EDUCATIONAL SIMULATED FLIGHT TESTS WITH ITALIAN NAVY

The activity was carried out on on May 27-28, after an introductory seminar to introduce the subject matter and help prepare the preliminary documentation for the tests, involving the controllability, static and dynamic stability characteristics in various AFCS modes.

In each mission, a student acted as the Flight Test Engineer (FTE) leading the activity in the cockpit alongside a certified test pilot belonging to the Centro Sperimentale Aeromarittimo (CSA, Naval Aviation Test and Evaluation Center), a specialized unit of the Italian Navy based at Naval Air Station Luni, in Sarzana, Italy.

This impressive resources have been used to allow the students experience first-hand the flight testing process, perfectly complementing the course lectures.

After the mission, the students are required to analyze the data gathered in the simulator and present their results a few hours after the mission completion.

This contributes to the course final evaluation, together with a complete Flight Test Report related to a real flight experience on the "Flying classroom" (an instrumented fixed-wing ultralight Aircraft Tecnam P92E) owned by the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology, Politecnico di Milano.

The Flight Testing course, an elective in the second semester of the last year of the M.Sc. studies in Aeronautical Engineering offers enrolled students a range of practical flight test activities.

These include, in addition to the usage of the "Flying classroom" and the activity offered by the Italian Navy on its NH90 full motion flight simulator at Naval Air Station Luni, the collaboration with Pipistrel Vertical Solutions with their Velis Electro and Explorer models and the collaboration with Leonardo Helicopters with their AW139 and AW169 models.

Through this wide array of unique educational activities the students can apply their hard-earned capabilities to certified civil and military applications, including high-tech and even radically innovative products, such as fully electric aircraft.

We are grateful to the Italian Navy for this amazing opportunity to enhance the preparation of PoliMI students on top technology helicopter products and with the active participation of experts such as Test Pilots Lt. Cmdr. Massimiliano Tarlazzi and Cpt. Luca Moro, the commanding officer of the CSA.

As in all past editions, we learned a lot. An unforgettable experience for everybody involved!