Full-Scale Facility Also Used To Tweak Existing CTsw

As part of its new aircraft model plans and to better incorporate changes aimed at fulfilling customer requests, Flight Design recently put their CT development model though a full-size wind tunnel evaluation. Such testing is routine in aerospace companies... but is rarely done with a 100%-scale aircraft.

"Our CT aircraft for the European market had as original design goals speed, comfort, range, and responsive handling," said Matthias Betsch, CEO of Flight Design GmbH.

That model worked well for experienced European pilots... "but as the US created the Special Light-Sport Aircraft category, our market got much broader and an updated design is smart to maintain market leadership," Betsch continued.

The wind tunnel allowed detailed study of aerodynamic efficiency to preserve more performance while enhancing longitudinal stability yet adding little additional weight to the airframe.

"We discovered lightweight methods to subtly refine the design to reduce interference points and produce greater performance and improved fuel economy," said Oliver Reinhardt, Technical Director for Flight Design GmbH. "We also wanted to test fuselage alterations and new landing gear fairings."

The company regards collected information as proprietary and has no plans to release test data, however, the results will be used in future Flight Design aircraft models.

Besides using the Mercedes Wind Tunnel Testing Facility, the Flight Design Team works in close cooperation with its design and manufacturing partners in many countries. Company managers and engineers have been at work for two years on new model concepts, development, testing, and maintaining certification standards in all design work.

Flight Design has committed itself to at least one new major aircraft model introduction in 2008.

"All Flight Design are offered for sale only after all design and development is complete and when the model is fully certified according to each country’s certification system," confirmed Betsch.

FMI: www.flightdesign.com