NRC aerospace supports flight tests on Diamond Aircraft's personal jet

Citation

(2007), "NRC aerospace supports flight tests on Diamond Aircraft's personal jet", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 79 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2007.12779aaf.011

NRC aerospace supports flight tests on Diamond Aircraft's personal jet

NRC aerospace supports flight tests on Diamond Aircraft's personal jet

The National Research Council Institute for Aerospace Research (NRC Aerospace) contracted with London, Ontario's Diamond Aircraft Industries to provide test piloting services for its D-Jet Development Flight Test Program. The test program, conducted out of London, Ontario, ran from June to September 2006.

During that period, NRC Aerospace and Diamond Aircraft test pilots flew Diamond's D-JET S/N 001, a “Very Light Jet” (VLJ) personal aircraft that will seat five people, to evaluate its performance and handling qualities, and to facilitate development. The work is vital for meeting future airworthiness and certification requirements.

Diamond first approached NRC Aerospace in mid-April, 2006, after conducting an initial flight test series out of London, with a view to quickly augmenting their flight department's capabilities. The requirement was for test pilots with experience in prototype development and aircraft civil certification to work with Diamond's test pilot and flight test engineers. NRC Aerospace test pilots had, in the past five years, already carried out a full aircraft development and certification program for a very light aircraft and assisted a variety of small companies with kit certification, such as infrared (IR) suppressors and obstacle awareness systems. The current project is unique in that the tests are for a VLJ aircraft: the D-JET is a single-engine personal jet with a maximum take-off weight of 5,100Ibs that will carry five people up to 25,000feet altitude at up to 315knots.

Following installation of a data acquisition system, and some minor planned modifications, flight tests resumed. Conducted out of London International Airport, the flights progressively expanded the speed and altitude envelopes. On a recent flight, piloted by NRC Aerospace test pilot Anthony Brown and Diamond's CEO Christian Dries, the D-Jet attained þ280 knots and the design certification altitude limit of 25,000feet.

“The test pilot expertise provided by NRC Aerospace was invaluable in helping us advance the development of the D-Jet,” stated Dries. “We are very pleased to have expanded the envelope in such a short time, and the aircraft is doing everything we are expecting of it.”