Technology of Ground Vibration Testing and its application in light aircraft prototyping

The article describes the vibration measurement technology used for light aircraft and some results obtained during the prototyping process. The aim of researches was to determine the resonant frequencies and natural modes of an aircraft or its selected structural components. Ground Vibration Testing is an essential dynamic structural test necessary to carry out before the aircraft certification. This test should be performed on the aircraft example which is predicted to test in flight. The measuring system used in the Institute of Aviation Technology of the Military University of Technology consists of a multi-channel LMS SCADAS analyzer, a set of piezoelectric accelerometers, two vibration exciters equipped with impedance heads and a computer with the Test.Lab Software. The aim of the article is to present the methodology of performing GVT tests. Using the equipment applied to an aircraft or its airframe component, key vibration characteristics corresponding to resonant points can be determined. Not only completed aircraft can be tested, but also its isolated fragments (wings, stabilizers, tail units) or just empty airframe. Testing separately supported components allows to examine their aeroelastic properties at early stage of prototyping. As examples of the use of vibration measurements in various stages of the prototyping process, three examples are presented herein. The isolated strut-braced wing from of the light reconnaissance aircraft OSA, the airframe of a light jet FLARIS LAR, and the light drone ATD JET-2 intended to be an aerial target for some anti-aircraft artillery sets. Some exemplary results obtained from testing these objects were presented. At the end, some observations and conclusions were noted in the context of usefulness of conducted researches