Aircraft test of engineered material arresting system

Abstract

Purpose

Engineered material arresting systems (EMASs) are dedicated to stopping aircraft that overrun the runway before they enter dangerous terrain. The system consists of low-strength foamed concretes. The core component of the arresting system design is a reliable simulation model. Aircraft test verification is required before the practical application of the model. This study aims to propose a simulation model for the arresting system design and conducts serial verification tests.

Design/methodology/approach

Six verification tests were conducted using a Boeing 737 aircraft. The aircraft was equipped with an extra inertia navigation system and a strain gauge system to measure its motion and the forces exerted on the landing gears. The heights of the arrestor beds for these tests were either 240 or 310 mm, and the entering speeds of the aircraft ranged from 23.9 to 60.6 knots.

Findings

Test results revealed that both the aircraft and the pilots on board were safe after the tests. The maximum transient acceleration experienced by the dummies on board was 2.5 g, which is within the human tolerance. The model exhibited a satisfied accuracy to the field tests, as the calculation errors of the stopping distances were no greater than 7 per cent.

Originality/value

This study proposes a simulation model for the arresting system design and conducts serial verification tests. The model can be used in EMAS design.

Citation

Yao, H.-Y., Kong, X.-J., Shi, Y.-J., Xiao, X.-B. and Le, N.-N. (2018), "Aircraft test of engineered material arresting system", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 90 No. 1, pp. 229-236. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEAT-05-2016-0082