F-16 Aircraft Benchmark Based on Ground Vibration Test Data

The F-16 Ground Vibration Test benchmark features a high order system with clearance and friction nonlinearities at the mounting interface of the payloads. The experimental data made available here were acquired on a full-scale F-16 aircraft on the occasion of the Siemens LMS Ground Vibration Testing Master Class. During the test campaign, two dummy payloads were mounted at the wing tips to simulate the mass and inertia properties of real devices typically equipping an F-16 in flight. The aircraft structure was instrumented with accelerometers. One shaker was attached underneath the right wing to apply input signals. The dominant source of nonlinearity in the structural dynamics was expected to originate from the mounting interfaces of the two payloads. These interfaces consist of T-shaped connecting elements on the payload side, slid through a rail attached to the wing side. A preliminary investigation showed that the back connection of the right-wing-to-payload interface was the predominant source of nonlinear distortions in the aircraft dynamics, and is therefore the focus of this benchmark study. All the provided files and information together with a detailed description of the F-16 aircraft benchmark system are available for download here. This zip-file contains a detailed system description, the estimation and test data sets, and some pictures of the setup. The data is available in the .csv and .mat file format