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How would you do system-level testing on this system? Obviously there's going to be a simulator, but would you ever install it in a plane and dive at the ground

How would you do system-level testing on this system? Obviously there's going to be a simulator, but would you ever install it in a plane and dive at the ground?

Torkel 10y ago
Yes. From what I heard when working at Saab (which makes sytems like this), it is a very... memorable... experience sitting in the second seat of a fighter aircraft when the pilot demonstrates this capability.
abaillargeon 10y ago
Correct, there was probably a significant amount of simulator testing. Keep in mind that these kinds of simulators use real hardware and the avionics are being given inputs just like in the aircraft (i.e. the GPS antenna is simulated, but GPS inputs and uncertainty propagate through the system just like in the actual aircraft) Most likely there is a test mode that raises the altitude floor/projected flight path at which it takes over. You could then perform the level-off at a safer altitude.
Sharlin 10y ago
Test pilots have done much more dangerous things. The pilot still has time to recover from a faux "uncontrolled" descent if the system appears to not work.
- knodi123 10y ago
  Plus, I'd bet a million dollars that the GCAS kick-in threshold is parameterized, and the test pilots had it set to kick in at a much higher altitude than the final product.
peeters 10y ago
Altitude above sea level is absolute, whereas your altitude above ground depends on the terrain. So maybe one way to test this on a real plane would be to trick the software into thinking the terrain is 5000 feet higher than it is. Then it can execute the maneuver against a safe fake "ground", still giving the test pilot time to intervene if it doesn't work properly.
rtkwe 10y ago
A couple different options come to mind. a) The recovery level here is enough that a test pilot would have time to still recover after the software should have recovered. b) The terrain height is pulled from a database based on the position so you could fake the software to adding more space to recover by adding a test area in the database where terrain is at 15000 feet.
mikeyouse 10y ago
NASA Armstrong led the effort and have a decent little microsite describing the history with some videos of the testing: https://www.nasa.gov/offices/ipp/centers/dfrc/technology/DRC-012-033-collision-avoidance.html#demonstrations https://www.nasa.gov/offices/ipp/centers/dfrc/technology/DRC... Essentially what you'd expect, in software then models then UAVs then full-scale planes with test pilots and finally roll-out to service aircraft.

How would you do system-level testing on this system? Obviously there's going to be a simulator, but would you ever install it in a plane and dive at the ground?

Torkel 10y ago

Yes. From what I heard when working at Saab (which makes sytems like this), it is a very... memorable... experience sitting in the second seat of a fighter aircraft when the pilot demonstrates this capability.

abaillargeon 10y ago

Correct, there was probably a significant amount of simulator testing. Keep in mind that these kinds of simulators use real hardware and the avionics are being given inputs just like in the aircraft (i.e. the GPS antenna is simulated, but GPS inputs and uncertainty propagate through the system just like in the actual aircraft) Most likely there is a test mode that raises the altitude floor/projected flight path at which it takes over. You could then perform the level-off at a safer altitude.

Sharlin 10y ago

Test pilots have done much more dangerous things. The pilot still has time to recover from a faux "uncontrolled" descent if the system appears to not work.

knodi123 10y ago
Plus, I'd bet a million dollars that the GCAS kick-in threshold is parameterized, and the test pilots had it set to kick in at a much higher altitude than the final product.

peeters 10y ago

Altitude above sea level is absolute, whereas your altitude above ground depends on the terrain. So maybe one way to test this on a real plane would be to trick the software into thinking the terrain is 5000 feet higher than it is. Then it can execute the maneuver against a safe fake "ground", still giving the test pilot time to intervene if it doesn't work properly.

rtkwe 10y ago

A couple different options come to mind. a) The recovery level here is enough that a test pilot would have time to still recover after the software should have recovered. b) The terrain height is pulled from a database based on the position so you could fake the software to adding more space to recover by adding a test area in the database where terrain is at 15000 feet.

mikeyouse 10y ago

NASA Armstrong led the effort and have a decent little microsite describing the history with some videos of the testing: https://www.nasa.gov/offices/ipp/centers/dfrc/technology/DRC-012-033-collision-avoidance.html#demonstrations https://www.nasa.gov/offices/ipp/centers/dfrc/technology/DRC... Essentially what you'd expect, in software then models then UAVs then full-scale planes with test pilots and finally roll-out to service aircraft.