Bombardier Aerospace announced that the assembly of the test airframe for its all-new CSeries aircraft is well underway at the company’s E...
Bombardier Aerospace announced that the assembly of the test airframe for its all-new CSeries aircraft is well underway at the company’s Experimental Test Facility in St-Laurent, Québec. The test article will be used during the Complete Airframe Static Test (CAST) that is designed to demonstrate the static strength of the airframe and show compliance with certification requirements.
Additionally, parts for the first CSeries test flight vehicle (FTV1) are on site in Mirabel, Québec, the production site of the CSeries aircraft program. Major components for the FTV1 are nearing completion and are on schedule for arrival in late September.
The test airframe − comprised of both metallic and composite structures − is being fitted and assembled in a test rig consisting of a superstructure of steel towers and trusses, as well as loading structures and loading actuators that will be used to apply loads to the test airframe. To demonstrate static strength, a series of load cases – representing flight maneuvers, landing, take-off and other in-flight and on-ground conditions − will be applied to the free-floating, non-restrained, counterbalanced test airframe.
For selected load cases, internal cabin pressure will also be applied when simulating in-flight conditions.
During testing, strain gauges will be used to measure and record up to 8,000 parameters at defined locations on the airframe. Data from the strain gauges will be monitored by Bombardier’s stress engineers, as well as by the partners and suppliers that are involved in the development of structural components for the CSeries aircraft.
