𝑉𝑇2
𝐸𝑠 = ℎ +
2𝑔

𝐷
𝑃𝑠 = 𝑑𝐸𝑠 Τ𝑑𝑡 = 𝑉𝑇 = 𝑉𝑦
𝑊

−𝑉𝑌 = 𝑐1 𝑉𝑇3 + 𝑐2 𝑉𝑇 + 𝑐3 𝑉𝑇−1

𝑑𝐸𝑠 Τ𝑑𝑡 = 𝑉𝑌 ֜ 𝐸𝑠 = න𝑉𝑦 𝑑𝑡

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 Operational Testing
• 5 US Open Class Record Claims
• Online Contest World League Champion
• 195 hours in 44 flights

Wave Flight
June 28, 2020
11 hr 58 min
1,276 NM
26
(2,366 km)
Final Considerations and Conclusions
• FBW Feasible for General Aviation
• Best Practices are Universal

27